Tag: shanghai

  • Zhouzhuang: Last Exploration & Back Shanghai

    Zhouzhuang: Last Exploration & Back Shanghai

    Click here to read more about my China Trip.

    China Trip – Zhouzhuang 周庄 : Last Exploration & Back Shanghai (Day 3) – Well, it’s my last few hours at Zhouzhuang. Sunrise – done; Boat ride – done and now it’s the last exploration of this beautiful ancient water town in China before heading back to Shanghai in the afternoon. We checked out the inn, bought our stuffs with us and we went to walk around again, this time according to the map of attractions.

    We visited house of ancient famous people – Shen Wan Shan, which I have no idea who he really was (I don’t think he was famous, so I did not bother), then we went to a Chinese poet shop and asked the poet to write us a few poems derive from our name. This one is kinda cool, as in Zhouzhuang, you will see many shops, offering to write you a Chinese poem with your name in it, it’s actually not a specialty at there, but then it’s just a way of making money for them. We found it kinda interesting, so we gave our name for the poet, and he wrote us some Chinese poems. It’s pretty cool. It’s only 10RMB per poem, why not? We’ve got addicted with the poem writing and in the end, we have so many poems with my name, brother’s, my girlfriend, brother’s girlfriend, mom and dad, and even dad’s business. =D

    Later then, we found a Chinese opera house, unfortunately no opera was showing at there, it’s like a museum, a Taoist temple, Mao Tse Tong’s musuem, some local shops and that’s all. We went back to the bus station, bought a bus ticket or 25RMB to go back to Shanghai. Instead of heading back to Shanghai South Station, we went to Shanghai Main Railway Station. The journey took longer than 2 hours this time because of traffic congestion in Shanghai. At there, we took the Shanghai Metro to go back to our hotel, take a rest, then explore again. Fun! Shanghai was so much warmer, at 6 degree celcius.

    Zhouzhuang: Last Exploration & Back Shanghai

    Zhouzhuang: Last Exploration & Back Shanghai
    This is Shen Wan Shan 沈万山.

    Zhouzhuang: Last Exploration & Back Shanghai

    Zhouzhuang: Last Exploration & Back Shanghai

    Zhouzhuang: Last Exploration & Back Shanghai

    Zhouzhuang: Last Exploration & Back Shanghai
    Poet and calligrapher – Mr Zhi Xue.

    Zhouzhuang: Last Exploration & Back Shanghai
    A Taoist temple.

    Zhouzhuang: Last Exploration & Back Shanghai

    Zhouzhuang: Last Exploration & Back Shanghai

    Zhouzhuang: Last Exploration & Back Shanghai

    Zhouzhuang: Last Exploration & Back Shanghai
    Cool barber shop with Uncle Mao’s photo on the wall.


    Wan Shan Ti / Wan Shan Hock, pork knuckles.

    Zhouzhuang: Last Exploration & Back Shanghai
    Had Yangzhou Fried Rice for lunch, it tasted oily and not-bad. This costs 10RMB. We were told by the waitress that Zhouzhuang doesn’t has any must-eat or local food, many of the foods are from other places.

    Zhouzhuang: Last Exploration & Back Shanghai
    The Chinese Opera House.

    Zhouzhuang: Last Exploration & Back Shanghai

    Zhouzhuang: Last Exploration & Back Shanghai
    Bus station, waiting for bus.

    Zhouzhuang: Last Exploration & Back Shanghai
    Finally back to Shanghai, this is Shanghai Main Railway Station.

    Zhouzhuang: Last Exploration & Back Shanghai
    It’s about 4.30pm, the sky was getting dark already. We headed to the Shanghai Metro to take the train back to our hostel.

    Zhouzhuang: Last Exploration & Back Shanghai
    Like New York, the track shares with train of different lines, so you have see the screen clearly so that you will not get on the wrong line.

    Zhouzhuang: Last Exploration & Back Shanghai
    Waiting for train.

    Click here to read more about my China Trip.

  • Shanghai: Shanghai South Long-Distance Bus Station

    Shanghai: Shanghai South Long-Distance Bus Station

    China Trip – Shanghai: Shanghai South Long-Distance Bus Station 上海长途客运南站 (Day 2) – Good morning! It’s second day at Shanghai. I was not feeling well the day before due to lack of sleep and sudden cold, but then I was so much better on the second day. I was craving for some McDonald’s to bring up my appetite.

    The second day of my China Trip was to a very famous ancient water town – Zhouzhuang, which is located near to Suzhou. After getting direction from the hostel’s front desk, we started our journey.

    How to go to Zhouzhuang? – Go to Shanghai South Long-Distance Bus Station and take a 1.5 hours bus ride to Zhouzhuang.

