The train from Jiashan arrived at Shanghai South station at about midday, and there my friend and I were greeted by another local who is studying at a university in Shanghai. Our two-day tour around Shanghai thus began.
從喜善開出的火車，差不多在正午抵達上海南站，另一個在當地唸大學的朋友在車站接過我們後，便馬上開展兩天的上海遊。
The university friend insisted on treating me and the other friend to some good local cuisine, and she took us to the Lujiazui financial area by the underground. After negotiating the unruly traffic on the road, we entered a spanking new shopping centre that was very much like the ones in Hong Kong apart from its much larger size.
那個大學朋友要請我和另一個朋友吃「本邦菜」（即其他地方稱為的「上海菜」），所以帶我們坐地鐵來到陸家嘴金融區，穿過凌亂的路面交通，來到一座新穎的商場，驟眼看來跟香港無異，不過佔地當然大很多。
High-rises dominating the skyline at Lujiazui 陸家嘴高樓林立
Oriental Pearl Tower (Dongfang Mingzhu Tower)
東方明珠塔
I don’t often give commercial establishments a free ride on my blog, not even a mention of their names, but I really should recommend this restaurant to you. Located on the 9th floor of the Super Brand Mall, this Xiaonanguo restaurant boosts of both good quality local specialties and an unbeatable view of the Huangpu River through its external glass wall and terrace. It’s got to be one of the best places to marvel at the views of the river and the city itself without any obstruction – bar the hazy veil that was shrouding everywhere and spoiling the scenery!
我不常在弊網誌賣免費廣告乃至提及商業機構的名字，不過這家食肆倒值得向大家提介一下。這家位於正大商場九樓的小南國（相信香港和國內的讀者都不會陌生），菜式固然正宗，但最大的賣點，要算是全家館子坐擁的無敵黃浦江景色，不論坐在落地玻璃外牆邊或走到陽台上，都能一覽無遺，令人讚歎不已！（當然如果沒有那層煙／霧就更好！）
Super Brand Mall
正大廣場
Two of the restaurant's signature dishes: sautéed roast pork (left) and sautéed pig throttle (right)
兩道招牌菜：紅燒肉（左）和紅燒蹄膀（右）
The view from the restaurant terrace
陽台上的黃浦景緻
After lunch, we took a stroll along the promenade by the river and enjoyed the views of the Huangpu River from another perspective.
飯後沿着臨黃浦江的濱江大道散步兼欣賞黃浦江著名的景色。
A restaurant with a distinctive roof
屋頂奇特的食肆
It's hard to go hungry along the promenade!
濱江大道絕不會讓遊人肚子餓！
Then we rode across the Huangpu on the underground, resurfaced at Nanjing Road and slowly made our way via the People’s Square (Renmin Guangchang) to the start of the pedestrian zone of Nanjing Road. Along the way, the streets were lined by high-rises with one shopping centres after another, and the streets themselves were generally wide and straight. This reminded me a lot of the USA – probably not so surprising after all since both China and the USA are countries of vast expanses.
接着我們坐地鐵過江，沿着南京路，經過人民廣場，來到南京路步行街的開端。這段路兩旁有些高樓，商場林立，馬路寬敞而筆直，令我想起美國的街道，這也不出奇，畢竟大家都是幅員遼闊的國度啊。
Shanghai Art Museum, formerly a Jockey Club
上海藝術館，前身是賽馬總會
Near the People's Square, there was a group of youths running while chanting (right)
人民廣場附近，不知何故有一班青年一邊跑一邊叫喊（右）
People's Square 人民廣場
Looking for love? Try your luck here!
人民廣場當日也是「求愛廣場」
The pedestrian zone, in contrast, is reminiscent of the shopping streets that no German city of stature can do without, except for the more massive crowds and the greater variety of shops.
