Ferry Ride on the Huangpu River

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The beginning days of travel are never easy. The whirlwind activity of leaving Atlanta, arriving in a new place, dealing with jet-lag, and trying to orient myself to a new culture can be an overwhelming experience. But there's a moment when that whirlwind finally slows down, and my whole body relaxes. It's as if every sense is awakened, and I'm filled with the realization that I have finally arrived. My heart opens and I'm so grateful to be experiencing change, to be fulfilling dreams and seeing new and incredible things. At that moment, I breathe deep, smile at nothing, and lift my face to the sky for just a little bit more sunshine. This time around, it happened on the Huangpo River.

A few days into the trip, our group went down to The Bund, a major tourist area in Shanghai. We had to wait on our guide for what seemed like forever, it was hot, and I was bored and frustrated. I wanted to just GO. I sat quietly by myself and waited for our ferry time to be announced. I didn't have high expectations, and perhaps that's why it hit me in the face so hard. As I stood on the roof of the ferry and looked around me, I realized that this was my defining moment. And so I took it in.

Let me tell you about the area and what I saw:

The Bund has been a famous waterfront and symbol of Shanghai since the mid 1800s, and occupies one mile along the west bank of the Huangpu River. There are 52 different historical buildings, such as banks, trading houses, and consulates, that were built by the British, French, Americans, Russians, and more. The styles range  between Romanesque Revival, Gothic, Renasissance, Baroque, Neo-Classical, and Art Deco. Through the beginning of the 20th century, this area was the major financial center of Asia and housed the "big four" of China's banks. While some of the financial centers were changed to government buildings and the hotels were closed during the Chinese civil war in the 1950s, most of the buildings were reverted to their former use by the 1980s.

The area of Pudong sits on the east bank of the Huangpo River and is the polar opposite of the historical Bund. It holds major architectural feats of the modern age, including the iconic Oriental Pearl Tower, Jin Mao Tower, and Shanghai World Financial Center. It has emerged as China's new financial and commercial hub. What's astounding to me is that until the 1990s, it was a little-developed agricultural district! To have raised so many skyscrapers and become the home for 5 million residents in only 25 years really demonstrates China's rising power and wealth.

As our ferry meandered between the old and the new, I was filled with wonder and knew that I had finally arrived in China, body and mind.

Comments

Unknown said…
I love reading about your adventures!! I hope you have an AWESOME time and stay safe!!!! :)
June 2, 2013 at 3:19 AM
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