It was Father's Day!!! So, we started the day by pampering my Dad (ok.. ok.. ourselves too lah..) with Manicure, Pedicure and Massages at Dragonfly Therapeutic Retreat. They have quite a number of branches in Shanghai offering spa services e.g. massage, facial, body treatment, and nail spa, and it has been voted as one of the top 10 spas in China. The environment is clean, hygienic and has a relaxing "Spa/Resort" kinda atmosphere. Do make reservation and be prepared to pay premium pricing (for Shanghai).....
Address: 206 Xinle Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, China (中国 上海 徐汇区新乐路２０６号) Tel: (86 21) 5403-9982 Hours of Operation: 10am to 2am, 7 days a week
With Dad's request, we went over to Jin Mao Tower - 金茂大厦 with the intention of going to the observation deck on the 88th floor where one can have spectacular scenery of the metropolitan Shanghai. Its remarkable architecture is recognizable on a clear day from all over the city. But much to our dismay, the city was suffering from yet another day of extreme smokiness, haziness and foggy weather, which provided a view only to the inside of a smog cloud. We did not make our way up. To compensate for that, we bought him lunch at Grand Cafe, located in the lobby of Grand Hyatt Hotel which is on the 54th floor of Jin Mao Tower. The city was barely visible from Grand Cafe.
After lunch, we dropped by Shanghai South Bund Fabric Market (上海南外滩轻纺面料市场) to collect our tailored clothing. We were very pleased with all the victories (shown in previous posting).
We headed to Tang Palace (唐宫海鲜舫) for dinner. This restaurant mainly offers Cantonese cuisine. It was swamped with diners!!!!! The waitress was asking whether did we make a reservation, which we didn't as we did not expect huge crowds. But we were lucky enough to get a table!!!!!
Next day, we met up with my cousin, her husband and their adorable daughter, Xin Xin. All of us absolutely love and adore her!!!!! Xin Xin is sooooo sweet, cute and smart (sometimes she talks like an adult .. hey... she is only 3 years old!!!!!). Almost everyone who saw her called her "Little Beauty"
After breakfast, we set off for Huangpu River Cruise ( 浦江游). It is probably one of the best ways to see both old and new Shanghai. There are different types of cruise offerings available. We didn't want to wait for long so we took the one that was readily available. Our boat departed from the Bund and lasted one hour. We got to enjoy the views of The Bund, the various characteristic buildings in different architectural styles and the surging skyscrapers in Pudong. At night, the boat will take you from the Bund and heart of colonial Shanghai where lights are beautifully lit up, to the fantastic sights of Pudong's futuristic skyline or so called the 21st century cityscape of Pudong. Will give it a try next time round.
Unwilling to declare defeat, we tried our luck for the observation deck at Jin Mao Tower once again. Hoping that the haze or fog would subside, but it did not. Nope...We had no luck this trip!!! Anyhow, since we were at the tower, we popped over to Grand Cafe for lunch. By the way, notice my hubby was not around.... he needed to work lor... What to do! Need to support his 'Shoppaholic Significant Other'.... Heehee...
After lunch, we went down to Huaihai Road and Maoming Road (淮海路 and 茂名路) which are populated with trendy boutiques and shophouses. They are no less famous than Nanjing Road. They features mainly Korean and Japanese designer brands. Nothing caught my eyes though. Next, we plodded down to the nearby Shanghai Jinjiang Dickson Centre (锦江迪生商厦) to get some rescue......
Address: 400 Changle Lu, near Maoming Nan Lu (长乐路400号, 近茂名南路)
WHY???
I soooooooo needed this pair of Gucci Sandals which gave temporary relief to my sore feet!! I was maneuvering on the uneven walkways around the streets of Huaihai Road and Maoming Road with my Christian Louboutin Wedges. This pair of Christian Louboutin Wedges have the same problem as the Dolce & Gabbana Gladiator Sandals which cut into my feet too. These new Gucci Sandals were my saviour for the day!!!
