M on the Bund

Day?

You loose track of time and place here.

Got up in Suzhou and spent some time at the Humble Administrator’s Garden. Back to the New City Garden Hotel, and the driver showed up right at 2:00, the appointed time. So we were off to Shanghai by minivan, just the two of us plus of course the driver. He drove very well and there is now what we would call a freeway or interstate all the way from Suzhou to Shanghai. Maybe four lanes each side, with controlled access exits and entries. Quite a bit of traffic on the road, and a lot of it is personal cars. Of course there are also the older trucks, laden with goods, probably the same trucks I saw in the early 80’s.

Factories, industrial areas, residential high-rise apartments everywhere, for mile after mile after mile, but little, if any agriculture. The land here is flat, a river delta, and you can see a long way except for the buildings. The farms have been overwhelmed. Then some older farm buildings, but most are deserted or appear to be so. Guess the farmers have given up and joined the factory labor force. You can’t blame the farmers, Chinese farming is back breaking work, and young people seem to want the city life. But the houses I am talking about are large, two and three stories, probably in the range of 4,000 sq ft. Actually, when Deng Xiao Peng’s reforms began, the farmers (the ones close to cities) where the ones who initially gained the most. Farmers outside of major cities were able to grow vegetables and transport them into the metropolitan areas and sell what had been neglected in the previous planned economy; at a nice price, and they kept the money, a novel idea here at the time. Maybe they have learned they could make even more money selling the land?

Capitalism? Well they don’t use that term, they refer to their economic system as socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Once in Shanghai I noticed signs that said Hongqiao, and planes in landing patterns indicating they were ready to land there. Shanghai has two airports; I learned that the hard way. Hongqiao, the old airport in the Hongqiao area is now the airport for domestic flights; the Pudong airport is for international. While living here in 2000, I lived and worked in the Hongqiao area. I once went to the Hongqiao airport to fly home. Wrong place, so had to pay a taxi to rush me all the way to Pudong to make my flight. Not fun, but I made it. At that time, although a big mistake, it was forgivable since the Pudong airport was new, and besides, just four years before I had flown into Hongqiao from Hong Kong. Anyway, figuring I was in my old neighborhood and close to my previous school, I looked around for familiar sights.

None.

The Hongqiao area is larger than I realized, and on the drive in to our new hotel I did not recognize anything. Guess when you are in a city of 18 million you should expect to get confused and even lost after being gone eight years?

The driver had some challenges with street directions, but finally got to what is today called Broadway Mansions, our hotel. Chinese call it “Shanghai da sha”; it used to be called Shanghai Mansions, so maybe the “da sha” means that. Hotel is “lu guan”, or is it “ba guan”? so that is not it, but with my limited Chinese language skills I have not a clue, although have heard that term before. This hotel is on the north end of the Bund, Shanghai’s old waterfront, and right across Suzhou Creek. Suzhou Creek if you have read about old Shanghai was a very poor and seedy area crowded with boat people. They are gone today. The hotel was built in 1934, and has seen quite some days. They refurbished it several years ago, and I have stayed here before, but it is now much improved. We are here for the history, there are certainly more modern and convenient locations today.

Got checked in, they had our Travelocity reservation. Rested a bit, we had a three +/- hour drive. Then off to M on the Bund: reservations at 8:00 pm, made from Tampa, Florida. M is on the top floor of one of the old Bund buildings, and a very nice western style restaurant. I know, why western when in China? Grace and I ate there the first time ten years ago in 1999, the year they opened, and can tell you there were not many customers then. The owner, Christine took a gamble, and established the first nice western restaurant in Shanghai after the opening up to the west. We had a breakfast brunch with son Sturdy and daughter Beth then, have been back for our 35th (?) wedding anniversary and maybe five other occasions over the years. Still a very nice place for a special dinner, and we are both glad it is thriving. At least that was the impression we got. Both of us had bouillabaisse, then a dessert of cheesecake and coffee. Whole pot of coffee was brought to the table, which is a rarity here.

The view is spectacular. From our seats at the front window you face Pudong, which 25 years ago basically was still rice patties and fishing communities, cut off from Shanghai except by boat. Today Pudong represents China’s dream for the future: skyscrapers, banking giants, industrial might, and everything modern with serious urban planning and dramatic architectural structures. Two of the larger skyscrapers showed videos: screen size? How about 50 stories tall by maybe 300 feet wide? Incredible, in so many ways.

The progress this country and her people are making are incredible, they completely overwhelm. You must see it to believe, and you must have someone with you who has some history and perspective of the changes. Not in a million years could I or would I have believed the Chinese could even come close to what they have done in the time frame they have had. It is truly a modern marvel, one of the great achievements in the history of mankind, and important for all to understand that they have just begun. China has no plans to put on the brakes; they are full steam ahead on many levels.

Left M and walked along the Bund a couple of blocks. Disappointing as they have large barriers (maybe 30 feet tall) erected so we could see nothing of the water. (Not to mention obnoxious street hawkers plying their “lasers”, and for the first time in Shanghai, I was offered a “Rolex”.) Another construction project, they are everywhere. The whole city is trying to get ready for World Expo 2010, what we would call a World’s Fair. Got to a small side street where we could hail a taxi, they are not allowed to stop on the bund, and came back to the hotel. I wanted to go over to the Astor House, the hotel next door, but Grace was too worn out. When we got to the room she pointed out that it was 10:30, and suggested we get some sleep. Good idea, I had no clue as to how late it had gotten.

Two full days here, then off the Jing dezhen Thursday early.

Oh, and yes, I do write a lot.