ROUND AND ABOUT

Cabs

Taxis come in two sizes and kinds with prices ranging from 15-20 cents US per kilometer. The smaller ones are not air conditioned but the larger, more comfortable ones are. The small cars all had anti-robbery partitions in them as robberies of taxi drivers are getting to be a real problem. The larger cabs must be too expensive for criminals as they did not have such partitions.

The drivers are not very good at finding their way around and it is recommended that you have your destination written in Chinese characters and get your own directions. For instance, we were asked as passengers by the cab driver how to get from the Old City to the Bund, the two most popular spots in Shanghai.

Traffic is a nightmare. There were still policemen standing on boxes in intersections trying to keep order. The picture of one enormous traffic circle in Xujaihui, a commercial center, with about 12 different streets funneling into it, will remain with me forever. There is no roundabout in the middle and it is packed with cars, pedestrians, bicycles, buses, and other assorted vehicles, including baby carriages.

Give yourself ample time to go anywhere or to get a cab. It is wise to reserve one on a hot day. (And it is HOT in the summer). Still, taxis are quite plentiful and inexpensive and are definitely the preferred way of getting around.

Despite the horrendous traffic, we only saw one accident and we were in it. A foolhardy (there is no other kind) bicycle rider made a very abrupt turn around the front of the cab and was gently nudged. As the driver got out to negotiate with the bike rider, he left the cab in the middle of a very busy intersection while we cowered in the backseat waiting for something to hit us.

'JieGui'

Shanghai is trying very hard to be JieGui--a household catch phrase there which, very loosely translated, means to meet international standards. The changes since we were there a few years ago were astounding. There were more expensive hotels, color, street peddlers, and luxury items in the shops. The shops were staffed with many fashionably dressed salesclerks. They seemed to be more interested in talking with one another about the previous night's soap opera or making comments about the passing customers' looks than serving them.

When lonely or homesick or feeling like showing off, go to the English Corner in the People's Park. People of all ages look at you with near reverence and practice English with you. Expect to be surrounded by a crowd. Everywhere we went in Shanghai, people stared at Annette--not with hostility but with good natured curiosity. We were surprised at this, since Shanghai is a cosmopolitan city and it has been 15 years since China opened up to the outside world. This did not happen in more rural areas-- or they were more subtle about it.

Money changing

The Chinese government has discontinued the use of Foreign Exchange Currency (FEC), and the official exchange rate is about the same as the black market rate. There is no need to take the risk of changing money on the street. Money changing can be done in the airport, major hotels, and banks. Quite a few stores take credit cards, but most do not. Cash is the operative word here; occasionally US dollars, but mostly Chinese currency (yuan). Especially if you are dealing with street peddlers, markets, restaurants, and small shops. Checks are non-existent.

WHERE TO STAY

Unfortunately our special hotel has become history. We are assured by a reader that investigations by a friend in Shanghai determined it no longer exists. Pity! We leave the text in italics in case (who knows) someone can report back that it is alive and well and living again!

Perhaps the most unusual part of the trip is the hotel that Annette stayed in. While the hotel rate in Shanghai is as high as that of Paris, according to a recent survey, and there are more five star hotels than your eyes can catch, you do not have to spend $150 or more a night in a posh hotel. Instead, give yourself enough time to find the less expensive yet interesting ones.

A hotel bargain!

Here we have the best hotel to offer. It is called TaiYuan Guest House located at 160, TaiYuan Road in Shanghai. Phone +86-4375450.

This hotel is set in the former French Concession (section) on a quiet street. It is an elegant brick mansion built in the 1920's with many rooms, windows, and balconies. The house is set back from the street, surrounded by beautiful, well-kept gardens, and is approached by a winding drive.

From 1945 to 1949, this residence was known as the Marshall Residence as it was exclusively used by the late George C. Marshall, Army Chief of Staff during World War II. He later became the Secretary of State under President Truman and was responsible for the Marshall Plan. He came to China as a special envoy and mediated between the communists and the national government during the brutal Chinese civil war that resulted in the communists taking over the country.

Not only is the hotel pleasant, quiet and historically valuable, it is also quite inexpensive. The rooms range from the maids' rooms, with shared bathrooms (serviceable, with no wait), and views of the gardens. Blessedly, the air conditioner worked beautifully since it was extremely hot and humid. The bed was comfortable, the room was of a reasonable size and very clean and boiled water and tea showed up regularly. The television and telephone worked, also. This only cost $19 a night! There are also very large rooms, with private bathrooms and Chinese style furniture that has been there since Marshall's time. These rooms also had views of the gardens. The prices ranged from $35-50 a night, a wonderful bargain in Shanghai.

The Marshall suite, where he lived, is an enormous three room suite with a large marble bathroom. It has balconies with doors opening onto them. The front door and the foyer of the hotel gives one the feeling of being Marshall himself fifty years ago coming into the residence after a heated debate and quarrel with President Chiang Kai-shek.