After this small spot of posh shopping, we proceed to continue around the rest of the area....Xin Xin was also "exploring" around too. She was asking all the time: "What is this?" - "這 是 什 么 呀?.... 這 是 什 么 呀?...." Oh... ya... There are always touts around trying to convince us to buy "fake goodies". Really dislike the "harassment"... What u can do is just ignore them totally!!!
We met up with Hubby and Alfred for dinner. My cousin bought us to this restaurant (sorry... cannot remember the name). Another reason for my fading memory could be due to the fact that the food here was only so-so. Nothing incredible to say the least. And don't even get me started on the customer service..... It just sucked (what's new, yah?). The only enjoyable moment during this dinner was having Xin Xin.....
Our last 1.5 days in Shanghai was relaxing and slow pace. We had facial at Dragonfly Therapeutic Retreat, lunch and dinner in the Hotel and my cousin came over to bid us goodbye and of course along with our dearest darling Xin Xin.
Isn't she just darn adorable??????
XinXin performing her "Flip Stunt"
Well, in conclusion, I will still return to SH but it is not my priority though!!!!!!
More SIN and KL coming up later! Check back soon....
We went for a one day trip to Hangzhou. We took an Express Train (ticket starting with letter "T") from Shanghai South railway station (上海南) to Hangzhou railway station (杭州). It took us 1 hour and 50 minutes to reach Hangzhou. The ride was generally acceptable. For the return, we took a CRH Train (China Railway High-speed) that have a ticket starting with letter "D". The return was about 1 hour and 25 minutes as these trains are the fastest in China and much cleaner and more comfortable than the alternatives. In China, people call them “Dong Che Zhu” (“动车组”)
We had arranged for a car rental with a driver who took us to a number of key sites.
First Stop - West Lake (西湖) Hangzhou is reputed for its beautiful scenery, rich historical sites, brilliant cultural relics, and famous native products such as silk and Long Jing Tea. An old Chinese saying "上有天堂, 下有苏杭" which means "In Heaven there is paradise, on Earth there are Suzhou and Hangzhou". Marco Polo also called Hangzhou the most enchanting city in all the world. Hence, we had very high expectations of the World Famous West Lake - called the most charming and intoxicating beauty in Hangzhou.... We arrived at West Lake in the late morning but much to our disappointment, we found that the serenity of the lake wasn't impressive at all. Swarms of tourists crowded the pathway along the lake bank, with sellers loudly offering their merchandise and tour guides yelling into their microphones to their tour groups. It was all in a mess!!!!
Oppssss..... Did we conclude too early??? YES.. YES.. WE DID!!
Just because we had not done any homework before coming to Hangzhou (it was a last minute decision) and furthermore we were there for a day which really made a tight schedule for us. We thought that West Lake was "just that small stretch of lake" and nothing else.... As a result, we didn't know about all the sights around the lake. Later we realised that there are actually several renowned scenic spots around West Lake - Three Ponds Mirroring the Moon (三潭映月), Two Peaks Piercing the Clouds (双峰插云) and Remnant Snow on the Bridge in Winter (断桥残雪) just to name a few. You will be able to catch different pleasing views of the lake at different spots. We missed most of these opportunities!!!! Personally, I feel that the first and best way to experience West Lake is to enjoy it with a cruise. And we should have done it, right!!! What a bummer!!!!!!!!!! We only snapped a few pictures of West Lake from the lake bank, but fortunately were able to get more sweeping views from Leifeng Pagoda.
We settled down for coffee and ice-creams at a nearby Starbucks for a little while and people-watched.
Second Stop - Leifeng Pagoda (雷峰塔) Leifeng Pagoda is one of the ten charms of West Lake and is famous for its folk tale, Legend of the White Snake. A touching love story of a scholar who fell in love with a beautiful woman but was unaware that she was a white snake. White snake had been imprisoned in the Pagoda for years by an evil monk, Fahai. She was then rescued by her son who caused the collapse of the pagoda. In one of the rooms in the Pagoda, there is a sculpture that continues along all the walls which relays the story of the Legend of the White Snake. The Pagoda also affords a mesmerizing view of West Lake. It was here that we realised West Lake has a different charm at various places/time. It is said that the Pagoda looks especially majestic when surrounded by the golden hues of the sun setting. Hence, these contribute to the enchanting reputation, Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow. It has also been renovated to allow for escalators up to the Pagoda but for return, you still have to climb the long stairs.
