Zhabei, China Travel Journals & Blogs

Shanghai 2018
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- May 12, 2018
- 🌫 22 °C
- Altitude: 9 m
- China Shanghai Zhabei 31.249529, 121.45563531°14’58” N 121°27’20” E
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Day 6
Shoppen met mystieke sfeer.
May 12, 2018 in China ⋅ 🌫 22 °C
Vandaag rustdag, die we dan maar vullen met shoppen. Eerst naar Glasses City aan het treinstation, een verzameling van tientallen brillenwinkeltjes. We weerstaan de jonge verkoopsters die ons proberen te verleiden met hun gekakel en vlijen ons neer bij wat oudere dames die rustig de tijd nemen om onze ogen op te meten, ons te helpen bij onze keuze en onze zoektocht naar cash geld. Na eindelijk geld gevonden te hebben in het station en wat dumplings gegeten te hebben met plastieken handschoenen aan, halen we onze buit op : tweezonnebrillen op sterkte en twee leesbrillen.
We nemen de taxi naar de Jade tempel waar we op het geluid van de boorhamers en dakwerkers ons onderdompelen in de mystieke sfeer van de Boeddhistische beelden in marmer, jade en bladgoud. De dakwerkers werden blijkbaar preventief opgetrommeld want we krijgen een regenbui over ons heen terwijl we koffie drinken. Aan de uitgang worden we op sleeptouw genomen door een zijdeverkoper die ons meeneemt naar een zijdefabriekje. We krijgen een deskundige uitleg over de larven die alleen of met twee in hun cocon huizen waarvan zijde draad wordt gesponnen of dekbedden getrokken. We laten ons verleiden en kopen nieuw beddengoed. Na onze buit thuis afgeleverd te hebben gaan we eten bij Magaroni, bij ons om de hoek, Chinese keuken met een internationale toets. Een rijkelijke dag met een mystiek kantje.Read more
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Traveler Voor diegene die denken dat we van een andere planeet komen, we bevinden ons nog steeds in China.
5/12/18Reply
Traveler Om door een ringetje te halen.
5/12/18Reply
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Peter Frankenbach Pacifica 2017
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- Jul 21, 2017, 9:00am
- ☀️ 36 °C
- Altitude: 9 m
- China Shanghai Zhabei 31.25005, 121.4557131°15’0” N 121°27’21” E
Day 21
Tagesausflug nach Suzhou
July 21, 2017 in China ⋅ ☀️ 36 °C
Um 08 Uhr werde ich in der Lobby von einem Fahrer abgeholt. Er fährt mich zur Shanghai Railway Station, wo ein deutschsprechender Reiseführer auf mich wartet. Zu meiner Überraschung erklärt er mir lediglich, dass ich jetzt alleine den Zug nach Suzhou besteigen soll und nach meiner Rückkehr wieder hier am selben Ort auf meinen Fahrer warten soll. Daraufhin verabschiedet er sich und läuft davon. Seltsam, aber egal.

Der Zug nach Suzhou ist ein moderner Hochgeschwindigkeitszug, der mit knapp unter 300 km/h durch die Landschaft braust. Die Chinesen bauen wie verrückt: Während der knapp einstündigen Fahrt sehe ich im Bau befindliche Strassen und Bahntrassen, teilweise auf hohen Brücken, und Hochhäuser in unglaublicher Zahl, mit 20, 30, ja bis zu 40 Stockwerken, sowohl Wohnblöcke als auch Bürogebäude. Aber schön ist keines, selbst die gläsernen Prestige-Bauten wirken plump und klobig.

In Suzhou werde ich wiederum von einem deutschsprechenden Reiseführer am Bahnhof abgeholt, der mir sogleich den Ablauf unserer Tour erklärt. Es ist jetzt etwa 10 Uhr, und die Temperatur dürfte schon gegen 35 Grad gehen.Read more
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Beth Vogelzang Big Trouble in Little China
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- Jun 8, 2018
- ⛅ 22 °C
- Altitude: 14 m
- China Shanghai Zhabei 31.24876, 121.4466731°14’56” N 121°26’48” E
Day 8
Moganshan art district M50
June 8, 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
Today we caught the metro around, very easy, but there are so many lines to choose from!

We went to a place called M50 on Mogansham Road. This was an arty area, and the first thing we saw was this amazing residential building, looking like something out of a video game we used to play (Riven) or a science fiction movie.

There are a lot of art installations and tiny galleries, and the artists were at work. We found a lovely pottery shop, with gorgeous glazed tea sets and jewelry with hand made beads.

We stopped for soup dumplings (love em) and wandered around wonderful laneways.