    The morning was OK-cold, it’s about 9 degree celcius. It’s my first time experiencing Shanghai, but the main point of day 2 was not Shanghai, but Zhouzhuang, so I didn’t bother to see Shanghai yet. Shanghai South-Long Distance Bus Station is kinda far, we have to change two lines in Shanghai Metro. We took Line 2 train at Nanjing Lu Station to People’s Square, then change to Line 1 to Shanghai South Station.


    Walking towards the Shanghai Metro.


    Wet morning, but not heavy rain.


    11 Lines in Shanghai Metro. Not easy reading the Metro’s map.


    Look! Chinese people queuing up to board the Metro! That’s so cool man.

    The bus station is not located right beside the Metro or above, it takes another 10 minutes walk from the metro station to the bus station. We were hungry, but we wanted to go buy ticket first.

    There’s two bus going to Zhouzhuang daily, one at 8:15am, another at 1.20pm. We bought the 1.20pm tickets, and as usual, we need to produce our ID document while buying the ticket. It’s only 35RMB to Zhouzhuang. Then we went to buy food for lunch – McDonald’s!


    How am I gonna shit here? Imagine you see other people’s poo floating pass you.


    Cold duck wing. Yums.


    Checking ticket.


    Spicy Chicken Fillet Burger is awesome!


    Spotted a ferries wheel while on the way to Zhouzhuang.

    The bus station is really high tech. There’s a waiting hall and ticket check point gate. We boarded the bus at about 1.10pm. The driver wanted us to finish the McDonald’s burger as he said that the burger smells weird. Haha. Chinese driver doesn’t like McDonald’s. The ride to Zhouzhuang takes about 1.5-2 hours depends on traffic. I looked out of the bus window to see Shanghai and I found some stupid thing. A driver parked his car by the highway’s road side, went down of his car, then pee by the road, then get back into his car and drive. DA FUQ is the Chinese doing?

  • Hangzhou: 1-Hour Train To Shanghai Hong Qiao Station

    Hangzhou: 1-Hour Train To Shanghai Hong Qiao Station

    China Trip – Hangzhou: 1-Hour Train To Shanghai Hong Qiao Station 搭快速火车到上海虹桥 (Day 1) – It’s almost 6pm at Hangzhou, I was tired and not feeling very well. I wanted to go to Shanghai, checked in the hostel and sleep so badly. Brother and I went to take our luggage back, checked that everything was still there and we went to buy the train ticket to Shanghai.

    Hangzhou: 1-Hour Train To Shanghai Hong Qiao Station

    Hangzhou: 1-Hour Train To Shanghai Hong Qiao Station

    Hangzhou: 1-Hour Train To Shanghai Hong Qiao Station

    Very stupid thing is that train ticket counter was about 10 minutes walk from the platform. It’s just far away from the boarding platform. There’s super many counter at the ticketing area, but it’s easy to buy at ticket. We need to show our ID document (passport) to buy the ticket, it costs 78Yuan one-way to Shanghai Hong Qiao station. After buying ticket, we realised we only have less than 15 minutes until the train starts moving.

    Hangzhou: 1-Hour Train To Shanghai Hong Qiao Station

    Hangzhou: 1-Hour Train To Shanghai Hong Qiao Station

    I hate that the platform is so far away, and with a 12kg backpack on my bag. We ran. We ran towards the platform as fast as we can, together with the backpack, I was panting away. Phewwwww. What a relief that we still have about 4 minutes before the train started moving. Train in China is very on schedule, they won’t wait for anyone who is late.

    The train was pretty cool and was very clean in it. It’s a very long train, with about 15 coaches. We found our seats and rest ourselves. I think I’d a little fever, so I sleep all the way to Shanghai. The train was so smooth and calm as it’s electric train. It’s fast and takes about an hour to reach Shanghai. There’s people selling coffee and food on board too.

    We reached Shanghai Hong Qiao Station, which is a train station, and also a domestic airport. I asked brother to take the cab because we did not know how long it takes for MRT to reach our hotel – Blue Mountain Bund Youth Hostel. I couldn’t really feel the outside temperature because we were indoor. The bad thing was, we waited the cab for about 1 hour! It’s a super duper long queue at the cab area. WOW. Cab driver in Shanghai doesn’t really speak English well, it’s better to have the address print in Chinese for him to refer.

    Hangzhou: 1-Hour Train To Shanghai Hong Qiao Station
    In Shanghai already, so excited!

    Hangzhou: 1-Hour Train To Shanghai Hong Qiao Station

    Felt so good after boarding the cab, it takes about half an hour to reach Blue Mountain Bund Youth Hostel on Shaan Xi Nan Lu 陕西南路. Actually, we should have take the Shanghai Metro, it seems faster. We did not do homework about the Metro station and hotel distance so we went for cab which cost us 70RMB.

