Tap into this post to read about some of our sightseeing, fun facts, travel tips and many pictures of our time in Shanghai, China. We encourage you to get out and see the world if you are able, and if not, we will bring it to you through our posts. We hope you enjoy!
The flag of China features a large gold star with four small gold stars on a red background. The stars symbolize the Communist Party (large star) and Chairman Mao Zedong’s four social classes of people–proletarian workers, agricultural peasants, petty bourgeoisie, and capitalists. The red represents the communist revolution. The five gold stars together symbolize the importance placed on the number five in Chinese philosophy regarding the five elements–water, fire, wood, earth, metal.
A Rainy Day in Shanghai
Well I guess the weather can’t be perfect all the time when traveling. Our cruise stopped in Shanghai on a cool and rainy gray sky December day and we were gutted because we had so looked forward to seeing this picturesque city. We were hoping for sunshine for great picture taking but mother nature had other plans. What we saw was beautiful even in the rain.
Shanghai is China’s largest city with a population of some 24 million people. Shanghai has an old town district (Bund) and a skyscraper district (Pudong) separated by the Huangpu River. Bund is is the financial center of southeast Asia, famed for its colonial-era buildings and beautiful promenade. Our transport from the ship dropped us at the promenade along the river in the Bund district, from which we had stunning views of the skyscrapers across the river. We walked along the promenade and visited a couple of coffee shops and cafes. We kept hoping for a break in the weather but unfortunately, we only stayed in town for about 4 hours and returned to the ship early. Based on what we saw (or didn’t see), we definitely want to go back!
Facts & Figures
— Shanghai is the world’s busiest container seaport, located in the Yangtze River Delta where it enters the East China Sea
— The two Chinese characters 上 海 in Shanghai’s name literally translates to ‘upon-the-sea’
— Beginning in 1991, Shanghai underwent economic reforms that saw the birth of rapid growth and construction of the Pudong district
Travel Tips
— Shanghai has a magnetic levitation train called the Maglev that reaches normal operating speed of 431 km/hr (268 mph)!!; it is the fastest commercial electric train in the world
— Currency used in China is the renminbi, or more commonly referred to as the Yuan (CNY)
If you are a world trekker like us and want to become more ‘worldly’, then you will want to try our books below. Thanks to the former British Empire and current Commonwealth, the English language is widely spoken across the world, however it is spoken quite differently depending on where you are traveling. We believe the books below are essential to worldly trekkers and think you will find them both fun and informative. The books include a dictionary of everyday words and phrases, traditional cuisine, some history and culture, and other handy information.
Simply click on the book covers below to find out more:
Psalms 27:1 – New Living Translation (NLT)
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
so why should I tremble?!
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