Fun things to do in Shanghai

This evening show of acrobatics was one of the highlights of our visit to Shanghai. Be prepared to see the human body perform movements which seem impossible. The skill of the acrobats is unbelievable.

Aproximately 20 performers took part in the show, some solo acts , however the part I enjoyed most was when 8 or 10 team members performed together, sometimes 3 persons' high and the success of the act being teamwork.

The circus also contained many beautiful women who were equally as good as the men.

Be prepared for a spectacular evening, something that will remain in your memory for many years.

We went as a tour group and I think tickets cost around 280 Yuan ($40). Booking is essential.

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Whilst walking through the cafe and shopping district of the French Concession we turned into Xingye Road and walked past the site of the first National Congress of the communist Party held in a Shikumen house in this former working class neighbourhood.

Our tour guide pointed out this historic house after we passed, not wishing to stop for a few minutes. Our intention was to return during free time, which of course never happened.

The first National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party was held on 23rd July,1921. Attended by 13 members and chaired by Mao Zedong.

The building has been completly restored.

The guidebook suggests Peoples Park located in the centre of the city is an ideal place to escape the hustle & bustle of Shanghai.

Imagine our surprise when we stumbled upon this card game in a more secluded section of the park. It was a real game, the money was on the table and concentration shown by the players meant this was a serious game. The onlookers were as intent as the players and I guess some were waiting for a vacant chair to join the game.

We watched for a minute or two and I managed to capture the scene with a discrete photo.

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When we had finished on the Observation Level we were taken down several levels to the Shanghai History Museum and restaurant level. We had over an hour free time to look through the museum.

The displays were excellent with life like people in scenes depicting the way of life during the 19th century and earlier. Some scenes were city life, others were farm scenes and there were some on the years prior to World War ll.

The only criticism I have is there was little security over the displays and the general public would enter the displays, handle the exhibits and have their photo taken.

Entry is included with Oriental Pearl TV Tower entry.

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The main reason for going up to the Observation Floor is for the view over Shanghai city, the Huangpu River with the beautiful cruise boats, and for some the excitement of the height. For sure you will have the opportunity to take beautiful photos, but the buz of the crowd combined with the "toy like" buildings and vehicles below brought home to me the wonder of this man made structure.

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At 468 metres the Oriental Pearl Tower is the highest in Asia and second in the world to the CN Tower in Toronto. I have been to the top of both towers, the CN in 2007 and Shanghai May 2011. Both are marvellous buildings with wonderful views over the city and landscape.

Our visit to The Oriental Pearl TV Tower was on a fine day allowing us to enjoy the view which was suffering a little from the smog. This did not reduce the excitement of the tower and there were manu laughts at the antics on the glass floor.

I actually plucked up enough courage to walk on the glass floor (failed i Toronto) and once done they could not get me off it.

The web link provides important details on the building.

We thought our walk was close to finishing when we walked along Fangbang Zhong Lu and through the Chinese Gate and entered Shanghai Lao Jie, commonly known as Old Street.

This is a street which recaptures the Shanghai of a century ago. Many of the shops remain the same,trading under their original name and retailing similar products. The whole street has been renovated in a way to retain originality.

It is a street that appeals to women as they like to wander through most shops, and it amazes me how long they take to buy so little.

Eventually we found our way to a Starbucks for late lunch, the first time in 20 days that I had eaten anything but Chinese for lunch or dinner.

Refreshed, we then made our way to the day's highlight, the Yuyuan Garden.

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Five minutes walk from the Old City Wall will bring you to this famous outdoor market. Be prepared for fruit and vegetable stalls overflowing onto the footpath, crowds, noise and some rubbish. Everything looked fresh, but we were cautious and did not buy anything as we could not wash before eating.

As everywhere in China we could always see the washing hanging overhead.