China International Travel Mart 2014: Friday was the first day of the China International Travel Mart 2014 (CITM 2014), so I began the day by accompanying Peep and her coworkers to the Shanghai New International Expo Center, the venue for CITM 2014. They had an extra exhibitors pass to grant me entrance, but I was not stopped or checked at any point as I wheeled one of the two suitcases containing all the pamphlets and promotional items they planned to use for the duration of the weekend.
After getting settled in their booth and meeting with a few of the visitors to their booth, Peep and I walked around to look at some of the other exhibitors booths. The venue used was larger than last year's, requiring us to walk to a couple different exhibition spaces to see the same number of vendors, sectioned off according to country of origin. Many of the larger tourist destinations had rather elaborate layouts, but Peep and I generally liked pointing out the places we had been and those we haven't made it to yet.
By the time we returned to the Lao booth, it was nearing lunchtime. As they began making plans to get some food, I trekked out on my own to locate the nearest Metro station, where I could hop on the train to explore Shanghai on my own.
Former Shanghai French Concession: My plans for the day generally entailed exploring the former Shanghai French Concession. This area of Shanghai was conceded to the French in 1849 for the establishment of a French settlement. It's borders were expanded twice, once in 1900 and again in 1914. In 1946, following World War II, the land was officially handed back to China, along with all other French settlements in the country, in exchange for the removal of all Chinese troops from the northern half of French Indochina.
The French Concession became the premiere residential and commercial space in Shanghai in the 1920s, and remained so following the hand over of the area back to the Chinese. Lax zoning laws in the 1980s and 90s saw the destruction of some of the historical buildings and London plane trees lining the streets. Among public outcry, stricter zoning laws were enforced in the 21st century and the area retains most of its historical charm today, making it a popular tourist destination area.
Xintiandi: I departed the Metro near the Xintiandi district of Shanghai. Xintiandi is a pedestrian-only enclave of redeveloped shikumen houses, a uniquely traditional style of Shanghai house that combines Western and Chinese elements. The structures now serve as high-end commercial properties, with many upscale cafes and boutiques lining its alleys and stone courtyards.
Fu Lu Shou Fountain: In the largest courtyard sits a fountain with statues of Fu, Lu, and Shou. Known as the three stars and often seen together, they represent good fortune, prosperity and longevity.
Museum of the First National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party: In the southeast corner of the Xintiandi neighborhood sits the Museum of the First National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party. The museum is located in the former residence of two communist party members and is where, on 23 July 1921, two Comintern representatives and 13 delegates, including Mao Zedong, secretly met for the first time, establishing the Chinese Communist Party.
Admission to the museum was free, so I decided to enter and have a look around. The history of the Communist Party in China is detailed with relics, documents and displays filling the upstairs exhibition space, all well translated into English. A life-sized waxworks display shows what that fateful first meeting may have looked like. On the lower floor, as I was exiting the museum, I stepped into the side room of the former residence and into the actually meeting room, preserved in every detail since 1921.
Fuxing Park: I headed away from Xintiandi, walking along the same kind of tree-lined streets I would become very accustomed to the remainder of the afternoon, until I reached the North Gate entrance to Fuxing Park. At 10 hectares (25 acres), it was once the largest park in Shanghai, having been laid out by the French in 1909. Many visitors were milling around the park when I arrived, enjoying the mid-afternoon sunshine and the park's rose garden, open lawn, children's playground, small lake, pavilions, park benches and pathways. Several statues also adorn the landscape, the largest one of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. There even appeared to be health screenings taking place within the park at an outdoor station.
Tianzifang: The next stop on my walking tour was at Tianzifang. Much like Xintiandi, it is a shopping and restaurant district with its roots in shikumen housing, these ones built in the 1930s. Its narrow, labyrinth alleyways are also only open to pedestrian traffic. Tianzifang, with its small crafts stores, art galleries, restaurants, coffee shops and bars, is less upscale than Xintiandi and has, in my opinion, a lot more character.
Not being much of a shopper and not hungry at the time, I didn't spend much time exploring all the alleyways of Tianzifang. I also had to keep one eye on my watch. The Former Shanghai French Concession is a large area, and I wanted to make sure I made it to all the sights on my itinerary before the sun set too low in the sky.
Shaoxing Park: After my quick, cursory stroll through the alleyways of Tianzifang, I left the area and made my way to Shaoxing Park. Nestled among the shops and housing on the road of the same name, this little park offers a splash of green space in the surrounding city, with the locals making good use of it by gathering to play cards, use the exercise equipment, enter the small man-made cave, stroll along the paths, sit on the benches or otherwise socialize there.
Cathay Theatre: The Cathay, an Art Deco style theater, opened in 1932 and screened mostly American and English films until 1949. It had changed little by the time it was granted municipal preservation status in the early 1990s. Despite that, the original, one-room theater was split into three in 2003 with none of the original interior decorations preserved. It now shows a mix of Chinese and foreign films.
Lyceum Theatre: A block away is the slightly older Lyceum Theatre. Built in 1930, this location is used to showcase dramatic plays, small scale musicals and symphony concerts. Although once home to the British Amateur Drama Club, most of its performances today are in Chinese. Like the Cathay, this theater also underwent a major renovation in the early twenty-first century, giving it a brand new look.
Evening In: After having missed a turn down a small side street, I was busy attempting to re-orient myself to the walking tour I was following when I received a call from Peep. Her day at the expo was over and she was starting to make her way back to the hotel. Still not feeling well and with two more days left in Shanghai, she was not interested in doing any sightseeing for the evening. With no major stops left on my tour anyway, I abandoned it and headed for the nearest Metro station and made it back to the hotel, arriving just after Peep. We had a relaxing evening in our room enjoying room service for dinner.