Panoramic View of West Lake
Golden Roof of Leifeng Pagoda
We had lunch buffet at Shangri-la Hangzhou (杭州香格里拉饭店). No pictures were taken as we were famished. We tucked in right away.... Food was just average, nothing outstanding.
Address: 78 Beishan Road Hangzhou (中国杭州市北山路78号)
Third Stop - Inquiring about Tea at Dragon Well (龍井問茶) To satisfy our tea desires, the driver drove us to Inquiring about Tea at Dragon Well (龍井問茶) to enjoy the well-known Dragon Well Tea (Long Jing Tea - 龍井茶) - known for its four special features: green color, fragrant aroma, sweet taste and smooth even/flat appearance. This region is said to produce some of the most famous, highest quality and finest green tea in China. Furthermore, Long Jing Tea aids one's health in many ways and is is regarded as the elixir for health. It is used to deter food poisoning, refresh the body, stop cavities, fight viruses, control high blood pressure, lower the blood sugar level and to prevent cancer. And that's why it's so expensive. Along the way to Inquiring about Tea at Dragon Well, we saw many teahouses. Many farmers around the Dragon Well have turned part of their houses into teahouses so as to accommodate tourists, selling their tea products and rural style meal.
Legends have it that during one of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty inspection tours of East China, he stayed near today's dragon well plantation and drank tea there. The emperor was so delighted with the tea that he named it the Dragon Well tea. These 18 royal tea trees still stand there as a tourist attraction.
GUESS WHAT I SAW NEXT????
A "Tea Thief"!!!!!!!!!
After which, we had dinner at this restaurant which I couldn't figure out the first character of the name (see pic). Can someone please enlighten me? Anyhow, surprisingly, the food was not too bad, and we did enjoy it. The service on the other hand was just annoying. The waitresses seem to be engaged in their own small talks and ignored us during the whole time.
We decided to wander around with the remaining 1.5 hours. The driver suggested for the Night Market, a large marketplace which sells everything from curios and supposed antiques, to silk scarves and bags and lots of knick knacks, even sticks of deep-fried scorpions. This Night Market is somewhat similar to the Shanghai's Yu Yuan Bazaar .
Initially, we thought we weren't too impressed by Hangzhou but later we got to know that we didn't find the right places to visit....Will definitely visit and spend more time in Hangzhou next time. Coupled with all the knowledge on Hangzhou and West Lake now, I promise.... I will be a smarter tourist next time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We will have to try the local delicacies, Beggar's Chicken (a chicken baked in clay), Dongpo Pork (braised pork), Shelled Shrimp with Dragon Well Tea and West Lake Fish in Sweet and Sour Sauce/Vinegar Sauce.... We will have to visit Silk factory, Six Harmonies Pagoda (六和塔), Yue-Wang Temple (岳王廟) - General Yue Fei (岳飛) Memorial Hall, Lingyin Temple (靈隱寺), Cruise and visit the remaining renowned scenic spots around West Lake..... Will also try to take pictures of West Lake during Sunset......
Please be warned for excessive photos, videos and pardon for my acne-erupting-face, messy hair so it doesn't traumatize you guys!!!
Our main purpose to go to Shanghai was to visit my elder brother, Alfred who is working there. To sum up, I would say SH is not really "our kind of place" or at least to hubby and me.
These were the experiences that we encountered during our 8 days stay in SH.
- SH has narrow roads, bad and messy traffic. It is a major challenge to make an attempt to cross the roads in Shanghai. Drivers are reckless and have no road sense, They will turn into an intersection with no regards to the right of way or the fact that pedestrians are walking on it. "Green Man" doesn't mean you can cross the road safely - DO WATCH OUT!!!!!
- Cramped and dirty in most public places. You can also see laundry hanging around. It was interesting to see laundry even hanging at street level in the big city. However, we were lucky not to catch the scene of anyone spitting or clearing throats right in front of us!!!!
