Our first Saturday here in Shanghai was filled with visiting nearby "touristy" places, a day where a majority of it was spent on foot. I don't really walk a lot in Malaysia — much too hot! — so I always embrace opportunities like this, which doubles up as exercise for me!
After breakfast — Shah had his at the hotel; me at Starbucks in Jiujiang Road, eating red bean scone (!!yumm!!!) and one of their coffees (honestly Starbucks Shanghai drinks are better made and much more delicious than Malaysia's, for some reason) — we wandered along Nanjing Road, heading up to People's Square to make our way to People's Park.
Bikes are huge here, who would have thought? I'm especially into those silent electric bikes / electric scooter / electric scooter-bikes they ride on! I've already asked Shah if we could bring one home but it's a firm no — for now, at least... (Obviously I'm still holding out hope.) I think it's genius that they attach cosy oven mitts-like gloves to the handles of their bikes, as it can still get cold out here.
If you're in Shanghai for a bit of shopping, then the Nanjing Road stretch is a definite must-visit. It's filled with high-street stores and high-end ones but the prices are definitely more expensive than in Malaysia and the other countries I've visited, so unless you have your eye on something that can't be found anywhere else, I'd say save your money and concentrate on feasting your eyes on the scenes around you instead. I got so absorbed in soaking it all in that I kept forgetting to snap more photos of the shops around me and my surroundings!
Read: See the outfit I wore on this day!
I definitely want to check out this big mall with the huge red Omega poster on it, but window-shopping has to be done in my own time, as Shah was anxious to do sightseeing more than anything.
I love how these neat flower beds are scattered throughout the city, like this one near People's Park; I'm really looking forward to seeing more flowers blooming in Shanghai spring!
The Shanghai Marriage Market is the one attraction that fascinates me the most — although, it's probably crude (and rude, perhaps) of me to call it "an attraction" since obviously the locals seem to take it seriously, but there's no denying how the weekly event has turned into a sight for tourists. Middle-age men and women and even older ones advertise information of their younger offspring on a piece of paper and stick it to the top of the umbrella, or laminate it and place it on the steps, in the hopes to find a mate for the younger 'uns.
Shah found one "ad" written in English, where we could immediately know details about the person: sex, age, education, job, height, and weight. Some ads even have pictures of them!
In my Instagram post I mused out loud if these children grant permission to be advertised so publicly but after reading a couple of articles about the market, it doesn't seem that way. It's part of the culture here I suppose, for the older generation to place such worry on the single status of their children or grandchildren. It makes me wonder how long this market that started in 2004 will last, and how successful their endeavours have been so far.
People's Park is quite vast so there are other things to check out too; I saw a mini funfair but people-watching is probably the most interesting thing to do here! There's a section where people were playing mahjong (I assumed it's mahjong), and there was someone doing tai-chi (OK, not tai-chi, but something more badass I think) and being recorded.
We did more on this Saturday, which I'll share in my next Photo Diary post! I also share little bits of my Shanghai experience on my Instagram so if you haven't followed me, do give @theliyanaaris a follow!
THANK YOU SO MUCH for reading through this, guysss, I hope you enjoyed looking at these photos XXOO
After breakfast — Shah had his at the hotel; me at Starbucks in Jiujiang Road, eating red bean scone (!!yumm!!!) and one of their coffees (honestly Starbucks Shanghai drinks are better made and much more delicious than Malaysia's, for some reason) — we wandered along Nanjing Road, heading up to People's Square to make our way to People's Park.
Bikes are huge here, who would have thought? I'm especially into those silent electric bikes / electric scooter / electric scooter-bikes they ride on! I've already asked Shah if we could bring one home but it's a firm no — for now, at least... (Obviously I'm still holding out hope.) I think it's genius that they attach cosy oven mitts-like gloves to the handles of their bikes, as it can still get cold out here.
 |  |
If you're in Shanghai for a bit of shopping, then the Nanjing Road stretch is a definite must-visit. It's filled with high-street stores and high-end ones but the prices are definitely more expensive than in Malaysia and the other countries I've visited, so unless you have your eye on something that can't be found anywhere else, I'd say save your money and concentrate on feasting your eyes on the scenes around you instead. I got so absorbed in soaking it all in that I kept forgetting to snap more photos of the shops around me and my surroundings!
Read: See the outfit I wore on this day!
I definitely want to check out this big mall with the huge red Omega poster on it, but window-shopping has to be done in my own time, as Shah was anxious to do sightseeing more than anything.
I love how these neat flower beds are scattered throughout the city, like this one near People's Park; I'm really looking forward to seeing more flowers blooming in Shanghai spring!
 |  |
Shah found one "ad" written in English, where we could immediately know details about the person: sex, age, education, job, height, and weight. Some ads even have pictures of them!
In my Instagram post I mused out loud if these children grant permission to be advertised so publicly but after reading a couple of articles about the market, it doesn't seem that way. It's part of the culture here I suppose, for the older generation to place such worry on the single status of their children or grandchildren. It makes me wonder how long this market that started in 2004 will last, and how successful their endeavours have been so far.
 |  |
People's Park is quite vast so there are other things to check out too; I saw a mini funfair but people-watching is probably the most interesting thing to do here! There's a section where people were playing mahjong (I assumed it's mahjong), and there was someone doing tai-chi (OK, not tai-chi, but something more badass I think) and being recorded.
We did more on this Saturday, which I'll share in my next Photo Diary post! I also share little bits of my Shanghai experience on my Instagram so if you haven't followed me, do give @theliyanaaris a follow!
THANK YOU SO MUCH for reading through this, guysss, I hope you enjoyed looking at these photos XXOO
Thanks for the great tour of Shanghai!
ReplyDeleteI love the picture of you through the window. SO COOL!! Your new grey coat looks very stylish and warm.
I LOVE THAT PHOTO TOO! I have a whole load of them, Shah took a bunch from outside when I was eating and drinking that morning, hahaha!
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