    About the Blue Mountain Bund Youth Hostel, it’s cheap, 130RMB/room but no attached bathroom, it’s troublesome a bit but it’s cold when taking a shit as the bathroom somehow connected to the outdoor balcony! The people at there are very friendly too, most of visitors are young travelers like us, you can mingle around with them and get social. There’s a bar with free Internet usage and free-wifi. Every Wednesday night, there’s a movie night at the bar. Besides, there’s also washing machine and dryer. Room is very small, but I don’t think you will spend many time in room. Opposite the hostel, you will find a convenience store. It’s about 10 minutes walk to famous Nanjing Lu and 15 minutes walk to the nearest Shanghai Metro, Line 2 and Line 3.

    Guess what I did after check-in into the hostel? Slept until the next day! I skipped dinner. =D Wasted my first night? Not really, I have plenty of time in Shanghai. I needed to charge up for the coming days.

  • Hello From Shanghai, China

    Hello From Shanghai, China

    Hello From Shanghai, China

    Hello From Shanghai, China – Hello my baby, my friends, my family and my reader! Finally I get to sit down in front of the computer provided at the bar area of Blue Mountain Bund Youth Hostel to do a little blogging. The weather out there is about 3 degree Celsius and it’s feeling warm in the indoor. Today’s weather is kinda nice at about 4-5 degree Celsius and my body is getting used to the temperature already. It was freezing cold in the past few days, it’s rising now.

    Today is day 5 of being in China. Arrived in Hangzhou on day 1, then went to Zhouzhuang, an ancient water town on Day 2 and Day 3, then exploring Shanghai since day 4.

    I guess I have already covered most of the interesting attractions as introduced by most of the people, the Lonely Planet like the Nanjing Road East shopping street, The Bund, Pudong financial district area, the two awesome Apple Store in Nanjing Road and Pudong, French Concession area, Xintiandi, Xujiahui Cathedral, Tian Zi Fang, Dongtai Road Antique Street (went there late and only a few shops were open) as well as Yuyuan Garden and Cheng Huang Temple. Where else do I miss?

    The another two more temple like the Jade Buddha and Jing An Temple are introduced by the Internet, however both of them need an entrance fees which is RMB30 and RMB10. It doesn’t seems to worth it to me. HAHA.

    Food in Shanghai is just OKOK, not really my type of food I think. Price is cheap by the road side but doubt about the cleanliness, it gets more expensive in the restaurant. Xiao Long Bao is awesome but imagine eating it everyday. HAHA. Overall, I am not very attracted with Shanghai’s food, I favor towards food in the North e.g. Hong Kong, Guangzhou. The fastfood in China especially KFC is yum-yum though! =D

    Shanghai is big, huge. It’s many size of Hong Kong, and Singapore. It has a feel of Hong Kong, but I prefer Hong Kong as it’s denser and more happenings throughout the day. Shanghai gets quiet at night where major attraction closes after sunset. Shopping district and bar areas in Shanghai maybe happenings but that’s all. That’s why I see so many people hanging out in the hostel’s bar area at night.

    Well, I’m gonna sign off now and take a rest for the last day in Shanghai. No idea when am I gonna visit yet. But the day after will go to Shenzhen for two days and later Hong Kong for 5 days. Check out my photo updates on Away From Computer and Twitter @nicholaschan

    See ya.

  • Nick Chan’s Year-End Flashpacking China Trip

    Nick Chan’s Year-End Flashpacking China Trip

    FOLLOW TRAVEL UPDATES @ AWAY FROM COMPUTER

    airasia

    Nick Chan’s Year-End Flashpacking China Trip –  Hello fellow friends and readers, I will be going for flashpacking trip to China and Hong Kong in this coming two weeks. Flashpacking is a travel type somewhere between budget backpacking and a normal trip, and still uses a backpack. This is  my first backpacking trip – traveling with just a backpack, camera and myself.

    shanghai_nights_china-wide

    Well, not trying to promote AirAsia but since the desktop wallpaper so nice, so I share it up here also. Haha. AirAsia is my flight to Hangzhou (Shanghai).

    Zhouzhuang-canal-2-Chen-Zhao
    Zhouzhuang Ancient Water Town – Venice Of The East.

    201062219273571700
    Manhattan-alike of the East – Shenzhen. Photo by defence.pk

    The trip basically covers a little bit of Hangzhou, more of Shanghai, a little bit of outskirt Shanghai like the ancient water town in Suzhou – Zhouzhuang, Xi Tang, then to Shenzhen for some gadget and electronics hunting, ending the trip in Hong Kong for some awesome Chinese dimsum.

    China blocked Facebook and Twitter, luckily I still have Nick Chan Dot Net and Away From Computer. Follow me on my blog, Twitter and Away From Computer for latest updates! I update more on Away From Computer as I constantly post image to there.

    See you!

    FOLLOW TRAVEL UPDATES @ AWAY FROM COMPUTER

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