This is a view of the Oriental Pearl Tower. I took it while standing on the 88th floor of the Jin Mao Tower, which is on of the largest buildings in the world.
If you want a similar view, there are three other options. You can go to the Pearl Tower (shown in this picture), the bar on the 86th floor of the Jin Mao Tower, or the top of the Shanghai World Financial Center (上海环球金融中心), which is located right next to the Jin Mao Tower (shown below). All of these charge a fee, but it is worth it to get a good few of the city. However, I should mention that the city can be quite hard to see. The photo above was taken on one of the clearest days I have ever seen in Shanghai.
Shanghai Word Financial Center
I just learned that they are starting construction on yet another huge building called the Shanghai Tower. At 632 meters, it will be even taller than the Jin Mao and the World Financial Center once it is complete.
Jin Mao Tower
Another great way to see the city is by boat. This was the first time I saw the city from the water, and I thought it was totally worth it (well, it was all free and I had to go, so I am not sure what ‘worth it’ means). The reasons why I would recommend such a tour is because you can see both sides of the river at once. The past couple of times I saw one side of the city, and then later crossed the river to see another side.
A View From the Huangpu River
In the picture above, you can see the Jin Mao Tower and the World Financial Center. This is the Pudong Area, which is located across from the Bund. I also like this picture because you can see some of the river traffic. The Huang Pu is the largest river in Shanghai, and it serves as the point where Shanghai is divided between East and West. On the other side of the river, you get to see the Bund, which has dozens of historical buildings.
The Bund
In this photo, you can see the HSBC Building (left) and the Customs House (right). I was having some difficulty with the light, so I apologize for the poor quality (excuses, excuses…).
On the Huangpu
That same day we also headed to the Yuyuan Garden area (though not the actual Garden). I walked around alone, taking photos, eating food, pushing my way through crowds of people, and admiring the mix of traditional and modern elements in the area.
Watch out for your wallet! There are tones of people everywhere. It can be pretty annoying sometimes, so it is best to have a good attitude and enjoy the craziness. In Chinese, this is called 人山人海, haha.This area is a great place to try new food.
This guy just hangs out in the middle of the crowded area chopping
g up his food. I don’t actually know what he was making, but it did not look very good. ..
If you need a caffeine fix, don’t worry – there are two Starbucks joints in the area.
Finally, if have not already seen dozens of them, you can head over to the temple.
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Do you prefer to living in Shanghai or the States?
For now, Shanghai. That mostly has to do with the fact that I want to experience living abroad and I want to improve my Chinese (which is easier in Shanghai than Singapore). I will end up living in the States for most of my life.