步行街則令我想起每個德國城市「必備」的購物街，祇見人頭湧湧，林林總總的商店雲集，比德國的有過之而無不及。
My university friend had to head off at the end of the pedestrian zone, leaving the two of us to the City God Temple (Chenghuangmiao). Once we left the pedestrian zone, we were back to the American streetscapes and the crowd that was filling up the pedestrian street had dissipated.
走到步行街的盡頭，大學朋友有事要告辭，祇剩下我和另一個朋友往城隍廟。一踏出步行街不久，又回到有點美國格局的大街，人潮也煙消雲散了。
More Americanesque high-rises and fly-overs (left) versus the pre-World War II style (right)
美國式的高樓和高架公路（左）和民國時代建築（右）並存
All tangled up ...
剪不斷，電線還亂
I have probably missed the temple itself, but the tourist shops in the precinct of the temple were simply too hard to miss. The Nanxiang Mantou Shop (Mantou = bun) also stood out because of the long queue snaking from its interior awaiting the latest batch of freshly steamed xiaolongbao. My friend and I didn’t have this patience, and chose a nearby restaurant to try some other dim sum (dianxin) snacks.
不知是不是我找不到，城隍廟好像沒有甚麼廟，倒有不少遊客商店，還有一條長長的人龍，等待新鮮出爐的南翔小籠包。我和朋友沒有這般耐性，祇在另一家館子叫了一客糖不甩和兩個灌湯包嚐嚐。
City God Temple (Chenghuangmiao) 城隍廟
The perennially popular Nanxiang buns
南翔門外，永遠門庭如市
These buns are meant to be drunk, as they are filled entirely with a meat broth! (Note: they are not xiaolongbao.)
椰青和灌湯包，共通點原來不少！
By the time we finished munching, the sky has completely turned dark and provided the perfect backdrop for the night views of Shanghai. We sauntered along the Huangpu side of the river along The Bund, overlooking to the Pudong district on the opposite bank. The older style architecture along The Bund stood in contrast to the ultra modern world of Pudong, which featured the Oriental Pearl Tower (Dongfang Mingzhu Tower) that resembled a descended UFO, the Shanghai World Financial Center that looked like a carrier bag of some kind, and two other buildings that have turned into gigantic screens displaying rolling commercials and government messages in alternation.
充飢後天已全黑，正好是到外灘觀賞夜景的時候。黃浦江對岸的浦東區，矗立着一幢又一幢的高樓，有奇形異狀像外星飛船降落的東方明珠塔和像手挽袋的上海環球金融中心，另兩幢高牆的外牆變身為特大銀幕，輪流播放着不同的廣告和官方宣傳，這個有點超現代的景象，跟身處的黃浦區的歷史建築，實在是個強烈的對比。
Cranes, electric cables and the luminous night sky - all signs of a growing Shanghai
電線、吊臂和璀璨夜景，正是上海發展蓬勃的象徵
The Bund with its landmark Pudong Development Bank building (right)
外灘及其地標浦東開發銀行（右）
The dazzling views of Pudong (remember to see the video clip below)
閃閃生輝的浦東（記得看看以下短片）
The People's War Memorial Obelisk (left) and the view from there (right)
人民英雄紀念塔（左）和那裡的外灘夜景（右）
The pedestrian zone of Nanjing Road at night
南京路步行街的夜景
The next morning my friend and I had to endure an arduous trip in a jam-packed bus from her home in the western outskirts, all the way to the Eastern China Technical University to meet with our university friend. After leaving my luggage with her, she showed us around her university. Although it was Sunday, the university was hardly empty and teemed with many students who must still be working hard. We also had the chance to sample the food from one of the canteens. The taste and variety were actually not bad considering that it was a university canteen.
第二天早上，我和朋友從上海西郊，擠上了插針不入的公車，一直來到那個大學朋友就讀的華東理工大學，放下了行李，順道參觀一下校園和感受一下國內大學生的生活。儘管是星期日，校園內的人仍然很多，看來那些學生也很用功。我們也沒錯過大學飯堂的出品，味道還不錯，選擇也挺多。
Some of the older student dormitories
校園中較古老的宿舍
Canteen meals served on the distinctive metal trays!
