Monday, May 19, 2014

Shanghai Time Shift

A quarter century of staggering change - Shanghai in 1987 and Shanghai in 2013 (from The Atlantic, by Reuters photographer Carlos Barria).  More precisely you are looking towards the east from the older Puxi section of Shanghai towards the newer Pudong district.  THC spent considerable time in Shanghai from 2000 to 2012 and the only thing about the 2013 picture that doesn't capture Shanghai is that the sky is clear and blue which is a rarity.  Though the air quality is bad and it can be a crazy place at times it remains one of THC's favorite cities.  It's like New York City on steroids.

The odd looking structure towards the left is known as the TV Tower, one of the first large structures built in Pudong.  The very tall building in the center that looks like a can opener is the Shanghai World Financial Center (1614' tall) which has the highest observation deck in the world.  Just to the left of it is the Jin Mao Tower which houses a Hyatt Hotel on the 53rd to 87th floors (THC stayed in it) and features an incredible buffet.

To the right (and under construction at the time of this photo) is the Shanghai Tower, the tallest building in China at 2073 feet and 121 stories.  In front of the Tower you'll see a building labeled Aurora.  Look to its left towards the river and there is a smaller golden colored building which is THC's favorite hotel in the city, the Shangri-La.

Along both sides of the river are very attractive and open walkways where you should take a stroll if you make it there.

1 comment:

  1. Holy cow, I was in Shanghai in 1998 when Pudong was mostly a gleam in the developers' eyes. I remember an elderly gentleman, red faced and sweaty from the effort of pulling a load of bricks on a big cart in the heat. At the time, that scene was not all that far out of place. Probably nothing of that sort happens today. What an amazing transition. These photos tell the story very well. JB

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