solarz
Brigadier
With the large numbers of political threads lately, I think it would be interesting to focus on culture for a change.
Not many people outside of China would know about cities like Chongqing, Hanzhou, Chengdu, or Zhenzhou, but mention Beijing or Shanghai, and everyone will know what you're talking about.
However, I can easily remember a time when few people has heard of Shanghai, and most people still spelled Beijing as "Pekin".
First, a bit of background. I was born in Shanghai in 1981, and left it in 1989. I've been back as a child in 1993, 1997, and 2002. As an adult, I've spent 4 months there in 2008, and had my wedding there in 2010. Shanghai is my hometown, and it has shaped a large part of my identity. All of my extended family still live there.
Where most people would think of glittering skyscrapers when Shanghai is mentioned, I would instead think of the old, blocky apartments where I spent my childhood. Those apartments are still there, and in fact I still stay in the old apartment where I grew up whenever I visit Shanghai. One of the most characteristic experiences I have of Shanghai is waking up in the morning to the sounds of bicycle rings, the occasional car honks, and the sing-song cry of street hawkers.
Shanghai has the best xiao-longbao in the world, and that is pretty much my top priority whenever I go to Shanghai. Unfortunately, things keep changing and I have to hunt down the best place for it time and time again. If anyone is familiar with Chinese food in China, you would probably know that the biggest, fanciest restaurants often don't have the best food. The beauty of Shanghai is that you can sit down in a dinky little restaurant stall no bigger than a closet, and taste the best xiao-longbao you've ever had. Eating in China, one always has to walk a fine line between deliciousness and hygiene.
The weather in Shanghai sucks, period. It's swelteringly hot in the summer, freezingly cold in the winter, and this is coming from a Canadian used to -40C weather. The problem with Shanghai winters is down to two factors: high humidity, and no heating in homes. The end result is that the one time I spent winter there (in 2008-2009), I felt as if the cold was permanently welded into my bones.
The best weather is in spring, around March-April. It quickly gets hot from May onwards, with over 40C temperatures in July/August. Since I mostly visit in the summer months, I often end up staying inside for days, where at least we have AC.
So these are my thoughts at the moment. I'm going back in a month, and I will see if I can report any new experiences.
If anyone else is familiar with Shanghai, please share. I would love to read about alternative views/experiences about the city.
Not many people outside of China would know about cities like Chongqing, Hanzhou, Chengdu, or Zhenzhou, but mention Beijing or Shanghai, and everyone will know what you're talking about.
However, I can easily remember a time when few people has heard of Shanghai, and most people still spelled Beijing as "Pekin".
First, a bit of background. I was born in Shanghai in 1981, and left it in 1989. I've been back as a child in 1993, 1997, and 2002. As an adult, I've spent 4 months there in 2008, and had my wedding there in 2010. Shanghai is my hometown, and it has shaped a large part of my identity. All of my extended family still live there.
Where most people would think of glittering skyscrapers when Shanghai is mentioned, I would instead think of the old, blocky apartments where I spent my childhood. Those apartments are still there, and in fact I still stay in the old apartment where I grew up whenever I visit Shanghai. One of the most characteristic experiences I have of Shanghai is waking up in the morning to the sounds of bicycle rings, the occasional car honks, and the sing-song cry of street hawkers.
Shanghai has the best xiao-longbao in the world, and that is pretty much my top priority whenever I go to Shanghai. Unfortunately, things keep changing and I have to hunt down the best place for it time and time again. If anyone is familiar with Chinese food in China, you would probably know that the biggest, fanciest restaurants often don't have the best food. The beauty of Shanghai is that you can sit down in a dinky little restaurant stall no bigger than a closet, and taste the best xiao-longbao you've ever had. Eating in China, one always has to walk a fine line between deliciousness and hygiene.
The weather in Shanghai sucks, period. It's swelteringly hot in the summer, freezingly cold in the winter, and this is coming from a Canadian used to -40C weather. The problem with Shanghai winters is down to two factors: high humidity, and no heating in homes. The end result is that the one time I spent winter there (in 2008-2009), I felt as if the cold was permanently welded into my bones.
The best weather is in spring, around March-April. It quickly gets hot from May onwards, with over 40C temperatures in July/August. Since I mostly visit in the summer months, I often end up staying inside for days, where at least we have AC.
So these are my thoughts at the moment. I'm going back in a month, and I will see if I can report any new experiences.
If anyone else is familiar with Shanghai, please share. I would love to read about alternative views/experiences about the city.
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