- High air pollution index
- Shanghainese are rude, loud and callous. They do not seem to know the concept of waiting in line for their turn. They will cut in line or so called "jump queue". Pushing and shoving seem to be essential to survival. They talk very loudly to each other even when they are in close proximity - like as if one is on North Pole while the other is on South Pole. It gave us the impression of "shouting"/ "quarrelling" with each other which are both perplexing and frustrating. Sales associates were somewhat unfriendly and rude too. My mum was trying out one of the sunglasses from a department store. Before she could place it back to the shelf, the sales associate snatched the sunglasses from her hand. Yes, It was LITERALLY SNATCHED!!!!!! It's just soooooo difficult to be civil when the other party is rude. There was also once when I asked for a direction to a cafe, the lady looked at me coldly and then "rolls" her eyes and responsed in an unfriendly high pitch tone.
- Receiving bad attitudes and crappy services from the waiters/waitresses at the restaurant are the "NORM" in Shanghai too.
- If you plan to pay a visit to SH, try to learn more Chinese. Besides the people from the hotel, the probability of others understanding English is very low. Those cab drivers whom we met do not understand even a single word. If you need to go somewhere by cab, get your hotels concierge to write it down for you in CHINESE, and don't forget a name card of the hotel (again in CHINESE).
Apart from all these "deterrence factors", we do had snippets of some merrier times in SH. So, let's switch channels!!!!
We went to Shanghai's famous Shanghai South Bund Fabric Market (上海南外滩轻纺面料市场). The old Fabric Market used to be at Dong Jia Du Road but it has now moved to this new building at Lu Jia Bang Road. Four floors of fabric are a clothing maven's heaven, with huge varieties of materials - Furs, Silks, Wools, Linens, Cashmeres, Cottons, Tweed etc. You can bring your own design and the house tailor can custom-made those designs for you. There are also clothing samples and a few ready-to-wear outfits for you to choose as your heart desires. Cashmere Long Coats with Silk Lining (approx. RMB650), Tweed Coats (approx. RMB 250), Fox Fur Shrugs (approx. RMB300), Fox Coats, Silks, Men's Cashmere Suits (RMB550) and Men's Cashmere Long Coats(RMB600). And... Cash Transactions ONLY.
Address: 399 Lu Jia Bang Road (陆家浜路399号)
Between us, there were 5 Tweed Coats, 4 Cashmere Long Coats, 2 Pairs of Cotton Pants, 2 Pairs of Cashmere Pants and 5 Cashmere Suits ordered and ready for collection in 3 days...
So who are the culprits for all these victories??????? Mwahahahaha..........
I have gotten 4 Tweed Coats, 1 Cashmere Long Coats with Silk Lining and 1 Fox Fur Shrugs My sweetheart hubby contributed 2 Tailored Cashmere Suits and 2 Pairs of Cashmere Pants Mum got 1 Tweed Coats and 1 Cashmere Long Coats with Silk Lining Dad got 1 Cashmere Suits, 2 Pairs of Cotton Pants and 1 Cashmere Long Coat Alfred got 2 Tailored Cashmere Suits and 1 Cashmere Long Coat
Presenting my Victories.........................
Next stop was the ultra luxurious and upscale shopping mall - Plaza 66 (恒隆广场). You can find dazzling array of designer brands i.e Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Prada, YSL, Marni, Chanel, Tod's, Van Cleef & Arpel, Marc Jacobs, just to name a few. Arguably, it's the fanciest shopping mall in Shanghai but also come with its fabulous price tag. The taxes in Shanghai makes the items expensive. Sometimes, their after sale prices are equivalent to those full price in other countries. I did however make a lil' contribution to one of my favourite brands in the mall.
Address: 1266 Nanjing Xi Lu (南京西路1266号)
My Outift: Theory Top, DVB Cropped Jeans, Sogoli Necklace, Prada Wedges, Hermes Blue Jean Birkin and the freshly purchased Hermes pousse pousse double leather bracelet
HERMES pousse pousse double leather bracelet with brown leather and silver tone hardware
Chic accessory yah??