After the communist takeover, the place became the guest house for the VIPs from Beijing. For a long while, in the fifties and early sixties, it was the residence of Madam Mao who originally was an actress from Shanghai before she got Mao to dump his wife and marry her. Interestingly, all the Marshall beds, sofas, etc., were unchanged, according to the hotel manager. The classic Chinese furniture Marshall and Madame Mao used (at separate times) is still there.

Later, the mansion was used by the late Chinese Minister of Defense, Lin, Biao, who was handpicked by Mao Tsetung to be his successor. Lin's son, Lin Liguo, was said to have used this place to plot the conspiracy against Mao, including bombing Mao's train in Shanghai and other plans. After Lin Biao's scheme was discovered by Mao, he fled with his family and died in Outer Mongolia when their plane crashed.

The residence was used by other VIPs until the late seventies when all the hotel guest houses were asked to take care of themselves financially.

The staff was most helpful, but spoke very little English. No matter, there is supposed to be an English speaking operator available. Annette was able to make herself understood with universal expressions. The little Chinese she can speak also worked. When we showed an interest in the hotel, and in publicizing it, we were given a special tour plus free coffee. They are interested in foreign guests.

For all these wonderful features, you still pay less than one third of what you will pay for a room in a posh crowded hotel downtown. So come on down, you Marshall fans, buffs and specialists. It probably won't be that way for too long as the staff there kept the old furniture and arrangement out of the lack of money, not their awareness of the residence's historical value. Once they find enough money, they might change it into another luxurious but boring hotel.

WHAT TO SEE

The Old City

The Old City is a must-see in Shanghai, particularly after its recent renovation. It was the site of the old Shanghai before westerners flooded into China at the turn of the century and expanded the city proper. The Old City is known for its markets, a temple, Yu Garden which features typical Chinese garden architecture (wonderfully quiet and beautiful), and most importantly, delicious traditional Chinese snacks such as superb (and inexpensive) dumplings. It's a unique window to the Chinese culture.

The Bund

The Bund, also referred to as the Water Front by the Huangpu River, is a landmark in Shanghai. There is a long treelined promenade along the river. Grandiose western style buildings line the water front and one can look at the Pudong Special Economic Zone which is to be the biggest economic zone in Asia. A ferry boat is available to give you a ride and a river cruise ship is available for an interesting and cool two-hour ride.

The Red Dream Mansion

The Red Dream Mansion in the suburb of Shanghai is another place most tourists will miss but is something that one should see. It is a very large park enclosing replications of the characters and scenes as depicted in the most famous Chinese classic novel, The Red Dream Mansion. The park features a variety of architectural styles, gardens and costumed characters from the book. Getting there is a real adventure and we won't even attempt to tell you how--ask in Shanghai.

Temple of the Jade Buddha

Another most interesting place to visit is the Temple of the Jade Buddha. This temple does not have outstanding architecture as, for example, the Palace Temple in Bangkok, but its interest lies in the jade buddhas and other artwork inside. It is not ancient but is a working monastery and the monks are very much in evidence. This monastery is a large complex and every gallery has its own special art objects including statues of warriors, buddhas and enormous gilded and painted figures. Religious ceremonies can be observed throughout the temple.

The most famous images are white jade buddhas. There is a small reclining buddha and in a special, upstairs hall is a large seated buddha with robes inlaid with precious stones. This was transported from Burma. A Buddhist canon, printed in 1890, is also there. One can eat a vegetarian lunch in the restaurant and can also pay for special services to be held for departed relatives.

The temple escaped destruction by the Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution because the abbot bolted the doors and plastered them with pictures of Chairman Mao. The guards did not disturb the gates because it would have been a political crime punishable by death.

I can’t think of another city whose name has been made into a verb. In years gone by, the name Shanghai has become synonymous with sailors being, well Shanghaied. Bashed over the head in the weaving morass of backstreets and forced to crew another ship or being robbed and disappearing — never to be heard of again.

My experience of being Shanghaied wasn’t quite so spectacular. I was making a call in the International Telephone Call Centre when I was approached by a couple of young Chinese woman. They started asking me a whole lot of questions about where I was from and life in the West. We were getting on so well that they offered to buy me a drink. Well, I have never been averse to being bought a drink by a good looking woman, and being bought one by two good looking women is even better.

We headed off to a bar they knew, which turned out to be a restaurant. I should have been suspicious when the waiters automatically whisked us into a room at the back and shut the door. The girls introduced themselves as Soo Lin and her friend who was mysteriously called Jane. (Apparently many young Chinese adopt Western names as they are seen to be fashionable). The story was that we were on our way to a bar and dance club but they wanted to get some food first — hence the restaurant. The girls asked me if I wanted to eat as well. I refused, but just to be polite I picked at a couple of dishes. More and more dishes kept appearing on the table but it was only when the waiters brought in a lobster that I knew I was being set up.

