BuzzingInShanghai: The French Concession

Today, I decided to visit the French Concession. Alex was joking last week that I wanted to go because my mother tongue is French. I really wanted to go because it seemed like a beautiful place and it actually is!

There seems to be a few less skyscrapers than other areas of Shanghai but there are actually still quite a bit!

The abundant side streets with lots of trees always seemed calm and peaceful

I was really amazed at this open sky escalator getting out of the subway

I tried to follow the Lonely Planet walking tour which is described as taking 3 hours to complete. I saw only three of the 12 sites mentioned in 5 hours. I guess I'm a bit slow. The tour started in the shikumen (translated stone-gate house) of Xintiandi.

The narrow pedestrian streets with courts reminded me of Europe. The restaurants and various home decor and artsy stores were hipper than hip and were not afraid to demand higher payment for their uniqueness.

The tour then took me to the birthplace of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). On July 23rd 1921, the CCP met here for their first congress. Forced out by the authorities at the time, they had to finish the meeting on a leisure boat (doesn't that sound romantic?)

The unassuming building from the outside is full of CCP memorabilia as well as self-reinforcing materials to convince visitors that communism was the best solution to the struggles of poor hunger striken, foreign controlled China of the time.

I loved the exhibit which prohibited photography. With a guard in every room, I felt safe. I was able to admire someone's mustace scissors and some peasant's work pants that outlined the terrible conditions prior to the revolution. There's a wax rendition of the table at which all the leaders of what became the CCP held their discussions. I almost got a China flag pin at the store at the end of the exhibit but I couldn't find one I liked.

On my way to the next attraction from the walking tour, I noticed this street exhibition featuring Italy's finest products from olive oils and alcohols

to coffees and ice creams

and even cars (the model is actually Chinese)

I totally lost track of where the tour was supposed to take me next at this point but I made my way to Fuxing Park

It is a beautiful park (had enough of parks yet, not me!) with lots of flowers

A fountain

Some sculptures (Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels here)

Some nicely built rock formations

And of course, lots of water

The next stop on the walking tour was the former residence of Sun Yatsen, an important writer and political figure in China.

I'm not sure I understand everything in the exhibit, but I think he played a big role in China's evolution. No pictures allowed here either, what is up with these Chinese and safeguarding their history so closely? The house is surprinsingly small for someone of his stature with only about 7 or so rooms that I could see after putting plastic slippers over my shoes.

The garden is also pretty nice (stadium size by Chinese standards!) and currently undergoing reseeding

I erred about the French Concession some more before coming back to Pudong for dinner. I saw this interesting scaffolding structure. Look closely, they are using Bamboo!!!

Dinner tonight was a fairly simple, yet succulent affair with a starter of sweet spare ribs (Alex laughed that I wanted this because it is very westernized)