Trip to Shanghai 3 - Xitang

Today I'm going to post pics of the olde Xitang village, where I went by bus from Shanghai.

 I advise you to plan ahead because it can get tricky... I had to experience getting lost like 10 times before finding the bus terminal because it moved to a diff. location :/ Oh well, getting lost is normal on a trip.

 

1. Do NOT trust any blog or information that is outdated. This is true as of April 2014.

 

2. Get off the Caoxi Rd. subway station and you'll see the Tour Bus Center.

3. Go to B1 to buy bus tickets. I got there around noon and tickets were all SOLD OUT, so I had to buy tickets for the next day. (ming tian - tomorrow, jin tian - today)

4. Bus ride was about 2 hours long. Remember which bus you got on by taking a picture. Be on the other side of the road at your pick-up time to get back to Shanghai.

 

 Explore the old buildings and see things from different angles.

 A lady daydreaming by the window

 Good luck! (Firecrackers?)

 This cat was dozing off by the steps :D Strangers pet him but he didn't bother to wake up!

Red peppers dangling by the door

 Xitang is full of street food, so you should definitely bring ca$h for yummy food!

 Haggling over a price is normal, so be ready!

 

 Chicken feet

They have this in Korea too, but I never really liked it.. hehe

This looks like some kind of jelly - does anyone know what it's made of? I really like the rose shape. 

 My fav anime characters :D

 Once you get out of the streets and reach the bridge, you'll see the beautiful scenery of Xitang - catch a boat to explore the village above a river!

 Did you know Xitang is also known as Venice of Asia?

 Riding a boat is actually quite expensive (don't remember the price, maybe 200-300 yuan), but if you think it's worth it - go for it!

 Ooh, pretty girls in traditional dresses!

 Looks like you can go back in time for the cheap price of 20 yuan =D Cosplay anyone?

 Everyone on the boat is wearing a lifevest - that means the river can be deep.

 After you have seen the river, you can find a cafe of your choice - there's so many cute and adorable teahouses where you can relax and sip coffee. A lot of the cafes were also guesthouses for tourists.

Visit small museums to see ancient relics like paintings, buttons, statues and such.
 

 Fresh coconut juice

 A baby alpaca?

 He's a funny looking guy.

 Bars in Xitang

 Avatar and Xitang? Any day.

Some kind of good luck? I know they're used as water buckets in some places.

Interesting shape of roof

Zaijian, Xitang!

Trip to Shanghai 2 - City Days and Nights

On the way to the Yuyuan Garden

 

This was the entrance to the garden, where there's a lot of restaurants and stores where you can shop.

 

The exterior is quite nice, I suggest you definitely check it out!

Check out the Haagen Dazs ;) 

 

 

These mythical creatures were everywhere, protecting the property :)

 

 

Inside is very crowded, so keep your belongings safe and if you're shopping, always always haggle over the price. I got to reduce the price of a painting from $60 -> $30, but still felt like I could have gotten it for lower. ;)

This dumping with a straw is very famous so I tried it, but I think it's overrated...I remember paying around 35 yuan.

If you want to check out the chic, modern place in Shanghai, you'd best go to Xintiandi. This is a hip place where you'll find a lot of European style restaurants and stores.

 

 An antique store I found!

 

 

 

After having looked around, I was shocked by the price of regular pasta (probably equal to around $20) and went to a nearby sushi restaurant under this department store. I paid around $10 for two rolls of sushi which is okay.

If you walk around more towards the financial district, you'll find all those luxury brands where rich shanghaians shop ;)

 

 

 

Next - you should check out the East Nanjing Road where you'll find so many things to see & do!



 

Most buildings were European style, since Shanghai was once colonized. It almost makes you feel like you're in Europe, not in China.

 

 

 China-France diplomatic relation. I noticed a lot of French influence in Shanghai and also French people in the streets.

It's interesting to see Chinese signs and European buildings together.

 

 

Make sure you try the Zhen Lao Da Fang, which is a small fried bread with beef inside. (approximately 20 yuan)

 

 

 

On Nanjing Road, you'll be able to find a lot of eateries like this where you can pick fresh fruits for your juice.

 

 Look at all the exotic fruits!

I got Starfruit and Mango. Soooo good! (Appx. 180 yuan)

Hello, Nicole Kidman.

If you see the Samsung building, that means you're near the People's Square, which you have to go through the underpass. 

The whole park is lit with green lights.

 

 I think it's nice to have a park in a big city - it lets us relax from the busy city life and enjoy nature. People's Square is actually quite big and you won't hear a lot of noises because it's pretty far from the buildings.

These guys were helping out a friend to propose.

 D'aww. :)

 

Shanghai, aren't you a romantic city :)