A Wide Range of Experiences in Shanghai

After visiting the M50 Shanghai art district, I stop by at the nearby Jiangnan Silk Museum.  There is a small display showing the manufacture of silk garments, but past that are rooms full of all the silk clothing and bedding that anyone could want or imagine, all for sale.  The Jingnan Silk Museum is located on Aomen Road, about a 20 minute walk south of the Shanghai Railway Station and a 5 minute walk from the M50 art district.

Jingnan Silk Museum (and store)

After browsing and purchasing of two pairs of silk pajamas, I head down the street, past some local markets.

Local small shops

These local markets are often next to, and sometimes in the base of the high-rise commercial and residential buildings.

 Shanghai high-rise buildings

Within the same block, I can shop in a small market or a high-end department store occupying several floors of a building.

Scattered through all the buildings are small restaurants, food stands, particularly steamed bun stands, and, next door in the high-rises, sophisticated and elegant restaurants.  I meet friends at one of these, a Japanese restaurant inside a department store.  We have the set meal for three, including sashimi, crab, and hot pot, where we cook our own vegetables and meats in hot broth.

 Crab, before and after

 Hot pot: cook the meats and vegetables in the broth

 And, for desert, cheesecake and soft-serve ice cream

 A satisfied dinner crowd!

With a great meal like that to end the day, I head back to the hotel, ready to move on to the next city.

M50 Art Quarter in Shanghai

M50, short for the address, 50 Monganshan Road, is a contemporary art district in Shanghai that houses over a hundred and twenty artists and studios open to the public.  The art district was started in an abandoned mill in 2000, fueled by the cheap rent of the unused industrial space.  M50 has spread to take over several factories and warehouses, converted into studios, galleries, and other art-related businesses.

 Entrance with M50 map

Scattered around outside are numerous sculptures, some whisical, some serious.

Sculpture scattered around

The complex is a maze of passageways, alleyways, and studios.

 Alleyway with studios and galleries on both sides

Wandering through the complex, I stick my head into several galleries and see the expansive and varied collection of art.

 Wandering through the studios and galleries

 Outside, artists have painted the walls along the street and on the construction wall a few blocks away.

 Decorating the neighborhood

 And, not all neighbors are pleased!

After wandering through the studios and galleries, I head along Suzhou Creek back to my hotel, enjoying the beauty and calm of the path and gardens in the middle of this large city.

Fuxing Park and Mengquing Park in Shanghai

I decide to explore some new parks this trip to Shanghai.  I've heard of Fuxing Park and even walked by previously, but, now, it's time to visit.  Fuxing Park is right in the middle of the colonial-era French Concession and around the corner from the former residence of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, first president and founding father of the Republic of China.  Sun Yat-sen was instrumental in the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) and was appointed Provisional President in 1912.  Meanwhile, Fuxing Park (this is a story about Fuxing Park) was built around the same time, in 1909, with a lake, fountains, gardens, and covered pavilions covering about 10 hectares (0.4 square miles).

Fuxing Park and Gardens

I enter the park through the main gate at the intersection of the Fuxing Road and Chongqing Road (South), I immediately start to walk down the beautiful paths meandering through the gardens.

 Park paths and gardens

Wandering further into the park yields tranquil scenes for resting, contemplation, meeting with friends, or just hanging out.

Resting areas and lake

And, even further into the park, I arrive at the fountains.

 Fountains

And, of course, in June, in Shanghai, no garden is complete without wedding party photography in process.

Wedding party photographs in the park

And, as I get close to the upper exit of the park, I find people ballroom dancing, across from an imposing statue of Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, created to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the death of Engels on August 5, 1985.

 Ballroom dancing in the park

Statue of Marx and Engels

Leaving the park, I head over to and up Suzhou Creek to the Mengquing Theme Park on Environmental Protection of Suzhou Creek (quite a mouthful!).  Suzhou Creek was cleaned up and rehabilitated between 1998 and 2008 and the park was established to celebrate the cleansing of the river with a theater, displays, and an exhibition hall, all emphasizing environmental water science education.

But, I wander through the park for its gardens, sculpture, and activities.

 Sculpture and gardens in the park

 And, of course, a stop to listen and appreciate a singing group practicing in the pavilion.

Group singing

As we are getting close to the Chinese National Dragon Boat holiday, June 9-11 in 2016, the park is being set up for Dragon Boat races on the river in a few days.  The Dragon Boat holiday is a national Chinese holiday occurring on the 5th day of the 5th month of the Chinese calendar, thus alternately called the double fifth festival.  This festival is said to have originated from locals paddling out on boats to scare the fish away and retrieve the body of Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet who drowned himself in 278 B.C.  The holiday has been held annually for more than 2,000 years and the dragon boat races are a symbol of the attempts to rescue and recover the body.  Dragon boats are so named because the front and back are both in the shape of a traditional Chinese dragon.

Dragon Boat Tournament coming soon

On the way to the park exit, I pass a children's play area with playground equipment and a large collection miniature vehicles.

Play area

Now, it's back along the Suzhou Creek to the hotel and on with my day.