After this spot of shopping, we stopped for lunch at TMSK (透明思考) which is perched on the fifth floor of Plaza 66. I like the décor of this restaurant - Uber fashionable and fusion!! Lighting and gleam of colored glaze is well mixed to create an elegant environment for dining. It has a creative menu of both Chinese and Italian cuisine with innovative and authentic range of dishes from Hunanese, Shanghainese and Italian. However, we felt that the food was just alright, nothing amazing.
Address: 502-503, 5/F, Plaza 66, 1266 Nanjing Xi L (上海市南京西路1266号恒隆广场5楼502、503室) Tel: 86-21-6288-6197
We then moved on to roam along Nanjing Xi Lu (南京西路) which is Shanghai's main shopping street with shopping malls, department and small stores, restaurants, and hotels. Later in the evening, we met up with Alfred who suggested buffet dinner at the hotel.
We arranged for a car rental service (with a driver) for the next day. Having car service actually facilitates the trip and saves time if you have many places to visit in a day. The driver takes you wherever you want in Shanghai. Using this opportunity, we tried to accomplish a few of the top "Tourist Attractions".
Oriental Pearl Tower (东方明珠电视塔) The Oriental Pearl Tower (468 meters high (1,536 feet)) is the world's third tallest TV tower. The tower has several observatory levels. The highest (known as the Space Module) is at 350 m (1148 ft). The lower levels are at 263 m (863 ft) (Sightseeing Floor) and at 90 m (295 ft) (Space City). You can reached them by the high-speed elevators. From the observation deck on 350 m (1148 ft) - (Space Module), we did have some great views of Shanghai's skyline and the Bund. The view might be more imposing if not for the smog.
Video taken from Oriental Pearl Tower on Shanghai's skyscrapers and The Bund
Picture taken from our hotel room - Night view of Oriental Pearl Tower with sparkling and glittering light on top
One can't leave SH without trying out Shanghai's most famous snacks from Nanxiang Mantou Dian (南翔馒头店). So, here we are!!! They are well-known for its various kinds of Xiao Long Bao (steamed dumpling) - 小笼包 with different fillings and delicious broth that spurt out the moment you bite into the wrapper. It is a 3-level restaurant reminiscent of ancient chinese architecture. Food are categorised by level. The First level is for take-away order of normal quality xiao long bao at very affordable price. Loooong looong queue of people. Some of them are willing to wait for 2 hours just to have them!!! Second level serves better quality at a slightly higher price and customers can order a set menu too. As for the Third level, they serve the best quality but at a minimum price of RMB120 per person. You can also dine in a private room at a minimum price of RMB150 per person. It is said that the thickness of the skin of the dumpling depend on the level that you are in. It gets thinner as you move up.
Address: 85 Yu Yuan Road, Old Town God's Temple (黄浦区豫园路85号(城隍庙九曲桥旁)) Tel: +86 21-63554206
We opted for the RMB120 per person package. Did we hit the quota of RMB600 (5 of us)????
Check it out!!!!!!!!!!
Never Ending Queue
Chicken Pickled in Wine . The chicken was tender and had a subtle wine taste to it. That was totally awesome!!
Deep Fried Shrimp Ball with Crab Roe Stuffings. The shrimp ball was crispy and yet not oily
Steaming hot dumplings!!! (u can see from the pictures) Biting into the thin dumpling skin with the soup squirts all over. Scrumptious to say the least
Xiao Long Bao with Crab Roe filling
Xiao Long Bao with Crabmeat filling
Xiao Long Bao with Ground Pork filling
Xiao Long Bao with Shrimps filling
Xiao Long Bao with Mushroom filling
Steamed Bun with Crab Roe Soup. A unique dish of Nanxiang. Inside this big bun is actually just pure delicious crab roe soup. It even comes with a straw for you to drink the soup. Do suck slowly as it's piping hot.. It will be Ouch to burn your tongue. Unfortunately. I personally don't like this dish... but still worth the experience of drinking soup with a straw!!!!
