Shanghai

Getting a haircut in Shanghai

On the way to the haircut

Shanghai is like no other city in the world. Home to 17 million people it is the largest economic and transportation center in China,and yet it is breathtakingly beautiful. Mal and I stayed overnight in a hotel close to the "Old City" or "Nanshi", as it is known by locally. The city is so diverse that even a week spent here would hardly be sufficient to do it justice. Perhaps the easiest way to understand the multicultural aspect is to look at its history.
1,000 years ago it was a small fishing village.
In the 13th century it became a recognized town, frequently attacked by Japanese pirates.
In the 16th century a wall was built around the city to ward off the above pirates.
In the 1842 the city survived the opium war.
In the late 19th century /Early 20th century the city became a glamorous, if risqué, international port, home to people from all over the world.
In 1916 the city dismantled the wall.
In 1921 the Chinese Communist Party was formed in the French Quarter.Mao Zedong was present.
From 1937 to 1945 the port was occupied by the Japanese.
From 1945 to 1949 it was ruled by the Guomindang Nationalists.
In 1949 it reverted to Communism.
In 1965 The City gave birth to the Cultural Revolution.
In 1990 the city entered its "skyscraper" period. There are 3,100high-rise buildings. At one time the construction was so intense that it caused a shortage of building cranes throughout Asia.
Most of the newest skyscrapers are in Pudunk, an area along the north bank of the river Huang Pu river. They represent, collectively, the best designs of the world's top architects. Each building is a strikingly beautiful work of art.
Mal and I had arranged for the hotel's car service to drive us back to the port. Unlike our inward journey, our outward journey was in a modern minibus, with a driver who spoke English. Even at 7:00 at night we had to struggle with downtown congestion, so it wasn't until we were speeding up a ramp onto an elevated highway that I experienced the full impact of the city's beauty. Many of the skyscrapers were lit up against the night sky, some in abstract design, and others silhouettes of their buildings. The display was dynamic, quietly sliding through a rainbow of colors,consisting predominantly of green, purple, red, blue and gold turning the city into a symphony of color and light.
As we sped away, I watched this panoply of color and design until it receded into the distance, knowing that I would probably never see this extravagant display again.