Green Tree Inn (Shanghai Jiuting Main Street)

SHANGHAI OLD STREET

by ancient_traveler about laojie

Shanghai Old Street near the Yuyuan Garden. Known as Fangbang Road, "Shanghai Old Street" with a total of 825 metres, is adjacent to the Yuyuan Garden Bazaar Area and runs in an east-west direction from Zhonghua Road to Henan Road South.

The street can be divided into the eastern and western section. The eastern section keeps the characteristics of residences in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican day. The houses on both sides of the street are fitted with checkered windows, shop-fronts of wooden boards, balustrades and swing doors, roofs with upturned eaves and protruding corners, laced drain-pipes and horse-shape wall tops. The western section is filled with Ming and Qing style architectures, with black tiles and white-washed walls, red columns and upturned eaves, showcasing styles of old Shanghai. The western section has a number of antique & curio shops as well as restaurants and teahouses, and the eastern sections has a variety of shops including florists, shoe and clothing retailers, noodle restaurants and specialty dealers selling Chinese tea and snacks such as "Five Fragrant Beans".

Shanghai Old Street is an ideal place to explore the Old Shanghai, looking back to the old days. There are bargains to be had if you want to and know how to bargain on this stretch of 800-yard bargain paradise. There are trinkets and souvenirs of all kinds. China's diverse history, culture and ethnic mix provides a great store of traditional arts, crafts and literature. Take the opportunity to see and experience Chinese folk arts.

Simple and Authentic Italian Pizza and Pasta

by gdilieto about Pizza and Pasta

In the touristy and over-commercialized enclave of Taikan Lu Arts Center, where it is hard to believe restaurants ever see a recurrent customer, this casual place is a safe landing for a simple and authentic Italian meal. As the name says, on the menu "pasta and pizza" along with simple appetizers such as bruschetta and salads.

All pastas, cooked to order in front of you, are usually enjoyable with the classic rigatoni bolognese and linguine carbonara a better choice than the house's specialties home-made tagliolini in creamy sauce that come with no much taste. Portions might definitely be more generous and do not leave much space for sharing. Pizzas are very good and so are salads, with "Insalatona (lettuce, tomato, arugula, mozzarella cheese, tuna and capers with olive oil dressing) my favorite.

The place is very casual and space is limited: a couple of table inside and a couple of more outside; in rush hours you will have to sit at the bar.

I am regular at this place, usually when I am in the crave of pizza or when in the crave of pasta and not in the mood of cooking home. Prices aren't cheap - both pasta and pizzas starting in the 80s RMB - but this is Taikan Lu and I guess you can't help it.

Last time I chatted with the Italian Owner, he told me he didn't know how long he would carry on with the business, being under attack by cheap, low-quality eateries which are pouring in the area to cater to a larger and larger crowd of low-demanding one-day tourists. Insalatona and Pizza.

PUDONG

by ancient_traveler

Anyone arriving in Shanghai at night from the airport for the first time is immediately taken with the Oriental Pearl TV Tower as it monopolizes an already amazing emerging skyline. It soars over the Huangpu river from the Pudong area and one might imagine it as an incredible space ship landing. Dramatic lighting effects highlight this unusual structure.

Being the third tallest building of the world and the tallest building in China, the 88-stories Jin Mao Tower is located in the center of Lujiazui Finance and Trade Districts in Pudong. It is 420.5 meters (almost 1380 feet) tall and covers an area of 2.3 hectares (5.68 acres).

At the base of the tower is Pudong Park which was designed as a contrast to the massive commercial development of the Special Economic Zone of Pudong. There are wonderful views across the river from the "New Bund" to the original.

Shanghai

by bladedragon

"Accidental visit"

Yep, accidental it was.
It suppose to be just a transit, but the pilot of our China Eastern flight decided that the weather was too bad to land at Pudong airport, so he landed the plane at Hongqiao airport instead.
And due to our connecting flight at Pudong airport, we got ourself a free 1 hour transfer cum tour from Hongqiao to Pudong airport.