As I said before, thanks to the Chinese New Year, I had nearly 2 weeks off of work! I spent this time with my parents, where we toured Shanghai and then Beijing. It was so lovely to see my parents -- I miss them so much, and I was so happy to be able to spend a good amount of time with them during what the Chinese consider the most important time of year. We were very fortunate to escape the Shanghai snowstorm by one day -- minimal flight delays, safe roadways -- very blessed. Shanghai really caught me by surprise. Before arriving, I knew very well of Shanghai's modern and cosmopolitan reputation. But, I had no idea how European Shanghai would seem! So many times during our time there, we were almost convinced that we were in Europe, thanks to its French architecture, and areas of cobbled and wide roads.
Also, not surprisingly, Shanghai's a complete 180 to Beijing. With Shanghai, I saw glitz, wealth, and modernity, a stark contrast to Beijing. Shanghai's polished and beautiful, whereas Beijing is raw and not what I would call outwardly, aesthetically "beautiful." In Shanghai, the highrises are sleek, shiny, and very much a significant part of its famous skyline; in Beijing, the highrises are usually dull, uniform, and on dusty blocks where like buildings are being constructed at a feverish pace. In Shanghai, I saw one high-end luxury car after another; in Beijing, I am used to seeing men riding rusty bicycles, with wagons attached carrying everything from children to rolls and rolls of toilet paper stacked high. In Shanghai, each neighborhood/district seemed to have a neat look to it -- streets all laid out neatly with glamorous stores, restaurants, and spas. Beijing's neighborhoods, on the other hand, are all so vast, spread out, and diverse -- you'll find a happening restaurant or bar next to a questionable alley where people are pushing rusty wagons up and down the alley. The two cities are so incredibly different that it was an especially great experience to visit Shanghai and try to compare the two cities for myself.
It's funny because I would often tell people, "Too bad my Ambassadorship isn't in Shanghai instead of Beijing." Shanghai, in my mind, always seemed to be cooler, more fashionable, and way more convenient for the Western visitor. After my visit to Shanghai, I can verify my initial impressions of Shanghai. It is cooler (at least outwardly), more fashionable, and more convenient for the average American or Westerner. But, while I do still think that Beijing is nowhere as polished, picturesque, or easily adaptable for the Western visitor compared to Shanghai, that Beijing has more soul and character. I feel like one could spend two years in Beijing, and still be getting to know the city -- whereas, Shanghai's character seems easily figured out right away.
And now, some pictures of my trip to Shanghai:
colorful lanterns in a plaza -- Chinese New Year is a wonderfully festive time to see China, where so much of cities are adorned in red and gold
the 3 pics below: the famed Bund skyline -- as beautiful in person as I had expected. In the nighttime picture, you'll see that the Bund appears dark, hazy, and blurry. This is because the city government ordered all buildings to turn off any
unnecessary exterior lights in order to conserve power. (Shanghai's power reserve was
tested in the awful snowstorm.) I must admit that I was disappointed not to see the beautiful
Bund lit up at night; I'm sure that would have totally taken my breath away.
another Chinese New Year display -- celebrating the Year of the Rat :)!
Then, it was time for my parents and I to return to Beijing! We all had a lot of fun in Beijing, visiting the traditional touristy sites, such as the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square and Wangfujing, Forbidden City, Ming Tombs, Summer Palace, Silk Street Market, and Temple of Heaven. My parents immensely enjoyed Beijing -- they also felt that Shanghai lacked Beijing's character and charm. I'd say that the biggest highlight out of all the touristy sites
we visited was without a doubt, the Great Wall. It was an exhilarating experience climbing the Wall,
seeing and experiencing something firsthand that I had always thought I *might* see decades later in my life. Throughout my climb, I was awestruck at the thought of millions of workers constructing this spectacular structure, knowing that they could fall to their death at any moment. One thing though -- I would advise people not to climb the Great Wall in the winter unless they can't avoid it! It was so bitterly cold at the Great Wall, that my hands would go numb if I took them out from my gloves for just a moment to take a picture. I also got a really bad cold from the Great Wall. Luckily, my parents did not catch a cold from our Great Wall trip!
In Beijing, my parents and I also discovered how much the Chinese here LOVE their firecrackers. Honestly, it got quite annoying and scary to hear and see firecrackers go off 50 feet away from us, night after night. Whenever my parents and I were out walking on the streets, we would rush back to my apartment as we just felt unsafe given the close proximity of the firecrackers going off. The Chinese believe that firecrackers will help ward off evil spirits; given the amount of firecrackers put off, I'm hoping that means that we'll have a wonderful year. Haha. Firecrackers aside, though, observing Chinese New Year in China was a very cool experience.
Both Beijing and Shanghai were super colorful, with doors, windows, ceilings, and sidewalks adorned with shiny red and gold. There were also many performances, and people everywhere were in festive moods and outfits. I feel like Chinese New Year is bigger in China than Christmas in the U.S.!
When it came time for my parents to go back to the U.S., I felt instantly homesick. While being in Beijing has been an amazing experience, seeing my parents strongly reminded me just how much I miss them and home. But, I am so glad they came to visit me -- I loved showing them my apartment, neighborhood, and favorite restaurants!
Pictures of our time in Beijing: the first two pics are of the Great Wall; then, Tiananmen Square with my Dad; the Forbidden City with my Mom; and the last three pics are at the Summer Palace.
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