For anyone who doesn’t already know, the 2010 World Expo (the modern-day equivalent of a World’s Fair) is going on right now in Shanghai.
I recently finished a tour of duty on behalf of my home state, Texas, which held week-long activities at the USA National Pavilion with the goal of attracting tourism and investment to [...]
Is this the skyline of the future?
A few days after returning to Beijing from Shanghai, a reporter for an English-language Chinese newspaper interviewed me about foreigners’ attitudes toward various Chinese cities.
“How do Beijing and Shanghai compare to Hong Kong?” I imagine her flipping the page of a narrow notepad in one hand and clicking open [...]
The four-day weekend in Shanghai continues!
“Hi,” I say cautiously to the stranger with the biggest camera. “Can you help us take a picture?” There is a high degree of correspondence between the size of someone’s camera and his or her photography skills.
Of course she agrees, and when the shot is over we switch places without [...]
Thus far, I have purported the purpose of my four-day weekend in Shanghai to be cultural exploration. Actually, that’s not entirely true. Shanghai is home to a hallmark of American culture, which was conveniently within walking distance of our hotel (destiny?). Of course, I’m referring to Dunkin’ Donuts.
The look on my face? Pure enjoyment.
Shanghai has always been different than other Chinese cities, starting with the foundations. Unlike former imperial capitals such as Beijing and Xian, Shanghai never had a city wall. Boundries are not part of the city’s character.
Prior to the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, Shanghai was without a doubt the most internationalized city in [...]
In the years, months, days and minutes before the Olympics, it felt like Beijing was a city of scaffolding. At one point I thought we might need to trade our suitcases for hard hats.
Construction in the capital is (relatively) calm, now. But the train ride from Beijing to Shanghai taught me one thing: the [...]
“What’s the difference between a hard sleeper and a soft sleeper?” I asked.
“The hard sleeper is less, but it is… I don’t know. It goes a different way or something, and…”
“So?”
“It doesn’t arrive in Shanghai until 11 in the morning—it’s a 13 hour train ride.”
So began our four-day weekend in Shanghai, mainland China’s most developed [...]