飯堂的飯菜，仍用鐵盤盛載
A noticeboard filled with advertisements of preparation classes for civil servant exams and Olympic propaganda
學生報告板上的公務員招聘考試班和奧運會宣傳
Statue of Chairman Mao
毛澤東人像
We went to the art precinct of Tianzifang, where many artistic talents congregate and showcase their creations in various shops. But little did I think that Tianzifang was also a residential area, which was tucked away in the little side alleys beside the precinct. Such was a typical neighbourhood of old Shanghai.
我們從大學出發到田子坊，那是文藝創作者聚集之地，陳列和售賣不同的藝術作品。不過沒想到的是，田子坊也有民居，那些窄窄的弄堂，正讓我們感受一下上海平民百姓的生活和居住環境。
The residences near Tianzifang 田子坊附近的民居
A frame for hanging a planter, common in those old residences
上海古式民宅用來掛花盤的鉤
The entrance to Tianzifang (left) and the alleys inside (centre and right)
田子坊正門（左）及裏面的小巷（中、右）
The studio of a famous Chinese painter Chen Yifei
畫家陳逸飛的工作室
The other side of Tianzifang 田子坊的另一面
The revolution of China is taking a new direction!
革命快已成功，資本家同志仍需努力！
A trip to Shanghai would not have been complete without trying some of the famous xiaolongbao buns. My university friends took us to a local eatery near her university and we treated ourselves to one freshly steamed bun after another to our hearts’ content. At the point I could leave Shanghai and Xitang feeling satisfied.
行程來到尾聲，還有一件事還沒做，我的大學朋友不忘帶我們到華東理工附近一家館子，吃了一個又一個熱騰騰的小籠包，直至我心滿意足為止，之後起程往浦東機場，離開上海和西塘。
從喜善開出的火車，差不多在正午抵達上海南站，另一個在當地唸大學的朋友在車站接過我們後，便馬上開展兩天的上海遊。
The university friend insisted on treating me and the other friend to some good local cuisine, and she took us to the Lujiazui financial area by the underground. After negotiating the unruly traffic on the road, we entered a spanking new shopping centre that was very much like the ones in Hong Kong apart from its much larger size.
那個大學朋友要請我和另一個朋友吃「本邦菜」（即其他地方稱為的「上海菜」），所以帶我們坐地鐵來到陸家嘴金融區，穿過凌亂的路面交通，來到一座新穎的商場，驟眼看來跟香港無異，不過佔地當然大很多。
High-rises dominating the skyline at Lujiazui 陸家嘴高樓林立
Oriental Pearl Tower (Dongfang Mingzhu Tower)
東方明珠塔
I don’t often give commercial establishments a free ride on my blog, not even a mention of their names, but I really should recommend this restaurant to you. Located on the 9th floor of the Super Brand Mall, this Xiaonanguo restaurant boosts of both good quality local specialties and an unbeatable view of the Huangpu River through its external glass wall and terrace. It’s got to be one of the best places to marvel at the views of the river and the city itself without any obstruction – bar the hazy veil that was shrouding everywhere and spoiling the scenery!
我不常在弊網誌賣免費廣告乃至提及商業機構的名字，不過這家食肆倒值得向大家提介一下。這家位於正大商場九樓的小南國（相信香港和國內的讀者都不會陌生），菜式固然正宗，但最大的賣點，要算是全家館子坐擁的無敵黃浦江景色，不論坐在落地玻璃外牆邊或走到陽台上，都能一覽無遺，令人讚歎不已！（當然如果沒有那層煙／霧就更好！）
Super Brand Mall
正大廣場
Two of the restaurant's signature dishes: sautéed roast pork (left) and sautéed pig throttle (right)
兩道招牌菜：紅燒肉（左）和紅燒蹄膀（右）
The view from the restaurant terrace
陽台上的黃浦景緻
After lunch, we took a stroll along the promenade by the river and enjoyed the views of the Huangpu River from another perspective.
