A Visit To Shanghai, China. Part One

By: Salihu Ibrahim

It looks like all roads leads to China these days. If you are into business, attending one training course,or taking a vacation , your most likely destination could be one Chinese city or the other. China is fast becoming an ecomnomic powerhouse and with it comes properity and modernization.

China is also one of the few places not affected by modern terrorism. So how about taking a visit to china on your next vacation. One of the most beautiful cities in china is shanghai. One thing that strikes one immediately about the city of shanghai is that there are a lot of highrise (skyscraper) buildings.

The density of highrise buildings is comparable to that of Newyork city. Shanghai is also one of the most prosperous cities in China. There are interesting places to visit in shanghai. In part one of this article on shanghai I will be writing on the places you can visit while vacationing or doing business in shanghai. One of the most interesting places to visit in Shanghai, china is the the Bund. It is located in the Huangpu district, in the central part of Shanghai.

It is a place you can go and relax with your spouse or girlfriend or even by yourself. It is an open place that overlooks the Huangpu River. This river runs right across the city of Shanghai. On the other side of the Bund is the Oriental Pearl Tower. The tower is about 396 ft high and can be seen clearly from the Bund. At the Bund, there are relaxation spots where you can sit, take pictures and generally feel the cool breeze from the river.

You are sure to find the usual hawkers of various kinds of souvenirs and fake wrist watches of all kinds. If you want you could pay a small amount of yuan (chinese currency)and take a ride on one of the numerous boats that ply the river so that you can have a good view of the Oriental Pearl Tower from the river. One of the interesting things you can do on the Bund is take pictures with your back to the tower. The background is fantastic.

You could even use the picture for a postcard. The oriental pearl tower is another very interesting tourist spot to visit. The tower, when you get close to it, is an achitectural masterpirce and a beauty to behold. It is just like the Eiffel tower in paris. You pay a small amount to enter through the base of the tower where the lift that will take you up is situated. There are three stages of the tower corresponding to three differrent hieghts.

The higher you go the more money you pay. I highly recommend going all the way to the top. That is where the best view is. The lifts are high speed lifts that will take you to the top in seconds. This is also a good spot for taking pictures. Two most interesting things about the tower is the view, which is fantastic from the top most spot on the tower. Another is the sourvenirs you can find. This a place to buy gift items of various kinds that depict the city of shanghai.

There are restaurants and spots where you can relax to catch your breath,and take pictures. Another interesting place in Shanghai is the Peoples Square. This is an historic place. It used to be where people go to gather to make speeches. The place is made up of beautiful flowers and scenery. Very close to the peoples square is one of the most famous shopping street in the whole of china. That is the Nanjin street.

It is a street with modern shopping malls comparable to malls like printemp or galarylaffayete in paris. Here you will find all you could ever dream of having. That is if you have the money to pay for it. The prices of items here are government controlled. That is you may not find great differences in prices of items amongst the various shops. But you are free to bargain. Usually with a calculator.

There are many peculairities of life in China. Especially for a foreigner. These are things anyone should know before visiting China. Some of these i will be writing about in part two of a `trip to Shanghai China`.

Author Info: The Author, Salihu Ibrahim, is widely travelled. He has written some fasinating articles based on his experiences for would be travellers.

To read part two and more of his articles and other writers` on travel tips visit http://www.tips-for-travellers.com