Enjoying our lunch!!!!!!!!!!!
Nothing much to rave about these desserts
Let's us take a look at the Final Bill to see how well had we performed!!!!!!!!
Click to enlarge............ We hit RMB597!!!! I think the restaurant didn't mind the small shortfall.
The overall experience at Nanxiang Mantou Dian was a satisfying one.
Yu Yuan Bazaar (豫园商城) After our "full to the rim" lunch, we walked over to Yu Yuan Bazaar where shops and stalls were selling Chinese traditional items, ornaments etc.
The Bund (外滩) Next, we moved on to the best-known landmark in Shanghai - The Bund (外滩), also called the Zhongshan Road. It is the waterfront area of Pu Xi that faces the newer part of Shanghai - Pudong. On the West side of Zhongshan Road, lies the city's core identity and history with 52 buildings of various architectural styles such as Shanghai Pudong Development Bank (former Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank), Shanghai Customs House (big clock tower), Peace Hotel (green 'pyramid' dome), Bank of China (huge slab-sided building next to Peace Hotel) and etc while Pudong constitute Shanghai's new skyscrapers and modern towers such as Oriental Pearl Tower, Jin Mao Tower and etc Not long after we took a short stroll along the bund to enjoy the contrast view of Shanghai, it started to rain. Of course, it shortened the visit but still managed to snap some pictures and video.
An overview of The Bund in Shanghai
To continue our itinerary, we drove over to Three On The Bund where New Heights (新视角) is located for a coffee break. While we fully intended to sit at the Outdoor Terrace Patio that afternoon, it was unfortunately raining. It was a BIG BIG SPOILER, right? Blame it on the dreary weather of Shanghai!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Otherwise, we should have some of the best views of Pudong, the Bund and the Huang Pu River. We did not have the time to patronize M on the Bund (located at 5 Floor, No. 5 on the Bund, 20 Guangdong Road, by Zhongshan Dong Yi Road) which I heard offers slightly more amazing views. Will definitely be there when we visit SH again!!!!!!!!!!!!
Address: 7F, Three on the Bund, 3 Zhong Shan Dong Yi Lu (中山东一路3号外滩3号7楼) Tel: +86-21-6321 0909
Afterwards we browsed around in Super Brand Mall (上海正大广场). It is a huge 10-story mall with a massive supermarket and array of shops (Zara and H&M are here), restaurants, and a movie complex. Nothing caught our eyes though. We then took Alfred's recommendation and checked out South Beauty (俏江南) for their Sichuan Cuisine which is located in the same buidling.
Entrance of Super Brand Mall
Address: 10/F Super Brand Mall, 168 Lujiazui Lu, Pudong near to Fucheng Lu, Metro Line 2 Lujiazui Station (陆家嘴西路168号正大广场10楼 - 近富城路, 地铁2号线陆家嘴路站) Tel: +86-21-5047-1917, +86-21-5047-1817
It is a nice/modern twist to the authentic sichuan cuisine in a relatively upscale and sleek setting. Don't expect the food to be mouth-numbingly spicy. They lacked the spiciness that you will find in traditional sichuan food. Overall, I wouldn't say it was exquisite but must agree that their dishes are served with distinctive flair. Appealing presentations did enhance our overall dining experience. And oh..... Surprisingly attentive services from the waiter and waitress!!! (A BIG BIG BONUS in Shanghai) I will suggest to those who are interested to make a reservation for a table on the balcony by the window. You can get a remarkable view of the Bund. But at a minimum spend of RMB300 per person.
Felt that the preparation of this "make-at-your table tofu dish" was just a gimmick. U can either have it sweet or salty. We tried the sweet one which tasted like soya bean curd.
It was time to call it a day and get some rest in preparation for our one day trip to Hangzhou the next day.
To be continued in the next post...........................
A girl who is obsessively in LOVE with fashion (passion for fashion), shopping, spa and travel. High maintenance girl ah!!!(haha)
Ok... This blog provides heads up for my friends and family members about my shop-a-holism, travels and gourmet moments.