飯後沿着臨黃浦江的濱江大道散步兼欣賞黃浦江著名的景色。
A restaurant with a distinctive roof
屋頂奇特的食肆
It's hard to go hungry along the promenade!
濱江大道絕不會讓遊人肚子餓！
Then we rode across the Huangpu on the underground, resurfaced at Nanjing Road and slowly made our way via the People’s Square (Renmin Guangchang) to the start of the pedestrian zone of Nanjing Road. Along the way, the streets were lined by high-rises with one shopping centres after another, and the streets themselves were generally wide and straight. This reminded me a lot of the USA – probably not so surprising after all since both China and the USA are countries of vast expanses.
接着我們坐地鐵過江，沿着南京路，經過人民廣場，來到南京路步行街的開端。這段路兩旁有些高樓，商場林立，馬路寬敞而筆直，令我想起美國的街道，這也不出奇，畢竟大家都是幅員遼闊的國度啊。
Shanghai Art Museum, formerly a Jockey Club
上海藝術館，前身是賽馬總會
Near the People's Square, there was a group of youths running while chanting (right)
人民廣場附近，不知何故有一班青年一邊跑一邊叫喊（右）
People's Square 人民廣場
Looking for love? Try your luck here!
人民廣場當日也是「求愛廣場」
The pedestrian zone, in contrast, is reminiscent of the shopping streets that no German city of stature can do without, except for the more massive crowds and the greater variety of shops.
步行街則令我想起每個德國城市「必備」的購物街，祇見人頭湧湧，林林總總的商店雲集，比德國的有過之而無不及。
My university friend had to head off at the end of the pedestrian zone, leaving the two of us to the City God Temple (Chenghuangmiao). Once we left the pedestrian zone, we were back to the American streetscapes and the crowd that was filling up the pedestrian street had dissipated.
走到步行街的盡頭，大學朋友有事要告辭，祇剩下我和另一個朋友往城隍廟。一踏出步行街不久，又回到有點美國格局的大街，人潮也煙消雲散了。
More Americanesque high-rises and fly-overs (left) versus the pre-World War II style (right)
美國式的高樓和高架公路（左）和民國時代建築（右）並存
All tangled up ...
剪不斷，電線還亂
I have probably missed the temple itself, but the tourist shops in the precinct of the temple were simply too hard to miss. The Nanxiang Mantou Shop (Mantou = bun) also stood out because of the long queue snaking from its interior awaiting the latest batch of freshly steamed xiaolongbao. My friend and I didn’t have this patience, and chose a nearby restaurant to try some other dim sum (dianxin) snacks.
不知是不是我找不到，城隍廟好像沒有甚麼廟，倒有不少遊客商店，還有一條長長的人龍，等待新鮮出爐的南翔小籠包。我和朋友沒有這般耐性，祇在另一家館子叫了一客糖不甩和兩個灌湯包嚐嚐。
City God Temple (Chenghuangmiao) 城隍廟
The perennially popular Nanxiang buns
南翔門外，永遠門庭如市
These buns are meant to be drunk, as they are filled entirely with a meat broth! (Note: they are not xiaolongbao.)
椰青和灌湯包，共通點原來不少！
By the time we finished munching, the sky has completely turned dark and provided the perfect backdrop for the night views of Shanghai. We sauntered along the Huangpu side of the river along The Bund, overlooking to the Pudong district on the opposite bank. The older style architecture along The Bund stood in contrast to the ultra modern world of Pudong, which featured the Oriental Pearl Tower (Dongfang Mingzhu Tower) that resembled a descended UFO, the Shanghai World Financial Center that looked like a carrier bag of some kind, and two other buildings that have turned into gigantic screens displaying rolling commercials and government messages in alternation.
