hkskyline's 2023 in SHANGHAI

[hkskyline]

It's been quite a number of years since I last visited Shanghai, and with the country finally open and quarantine gone, I nervously landed wondering what to expect.

With sunny skies and hot weather, my first stop was to Shanghai Tower, the country's tallest building which was still under construction when I last visited. J Hotel sits at the top part of it. It opened in June 2021 with 165 rooms, including 34 suites.

Shanghai Tower joins many other tall buildings in Lujiazui with observation decks. However, admission prices are not cheap so why not use that for a drink or a snack without having to push through the crowds?

I set my eyes on the hotel's Lobby Lounge at the 101st floor (470m) for a drink. At first, reception on the ground floor informed me due to the pandemic, the restaurants are only open to residents, but upon my insistence, they checked upstairs for a seat and got me a table.

The ground floor lobby already looks grand. You loop around admiring the structure, then go into a dark room with arranged flowers to get into the mood before entering the elevator.

















While J Hotel has the tallest view in the city, it is a bit too far away from street level compared to my previous stay at the Ritz Carlton down below. I could barely make out the Bund's historic buildings, although the sunset light was in the way as well.











Staff were very friendly and happy to chat. Upon hearing my interest in the view and the food offering, my waitress took me up to the 120th floor where there is a lounge area with even more spectacular views.











Even the bathroom looks quite neat.



Satisfied with my expensive drink, I was keen to see how the old shikumen neighbourhoods have shaped up after a lot of controversy years ago when the demolition crews came calling.

Zhangyuan was named after Zhang Shuhe, a wealthy grains shipper from Wuxi who bought a piece of farmland here in 1882 from a British merchant, Francis Groom. He built a Western-style garden for his mother. After she passed away in 1885, the garden was opened to the public, and saw a number of firsts, including the first lit electric lamp in the country, the first bicycle race, and first outdoor photo booth. It turned into an arts and culture hub for the city.

While the residents have been removed, the government and developer didn't tear these buildings down. Instead, they are being repurposed into a shopping and eating destination.





















2012 photos of the Zhangyuan area : https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=202346

More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/shanghai.htm

[homebucket]

Great photos! Thanks for sharing. Together, the Shanghai Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center, and Jin Mao Tower form the best trio of skyscrapers... in the world.

[geomorph]

Very interesting to see Zhangyuan redevelopment.

[hkskyline]

Shikumen, meaning stone gate houses, first appeared in the 1870s. They were modeled after traditional Chinese courtyard homes and became the popular housing architectural style by the turn of the 20th century. These are gated communities where all the action happened at street level within the alleys.

Simingcun is located south of Jing'an Temple and was built in the 1930s as a staff dormitory for the Ningpo Commercial and Savings Bank. Unlike other shikumen of the time, it had wider alleys of 5-6m for vehicles to pass.





























More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/shanghai.htm

[hkskyline]

European powers forced a number of China's ports to open for foreign trade in the 19th century. Shanghai was one of them, and various concessions were built where foreign residents followed their homeland's laws and lived within their bubbles. The major players of commerce and finance of the time built their grand buildings along the Bund.

For a memorable dinner with the grand view, head up the Three on the Bund, which has a terrace restaurant serving Western dishes.





The Fairmont Peace Hotel was built in 1930 by Sir Victor Sassoon, a businessman from an Iraqi Jewish family. Hosting diplomats and stars such as Charlie Chaplin, the former Cathay Hotel was taken over by the Fairmont Group in 2007, renovated, and reopened 3 years later.







Across the street is the Swatch Art Peace Hotel, which was formerly the Palace Hotel and built in 1906.



In 1934, the Bank of China's Board decided to build a new 18-storey head office. After opposition from the British, who had the tallest building along the Bund at the time, the final design ended up 3 stories shorter. Completed in the late 1930s, the building mixes American and Chinese styles.













Customs House was built in 1927 and has a bell at the top of the 90m tower. Modelled after London's Big Ben and built by British clockmaker JB Joyce & Co., its hands stretch 3.17 and 2.3m long and weigh 49 and 37.5kg.





Its neighbour, the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, originally opened for the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank in 1923. The architects were told to "spare no expense, and dominate the bund!".











More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/shanghai.htm

[Coldrsx]

It's such an amazing stretch to dress up a little and do a fancy hotel/patio cocktail tour.

[mrnyc]

a shanghai surprise — very nice!

[hkskyline]

This section of Nanjing Road leading west from People's Square to Jingan Temple is full of upscale and luxury brand shops. With wide sidewalks and numerous shopping malls, even after the shops have closed for the day, it's worth a walk to digest a big dinner and be entertained by the window displays.























More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/shanghai.htm

[hkskyline]

Shanghai is a place of rapid change. Old lowrise neighbourhoods such as this one are fast disappearing as the city modernizes. But this is where you find bustling street markets and a real lively neighbourhood.

I had previously explored this area in 2014. During this 2023 visit, there are still parts under demolition and redevelopment.

Leaving Lujiabang Road metro station, the side streets to the east and north have plenty of examples where change is imminent.











































More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/shanghai.htm

[hkskyline]

The Jin Jiang Hotel opened as the prestigious Cathay Mansions residences in 1929. It was owned by Victor Sassoon, a tycoon during the city's heyday in the 20s. Following the Communist revolution, it became a government guesthouse that hosted foreign dignitaries, including Richard Nixon during his visit in 1972 that led the way to both countries normalizing relations.











Just across the street is the Okura Garden Hotel, which was built in the 1920s for the French Club. Next to it is a 33-storey hotel tower which opened in 1990.







The Cathay Theatre is one of the city's first and still shows films today. The Art Deco building was designed by Charles Henry Gonda and opened in 1932 showing the American drama "A Free Soul".



More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/shanghai.htm

[hkskyline]

Let's eat.

When I first stayed at the IFC shortly after it opened over 10 years ago, the mall looked like a copy and paste from Hong Kong, with the same restaurants and all. I returned this time trying out some delicious local cuisine at very reasonable prices in international standards.











I also tried a famous shop that specializes in crab meat mixed with noodles, and I threw in a side of abalone as well as if it's not high class enough.







More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/shanghai.htm

[hkskyline]

The Shanghai Exhibition Center was originally the Sino-Soviet Friendship Mansion. Built in 1955 and modeled after St. Petersburg's Admiralty Building with a communist red star on top, it stands on what once was a Jewish millionaire's garden.

























More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/shanghai.htm

[hkskyline]

Here is a pot pourri of various street scenes with old residential neighbourhoods that have not yet been erased by the wrecking ball.























More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/shanghai.htm

[mrnyc]

it looks like there is plenty of character between the old and new.

also, great nightshots, i always like those as they can be such a challenge.

[hkskyline]

Pudong opened a new satellite terminal in 2019 with 90 boarding bridges that will handle 60-70% of the airport's traffic. It requires a train ride from the main terminal after security and immigration.





Upstairs, the new building looked sleek but also empty, with some luxury shops but I couldn't spot the eateries.































More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/shanghai.htm

[hkskyline]

Staying out in Jing'an district near the temple, I was satisifed with my hotel's wide view although the main skyline was nowhere in sight. For that, I walked a few km further down Nanjing Road to the JW Marriott, where I went up to their lobby lounge to savour the view many years ago. Nevertheless, I was happy to wake up to this view out my window (or the window down the hallway outside).



















More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/shanghai.htm