Our last stop was the world's biggest Starbucks, the Roastery. It was unbelievable, over two floors. The coffee was wonderful, and we both got a major sugar rush from the divine carrot cake and chocolate cake...Read more
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Traveler China March 2019
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- Mar 29, 2019, 9:06am
- ⛅ 59 °F
- Altitude: 39 ft
- China Shanghai Zhabei 31.243647, 121.45230931°14’37” N 121°27’8” E
Day 6
Itinerary for Day 6 - last day Shanghai
March 29, 2019 in China ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F
After a solid 12 hours of sleep, we may be ready to go again. Catching up from jet lag. Got back yesterday from a day of touring - went to room at 5:30 and didn’t wake up till 5:30 this morning! Heading to see classical YuYuan Garden in the Old Quarter built during the Ming Dynasty. Afterwards continuing to a silk carpet and embroidery shop, then on to lunch at a local restaurant. Then transferring to the airport for the flight to Yichang, the 2nd largest city in Hubei province after Wuhan, its capital. In the evening, we’ll start our 4 day river cruise on the Yangtze, the longest river in China and the 3rd longest in the world. Some pics below are from a morning walk after breakfast this morning.Read more
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Round the World in 205 Days
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- Mar 31, 2019, 6:10pm
- ⛅ 12 °C
- Altitude: 10 m
- China Shanghai Zhabei 31.24416, 121.45265231°14’39” N 121°27’10” E
Day 62
No climbing - mais on parle pas anglais!
March 31, 2019 in China ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
Outside the Chang’an Mansion, between the Railway Station and Hanzhong metro stops, are these really cool and fun barbapapa-esque statues. Meg naturally assumed that they were meant for use as a climbing gym by the local residents - kind of like the exercise equipment that can be found spread throughout the parks of the town. Why not? Especially given the large people-sized holes in each one that are rather conducive to picture taking? It turns out though that they are quite dirty on the inside, which Poppy experienced rather directly whilst helping Davy climb into one for a shot. We eventually managed to negotiate our way out of taking pictures with all of the barbapapa statues (there was also a blue, a red and a green if memory serves) - especially after Poppy noticed a giant “No Climbing” sign embedded into the pavement in front of one of them - oops! Good thing we can’t read much, and then only in French, and only on days of the week not ending in “y”!Read more
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Round the World in 205 Days
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- Apr 11, 2019, 3:03pm
- ☀️ 12 °C
- Altitude: 7 m
- China Shanghai Zhabei 31.25167, 121.4431°15’6” N 121°26’24” E
Day 73
Strolling around Jiangning
April 11, 2019 in China ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
Our last day's errands in Shanghai included sending Davy and Meg's painstakingly written postcards to their friends around the world, picking up our new glasses, and visiting the Jade Buddha Temple. Ran into a few fun things along the way - the benefits of walking above ground vs. taking the subway everywhere!

This old guy really knew his stuff! No running back and forth to keep the kite aloft - he couldn't have even if he had wanted to, as he was standing on a bridge! Just a lot of paying really close attention to the wind and going with the flow. It was wonderful to see the kite taking off and soaring over the city so up-close and personal.

Then we came across an artist spray-painting a huge dragon graffiti on the side of a road. It was broad daylight and so obviously fully allowed and above board. Too bad we did not know that we were just at the edge of Shanghai's M50 creativity space, as we might then have carved out some time to explore a few more blocks in!

Last but not least, while munching on a steamed bun, bloodhound Meg suddenly spotted a post office on our way to the temple. What a great catch! Probably saved us an hour of wandering around. We got our stamps, convinced the teller to lend us his glue (no self-adhesion for Chinese stamps), and slotted our ready-to-go postcards into the mailbox - all ahead of schedule!Read more
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Michael Jakob forceTRALIA
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- Apr 12, 2016, 9:30pm
- ⛅ 16 °C
- Altitude: 9 m
- China Shanghai Zhabei 31.24601, 121.4454731°14’46” N 121°26’44” E
Day 591
Night scene in a backstreet
April 12, 2016 in China ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
DE: Nachtszene in einer Seitenstraße
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Arias Jordens Occidentally Oriental
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- Oct 7, 2017, 1:00pm
- ☀️ 30 °C
- Altitude: 19 m
- China Shanghai Zhabei 31.25012, 121.4447631°15’0” N 121°26’41” E
Day 32
M50 Art Street
October 7, 2017 in China ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
We went looking for graffiti and found an entire block dedicated to art galleries, exhibition rooms and coffee places. Few cool things to see, the place itself was ultra hipster and Edge-E but like everything in China and Asia really, they don't do things in halfs.Read more
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