Region: 上海Shanghai

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  The night skyline across the 黄浦江Huangpu Jiang (Huangpu River). Nearest to the left is the very distinctive 东方明珠广播电视塔Dongfan Mingzhu Guangbo Di (Eastern Pearl Broadcasting Tower). It shapes like a 3-D molecular structure. Most western travel books just call it "Oriental Pearl Tower". To the right and not far from it is also the 金茂大厦Jinmao Building. There is no question that the aesthetic of this structure borrows much from pagodas.

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  The 浦东新区Pudong new district is a new territory cleared for new sets of skyscrapers and large scale commercial buildings. It is under constant development.

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  An old man on 外滩Waitan (the Bund) looking toward the Pudong skyline under the noon sunlight. The Bund is extremely popular with tourists and natives. No doubt because you can see the old and new from both sides of the 黄浦江Huangpu Jiang (Huangpu River); the activities going on the river; the established commercial setups in the area; the music, dances and shows that are common here; and of course one another for company.

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  An old man taking a cigarette break on 外滩Waitan (the Bund). Shanghai is hectic. One of the few joys of most common Chinese (mainly male) is having a smoke, however unhealthy it may be. A pack of cigarettes can be gotten for 2 yuan.

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  An old woman practicing 太极拳Taijiquan in a quiet section of a park. Chinese people like to stretch and move freely within a comfortable circle. In this way one becomes more reflective, meditative and associative. So, you will not find them jogging very often. Exercise is a big thing in China. Do not be surprise to see exercise machines on the side walks. They are a common sight and a gathering ground for people.

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  I found her in a crowded street. She stood out easily with her attractive and clean simple style.

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  Anything near water will attract couples. So the Bund's gravity is moon strong.

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  Shanghai is a big port city. Inevitably, cargo ships and boats crawl through unendingly.

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  From 外滩Waitan (the Bund), tourists would pose before chains of cargo boats inching through the 黄浦江Huangpu Jiang (Huangpu River).

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  A stylish pair taking a walk along the Bund.

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  A traffic patroller on Shanghai's commercial area across the road from the Bund.

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  Old traditional western buildings on the commercial area across the road from the Bund. These were done in the Neo-classical traditions but has none of the proportions of the great classical buildings. What they have is obesity. Most of these bygones stood like grave stones along Shanghai's shoreline. But however uninspiring the architectures are, they are prime real estates. These two buildings, however, have better characters.

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  Dancing on the 外滩Waitan (the Bund) is a daily scene. There is no question that the people of Shanghai love to dance.

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  I cannot confirm this but the floor where people use for dancing seemed to have designed for this acitivity. The large road in the background is 中山东路Zhongshan Donglu

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  Fan dancing on Shanghai's wide Bund.

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  Shanghai's 外滩Waitan (the Bund) has quality space and is very accessible. A lot of residential area are within walking distance.

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  A night scene on the eastern end of very long 南京路Nanjing Lu (Nanjing Road) -- a mile long, pedestrian-only road of shopping malls catering to tourists. Shanghainese and other residents would just hang out here.

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  A little girl poses with a bronze statue of a mother and child and a stroller, one of several sculptures along the pedestrian-only 南京东路Nanjing Donglu (Nanjing East Road)

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  Blazing billboards advertising its owners on the 南京路Nanjing Lu (Nanjing Road).

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  A quarter of the electricity of Shanghai probably goes in Nanjing Lu (Nanjing Road). Most other areas are quite dark.

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  The people of China loves to put lights around buildings and other objects; and lighting up store boards with flashing lights make them more attractive and grand. This is true in big cities as well as in small villages.

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  The commercial malls do not open all night. And people dwindle as the night ebbs away.

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  Day time on 南京路Nanjing Lu (Nanjing Road). Little girls and boys wear the most colorful cloths. Everyone else just looks gray, as you can see.

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  As in any popular, 南京路Nanjing Lu (Nanjing Road) a great place to kill time.

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  Away from the monotonousness of city streets, it is easy to find a resting spot on Shanghai's famous pedestrian-only thoroughfare.

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  The stone wall has these characters carved on a stone tablet: 「南京路步行街」"Nanjing Lu Buxing Jie" (Nanjing Road Walkway). This the eastern start of the famous road, which is intersected by 河南中路Henan Zhonglu (Henan Middle Road) and will end with the intersection of 西藏中路Xizang Zhonglu (Xizang Middle Road). Across the Xizang Middle Road are the very large 人民公园Renmin Gongyuan (People's Park), 人民广场Renmin Guangchang (People's Square), and the great 上海博物馆Shanghai Bowuguan (Shanghai Museum) designed in the shape of a large bronze 鼎ding vessel.

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  Weaving through the streets. Can't help not taking a photo of this fashion-conscious girl making her way through Shanghai's gray streets.

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  Father and daughter on a scooter. Bicyles may be on the decline, but scooters are the rise. A sign that obesity may also be on the rise.

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  Parked bicycles and scooters on a quiet Shanghai street near a park.

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  The unending constructions on the Shanghai's Pudong district. New skyscrapers and the machines that put them up.

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  A foggy day on the Pudong district.

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  The 金茂大厦Jinmao Building behind a set of construction cranes.

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  Buildings and its obsessive creators. Ah! the passion of creating. Can anyone not see and feel this intimacy, especially on a foggy day?

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  A large shopping mall in the 浦东新区Pudong New Distric. I was poking around in the area and came by this quite beautiful shopping mall. I walked around but end up spenting most of the hours reading in a large bookstore. For this size mall, there wasn't enough people. In general this is a problem: Big malls with not enough of spenders. These shiny malls sell imports, way too expensive for most people. I didn't even dare look at the products.

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  I was passing the streets and this set up by an archaic doorway surprised me. It looks like bicycle repair area, but no one was around.

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  Bamboo as materials for scaffoldings are very common. They are lighter,cheaper,and much more greener than heavy steel ones. They have been used for scaffolding of buildings as tall as 75 stories.

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  Although bicycles are on a steady decline, but with decades of bicycle culture in China this very ultilitarian machine will stick around for your great-grandchild to test drive.

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  Off work. Time to go home - en masse!

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  One of Shanghai's streets. The lanterns were there because it was during 中秋节Mid-Autumn Festival period.

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  Another view of Shanghai's streets.

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  Many of Shanghai's streets are overhanging with electric wires used by buses: Makes an interesting building look like a dead bird smashed on wire fences.

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  One of the streets near Shanghai's Bund.