4th Day in Shanghai

Day 4 Itinerary: Dongping National Forest Park 东平森林公园 – The Bund 外滩 – Shanghai Xin Tian Di 新天地

Dongping National Forest Park

Beautiful Sunday! We planned a trip together with friend’s sister to Dongping National Forest Park, which was highly recommended by her colleague. Getting there need various public transportation, metro, bus, bus, ferry, bus again… (this route was suggested by that colleague too) but, when we reached there… there is actually a direct bus to Shanghai City from ferry harbour. |||

 

Before entering to the park, there are people in their scooters, asking us if we are looking for local home-cook food (农家菜), their house is just nearby. Logically, we shouldn’t follow somebody home just like that, but since both of them (my travel partners) agreed, ok, I had no objection. Then they took us back home by their scooters. I had hesitation (typical city girl doesn’t trust stranger easily, was trained since young), but they seems nice and sincere, so, I tried not to think on the negative side. When we reached there, there were another group of people, dressed like city, leaving their dining, so, I felt sort of safe.

They suggested a lot of dishes, (they even had a proper menu), at last we ordered a cold appetiser (cold chicken), pumpkin slices, Chinese yam, celery and a stewed pork. I think the stewed pork is the nicest, but I was too eager for the food and I forgot to take picture. I admit I’m really a carnivore. Taste wise, ya, they are quite different from what we have eaten in the city, they tasted less MSG, less salt and some you can even taste the “burn” smell from the wok.

            The Chinese yam plant                                                             Their kids

Shoots, like eating sugar cane, peel the skin with teeth and chew the stem for juice. I think this is kind of cool, remind me when I was very young (I grew up in village too), my grandpa used to teach me eating sugar cane this way.

On the way to their house, we passed by some vineyards and there were notice board saying they welcome visitor too. We asked the man who was sending us if they have their own vineyard too, they said they don’t have but their friend does. Unfortunately my partners were not interested to go, so, the man sent me there, they waited for me in their house.

The vineyard that I visited isn’t the biggest, I guess, but I think I was lucky, I never visited a vineyard with grapes bearing on the plant before this, and I was very happy to be able to pluck grapes from the tree while walking around the yard. Since I was there, and the owner said he can helped me to pack the grapes for me to carry back, so, I bought some, but when I brought it to Hangzhou, carried the box up to the plane and back to KL, some of the grapes turned bad and the box smell like wine!!

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Back to the city!!

Dinner – At first we wanted to try XinXiangHui 辛香汇, a restaurant strongly recommended by my friend’s sister’s Shanghai colleague, she tried to book a table a day before but unfortunately, they only accept booking a week before, gosh… a week before!!! The restaurant people asked us to try our luck by walk in, so, we were there about 5.30pm, you know what? There were still 98 tables before us… We thought it might be very fast, but after an hour of waiting, there were still about 45 tables, plus my friend’s sister wasn’t feeling very well, so, her sister decided to go home to rest earlier and we decided to eat elsewhere…

This XinXiangHui is located at the top floor of a 6 storeys building in Pudong and all the tenants are running restaurants in this building. I don’t mind waiting for nice food, but I think the queue is ridiculous, so, if next time I were to go again, will definitely make booking, a week before.

When we went down to ground floor, we see this interesting restaurant, DaNiang Dumpling, plus point, not too crowded (believe me, even the whole building are restaurant, most of them are super crowded, this is China), so we went in and valentine’s set attracted us (although we both are not valentine to each other but who cares?). RMB54 for 4 satays, 1 bowl of glass noodle with big bone, 1 bowl of beef noodle and a big big bowl of dumpling (we forgot to count how many, but I guess about 20 of them), don’t you think this is a very good deal? I especiallu love my bowl of glass noodle.

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The bund!!! Finally!!!

How can you not visited the bund when you travel to Shanghai??? The night views were very breath-taking, I think it’s the nicest among all places that I went (at least nicer than HongKong and Melbourne).

Shanghai World Financial Centre (tallest building in Shanghai and 3rd tallest in the world) & The Pearl Tower

Pedestrian bridge crowded with people taking picture

@ Pudong (Eastern bank of HuangPu river) viewing over to PuXi (Western bank of HuangPu river) – Very classic and grand

Colourful & happening NanJing Road Pedestrian Street 南京路步行街 where a lot of people, especially the elderly practicing ballroom dancing and singing @ the street! What an interesting culture where the elderlies have their own happening and healthy activities while the young ones hangout somewhere in the city.

@ PuXi viewing over to Pudong (very colourful and modern sky line)

There are a lot of tourists @ the bund, when I was resting my poor legs (continuously walking for more than 3 hours), a white from South Africa who was sitting next to me thought I was a local and started chatting with me. He is an interesting man and we had nice chat, exchanging travel information and etc. That is part of the reason why I love traveling, you never know who and what interesting and surprising people and things will you be meeting or seeing… the world has become so small and it seems everyone in the world are friends!

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Shanghai Xin Tian Di

Most metro lines close at 10pm, after that, the most convenient public transport would be the cab. From Puxi, I hopped on a cab and I was thinking whether I should head home or go Xin Tian Di, I asked the driver will it be late to visit Xin Tian Di at about 11pm, he said that’s a place never sleep. So, there I go.

Actually I was curious, a lot of friends and sometimes I read in the magazine or entertainment news, a lot of richer 2nd generations will be hanging out there, this place is like our Bangsar/ Hartamas where a lot of pubs and posh restaurants. Of course there will be a lot of young, pretty and hot girls hanging out there… some probably trying to hook a rich husband, lol. But I got a bit disappointed with my high expectation to see some really young, rich, handsome/ well-groomed guys (yes, I watched too many soap dramas), pretty, hot and sexy girls and posh and expensive sport cars… but…, this place is happening but not like what I expected or probably that’s Sunday late night, happy hour ended earlier? It’s still an interesting place to watch the yellows act like the white there… Don’t believe? Buy a cup of latte and sit outdoor, not a bad idea to spend a night watching people there.