充飢後天已全黑，正好是到外灘觀賞夜景的時候。黃浦江對岸的浦東區，矗立着一幢又一幢的高樓，有奇形異狀像外星飛船降落的東方明珠塔和像手挽袋的上海環球金融中心，另兩幢高牆的外牆變身為特大銀幕，輪流播放着不同的廣告和官方宣傳，這個有點超現代的景象，跟身處的黃浦區的歷史建築，實在是個強烈的對比。
Cranes, electric cables and the luminous night sky - all signs of a growing Shanghai
電線、吊臂和璀璨夜景，正是上海發展蓬勃的象徵
The Bund with its landmark Pudong Development Bank building (right)
外灘及其地標浦東開發銀行（右）
The dazzling views of Pudong (remember to see the video clip below)
閃閃生輝的浦東（記得看看以下短片）
The People's War Memorial Obelisk (left) and the view from there (right)
人民英雄紀念塔（左）和那裡的外灘夜景（右）
The pedestrian zone of Nanjing Road at night
南京路步行街的夜景
The next morning my friend and I had to endure an arduous trip in a jam-packed bus from her home in the western outskirts, all the way to the Eastern China Technical University to meet with our university friend. After leaving my luggage with her, she showed us around her university. Although it was Sunday, the university was hardly empty and teemed with many students who must still be working hard. We also had the chance to sample the food from one of the canteens. The taste and variety were actually not bad considering that it was a university canteen.
第二天早上，我和朋友從上海西郊，擠上了插針不入的公車，一直來到那個大學朋友就讀的華東理工大學，放下了行李，順道參觀一下校園和感受一下國內大學生的生活。儘管是星期日，校園內的人仍然很多，看來那些學生也很用功。我們也沒錯過大學飯堂的出品，味道還不錯，選擇也挺多。
Some of the older student dormitories
校園中較古老的宿舍
Canteen meals served on the distinctive metal trays!
飯堂的飯菜，仍用鐵盤盛載
A noticeboard filled with advertisements of preparation classes for civil servant exams and Olympic propaganda
學生報告板上的公務員招聘考試班和奧運會宣傳
Statue of Chairman Mao
毛澤東人像
We went to the art precinct of Tianzifang, where many artistic talents congregate and showcase their creations in various shops. But little did I think that Tianzifang was also a residential area, which was tucked away in the little side alleys beside the precinct. Such was a typical neighbourhood of old Shanghai.
我們從大學出發到田子坊，那是文藝創作者聚集之地，陳列和售賣不同的藝術作品。不過沒想到的是，田子坊也有民居，那些窄窄的弄堂，正讓我們感受一下上海平民百姓的生活和居住環境。
The residences near Tianzifang 田子坊附近的民居
A frame for hanging a planter, common in those old residences
上海古式民宅用來掛花盤的鉤
The entrance to Tianzifang (left) and the alleys inside (centre and right)
田子坊正門（左）及裏面的小巷（中、右）
The studio of a famous Chinese painter Chen Yifei
畫家陳逸飛的工作室
The other side of Tianzifang 田子坊的另一面
The revolution of China is taking a new direction!
革命快已成功，資本家同志仍需努力！
A trip to Shanghai would not have been complete without trying some of the famous xiaolongbao buns. My university friends took us to a local eatery near her university and we treated ourselves to one freshly steamed bun after another to our hearts’ content. At the point I could leave Shanghai and Xitang feeling satisfied.
行程來到尾聲，還有一件事還沒做，我的大學朋友不忘帶我們到華東理工附近一家館子，吃了一個又一個熱騰騰的小籠包，直至我心滿意足為止，之後起程往浦東機場，離開上海和西塘。
Comments
你令我產生帶著兩少遊上海的衝動。