It was warmer today, the temperature topped 40! We did our best to try to stay indoors as much as possible. It’s too warm to be outside.
Vinnie and I around downtown Shanghai
We visited the Shanghai City Urban Planning Exhibition Centre that takes you on a tour of how the city grew to what it is today and what it will be like in 10 years time. It's a massive exhibition covering some five floors, with windows providing amazing views out onto The Peoples Park.
Inside the Exhibition Centre. The blue guy was the symbol of last years Expo.
Vinnie reading up on the history of Shanghai
A small replica model of the city is on the ground floor, but a huge predicted model of the city is on the third showing all future skyscrapers. The next major one to open will be the Shanghai Tower. It will be the world’s second tallest building when complete at over 120 floors! A must is the 360 virtual tour of future Shanghai. It's very realistic.
Vinnie with the model of Shanghai in 2020 behind him
Shanghai as it's expected to be in 2020
Conveniently the tour bus stops right outside, so we connected with the second line to finish the city tour. This took us over to Pudong, passing under the river in a 1km long tunnel. This eastern part of the city is the financial centre and home to all the famous new skyscrapers. Not long ago this site was wasteland used to grow crops. How it has changed.
The Shanghai Tower will be ready and open in 2014. It will be the worlds second tallest building.
Vinnie with the Jin Mao Tower on the left (the second tallest in the city) and the Shanghai Financial World Centre on the right (the current tallest in the city)
Patrick in front of the Shanghai Oriental Pearl Radio and TV Tower
One of the many veggie restaurants here, all offering mock meat meals
After a visit to the massive Super Brand Mall, we headed over to the Shanghai Oriental Pearl Tower, the most iconic building in this city. Thankfully there were no queues. We got there around 8pm. It costs just over €15 for a ticket taking you to the very top, the Space Module at 350 metres high. Cheaper tickets take you some 263 metres up and really you are not missing anything going that extra bit higher as the views, whilst remarkable are almost the same, also the windows are dirtier on the top!
Vinnie before we headed up the 350 metres of the Oriental Pearl
The middle sightseeing floor features a glass balcony which circles outside and right around the building. It's frightening stuff as you can see right out and beneath you. It's made more frightening when you see other skyscrapers below!
Patrick on the glass balcony of the sightseeing floor at 263 metres up
Vinnie on the glass balcony of the sightseeing floor at 263 metres up
The view of the Jin Mao and SFWC from the top of the Oriental Pearl
Vinnie at the top of the Oriental Pearl
Patrick at the top of the Oriental Pearl
The view down on the Apple Store under the IFC Mall from the top of the Oriental Pearl
Unfortunately it was approaching 10pm when we descended, so we had no other option but to head back to our side of the city due to the public transport shutting down around 10:30. We took in a walk along the Nanjing Road before freshening up at the apartment for a few drinks at the Cool Docks area. Like home, all pubs/clubs shut around 2am.
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