Shanghai last week ...

My mate Ken had a biz trip to Shanghai for the whole of last week, so I decided to jump onto a discount flight from Beijing and mooch a stay in his hotel room .... for my first visit to the city called the "Pearl of the Orient" and also pay a visit to the oddly shaped Oriental Pearl Tower ...

www.mangocity.com.... this site for discount domestic China fares is great .... BJ to SHG 450rmb (60% discount), SHG to BJ 340rmb (70% discount) not including 150rmb tax  ..... cool travel tool for discount flights and hotels in China.

My first take on Shanghai is that it is atmospherically a nice and warm place, with its valued historical and cultural legacy shared through its European architecture from the early 20th century.  The traffic isn't as bad as BJ, everything is seemingly compactly located, though pollution is still bad, and people's wealth is seemingly more evenly distributed .... the last point noted by the fact that there aren't as many flash new cars whizzing around as in present day BJ ...... and, the food is yummy (lots of xiao long bao for me)..... much more suitable for the tastebuds of HongKongers compared to food up North.

Starbucks and Haagen Dazs are going head to head in Shanghai .... where u find one the other is never far away ....

Nike is huge in Shanghai .... four large stores just in the Nanjing Road area alone...

Many more bicycles, mopeds and scooters still being used on the roads compared to BJ, GZ and SHZ .....

Actually, just out of interest for those who have been to both cities (and even to those who have never been)..... who prefers Beijing and who prefers Shanghai?

Of course, whilst I was there how could resist going to traditional Shanghainese barbers shop for a wash, trim and a close close shave...

Yau Mai Tei - HK Style Restaurant .... HK milk tea, roast duck and ice cold red bean paste (tasted much much better than it looked)

Steamed egg with smelly tofu ..... this was the first and last time I will try this dish :oP

Overall , I like Shanghai ...... nice people, cool architecture both old and new, nice feeling, nice place ......