Tall Buildings, Fast Trains

I spent a day in Pudong, the area for tall buildings and fast trains.

 

I got up early. Too early. I hopped on the ferry across the Huangpu River to Pudong. The trip costs Y2, and takes about 10 minutes. The ferry drops off a little too far south, though.

 

I stolled up to where I knew there was a Starbucks overlooking the river, with a nice view of the Bund. It was 8:00am. The door was open, but an employee engaged in shifting some boxes informed me that the store opens at 9:00! In North America, a Starbucks store probably does half of its day's business before 9:00! So much for my breakfast of a latte and croissant.

 

I head to the Super Brands Mall. In the basement, there is a food fair with "Gino Bakery". I get a cappuccino and a pastry. It's cheaper than Starbucks, but not as good. (Actually, the best coffee I've had in China was at BreadTalk in Chengdu. There is a BreadTalk in Shanghai, but I haven't tried it.)

 

Next stop, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. It has a couple of observation decks and a museum. I decide not to go to the highest observation deck, because I plan to get even higher, later. The lower observation deck is at 267m. The view is pretty good.

 

I manage to beat the crowds of tour groups going up (no line at all), but there is a line to go down! A long line is already forming at the bottom.

 

The museum is under the tower. It chronicles the time of the foreign concessions in Shanghai, when the Americans, British, French, and Germans controlled territory in Shanghai, and built the Bund. The history is pretty interesting. The museum has some multimedia displays, and it is entertaining.

 

Next stop, lunch on the 54th floor of the Jinmao Tower. It is the tallest building in China, and the 4th tallest in the world. The Grand Hyatt Hotel occupies the 54th to 87th floors. The 88th floor is an observation deck.

 

The cafe on the 54th floor is booked up for lunch. Fortunately, I can go to the Italian or Japanese restaurant on the 56th. After perusing the menus, I choose the Italian. It is the most expensive meal I have eaten in China.

 

You know you have been in China for a long time when you start to think of Y100 as "a lot of money". It is worth a little less than $12.50 USD! It is also the largest denomination of currency I have seen in China.

 

The thought that Y100 is "a lot" is reinforced when a shop, taxi, etc. cannot make change for it. A big production ensues with the person going next door, across the street, etc. to find change. Imagine walking into a shop in Los Angeles, buying a candy bar, and being unable to pay with a $10 bill!

 

After a while, you start to think of Y100 as equivalent to $100.

 

So, my lunch in the Grand Hyatt was Y195. Y120 for a pizza, Y40 for a Coke, and an automatic 25% service charge. But, when you convert to dollars, it was $25 to have a very good pizza (thin crust!) on the 56th floor of what is probably the finest hotel in Shanghai, and probably all of China. And the service was impeccable.

 

The Grand Hyatt has an amazing atrium. From the 56th floor to somewhere in the 80's, it is hollow, and each floor has a balcony looking into the centre. Since I have eaten at a restaurant on the 56th floor, I figure I am entitled to take a look at the atrium and snap some photos.

 

Unfortunately, at the same time, three German hooligan tourists arrive to see the atrium. They are loud and obnoxious, and are obviously "crashing" the Grand Hyatt for a look. The hotel staff is suddenly on the alert, and they probably think I am one of the hooligans. I've got my snaps, so I depart.

 

Next task, check out the Super Brand Mall, another pantheon to shopping. It's just another shopping mall with fancy brand names.

 

I decide to go check out the maglev train to the airport. It is a few stops away on the metro. My intention is not to ride it, but just to see where it is, and double-check the operating hours. I will be taking it to the airport when I leave China for Australia. The Lonely Planet book states that the cost to ride is Y75, and I don't want to spend Y150 for a roundtrip.

 

However, it turns out that a roundtrip is now Y80. It will be nice to ride it during daylight hours, and without worrying about all of my luggage, so I splurge the $10 for a roundtrip. After all, how often do you get to travel 431 km/h, on land?

 

At speeds lower than 300 km/h, the ride is comfortable. Faster than that, it gets a little rough, and small discontinuities are magnified into jolts. When we pass the opposing train at around 300 km/h, the wind buffet is loud and jarring!

 

Finally, I end the day back at the Grand Hyatt, in the Cloud 9 Bar on the 87th floor. Two cocktails at Y80 apiece, plus 15% service charge. (Normally, there is no tipping in China.) The service is, once again, impeccable.

 

Pudong was farmers' fields, fifteen years ago. Then, Shanghai decided to build a new financial and technology area there. Many, many highrises and skyscrapers have been built, and more are on the way. There have been some problems, though, too. One premium residential development, between the Jinmao and the river, with prices ranging from $6 to 22 million USD has only sold two units! They are in serious trouble.

 

The other problem with Pudong is that, even though they had a "clean slate" for planning and development, they have chosen to plan around the wrong parameters. For instance, the area is very unfriendly to pedestrians. So much so that people climb over the pedestrian barriers to cross the street, rather than walk an extra three or four blocks to use the correct crossing. Also, there is a lot of park and green space, but is all inaccessible without great pain.

Done