As if sensing my nervousness Soo Lin lent over to me in our cosy little cubicle and remarked that if I gave her some cash she would go away and leave the two of us together and for more cash her friend would come back to my hotel room and sleep with me. All of this knowledge was imparted in the most straight forward way as if we were haggling over something in the market. And the dishes kept coming!

When I turned down her kind offer she became more insistent. For the same money both her and her friend would come to my hotel and sleep with me. Again I turned them down and suggested that I had an appointment and maybe should be going. As soon as I went to stand up one of the waiters appeared at my shoulder with a piece of paper on a little silver plate. I didn’t have to look at it to know what it was, but curiosity got the better of me.

I picked up the bill and slowly unfolded it. US$300. The sting was complete. Another waiter appeared — they were all smiling but I was stuck in a back room and soon things could get nasty.

There was only one thing to do. “Get stuffed!” The man reacted as if I had hit him. I reached into my pocket and placed a handful of small notes on to the plate. About US$15 dollars worth. “That’s for what I ate, the ladies will pay for the rest — they ordered it.” He looked round, first at the two hookers and then at his comrades.

“You pay bill,” he stuttered. This was good. He spoke English. It is a lot easier to threaten people who speak good English. I pointed out that I hadn’t ordered the food. In fact no one had ordered the food which proved that they had been in collusion with two prostitutes in trying to swindle a Western tourist. More than enough for a bullet in the back of the head in China.

I then suggested he call the police because that is what my brother who works in the British embassy in Beijing had suggested if anything like this happened. My brother has worked in British embassies all over the world and has got me out of all sorts of sticky situations which isn’t bad for someone who has never been born!

I walked out of the room with as much poise as I could muster, turned back to the table and wished the two girls good luck with the washing-up before making good my escape.

Don’t get me wrong — Shanghai is about far more than scams, dangerous or otherwise. But it does have the feel of a true oriental city, a place of intrigue. The waterfront area of Shanghai has changed little over the years. The Bund — the waterfront promenade — stretches down the Huangpu River like an elegant Victorian facade. This was the part of the city which was built by the Europeans in the late 19th Century when they used the city as a base for trading.

But Shanghai is changing. It seems to have ridden out the years of communism largely unchanged, but capitalism has made huge changes.

Jack-hammers ring throughout the city day and night driving huge girders into the ground to support the new buildings which seem to spring up everywhere. Across the river from the Bund huge areas of marsh land have been reclaimed and the giant Pearl TV tower dominates the skyline. At night capitalism has an even greater hold as winking neon signs advertise Western goods as a background to the photos of posing holidaymakers. Domestic tourism is big in the recently liberalised China and many people want the strange looking round-eyes to be in their pictures.

There is something uniquely Chinese about the mentality which leaves the old Colonial heart of the city virtually unchanged but dominates it with the new financial district across the river. The comparisons are obvious and obviously intended. It is possible to be whisked to the top of the Pearl Tower for a view over the whole city. From this vertiginous height one can see how the skyscrapers of modern China are encroaching on the heart of the old town.

The old backstreets of Shanghai lie just to the South East of the Bund. A maze of tightly packed alleyways that still hold the magic of the city. Stroll through here and you can imagine how drunken sailors might have lurched to their doom and disappeared without trace.

China is very much about food and eating. Little snack bars and restaurants abound in the old town — sometimes as simple as just a table with a dumpling steamers, sometimes a few tables and long low benches guaranteed to snag the knees of any Westerner who tries to sit down. Dumplings are a staple in this part of the world. Great lumps of dough — usually with some degree of filling that usually appears to be a totally random brown or green smudge.

When not actually eating food, the Chinese seem to be buying food to eat later. Fresh food. Still wriggling food. Fish, poultry, rabbits even the odd dog are all on sale waiting to be bought and cooked. Peasant farmers from the countryside, taking advantage of the liberalisation of the economy, set up stalls selling vegetables on many of the streets.

Wherever you look there are old fashioned Chinese laundries with wooden ironing boards, fortune tellers, old men looking after young babies or just sitting around playing chequers. In some of the narrower alleyways the buildings appear to almost touch at the roofs as they lean towards each other with age. Strings of laundry, plants and little bamboo birdcages complete with songbirds are festooned from them and the bird’' trilling litany adds to the babble of noise. Chinese is a language which seems to always be conducted at a bellow.

In case you are tempted to loose yourself in the old streets and slip into a reverie of days gone by, you will be rudely awakened at the turn of a corner as the Pearl Tower looms in front of you filling the sky between the rickety buildings — a constant reminder of the city and China’s race for progress. A race which will change the face of Shanghai for ever.