22 Jan How do I spend my weekends in Shanghai?
Hi everyone, this is my third week in Shanghai and so far my weekends have been packed full of places to go, things to try and people to see. I think what stands out most about Shanghai, in terms of activities and things to do, in comparison to Adelaide is that the night life is vibrant, exciting and goes on till the early hours of the morning.
So far Absolute has organized some weekend activates for all interns. We have taken trips to Suzhou and Nanjing, however, with these trips being unsponsored the interns are expected to contribute towards the costs of travel, food, accommodation, etc, so be ready and make sure you have the extra cash to cover the costs. These trips can be worthwhile going on especially if you don’t know the city and you want to explore. These trips act like mini vacations with someone else taking care of the itinerary, the bookings and showing you around to all the tourist areas, historical monuments, and shopping precincts.
The trip to Nanjing, over the last weekend, was an interesting experience. Travelling to Nanjing by high speed train, we visited the mausoleum of Dr. Sun Yat-sen followed by a trip to the Confucius temple that was close to an area filled with cheap little touristy trinkets and food stalls. The next day we took a trip to the Memorial hall for the Nanjing Massacre. This was the most intense part of the trip. You visit the place knowing that what you see will be disturbing and unsettling, however, some of the images and the stories you see and read, you cannot prepare for, or even comprehend afterwards. It was an eye opening experience, and as a politics student, I found it interesting to see and read the first hand images and stories as opposed to the retellings and interpretations from textbooks.
Separate from Absolute, the other interns and myself have tried to make the best of our time here. Weekends and weekdays after work have been spent out on the streets of Shanghai experiencing the night life, the food, entertainment, and tourist sites (which always seem to look better at night). Even after the metro lines close at around 9:30-10:30pm, there are still things to do and places to see in Shanghai. Getting home by cab after a long night out is just as efficient as the metro, however, be aware of what taxi you are getting into and keep an eye on the meter.
Shopping has also played a large part in occupying my weekends. Places like East Nanjing Lu are fantastic for all the name brands that you know from back home and even some that you can’t get back home. Other shopping destinations include the fake markets which are just as entertaining as the shopping strips. Just remember that when you go to the fake market, you get what you pay for and often the details on the product give it away as a fake. Though, if that is what you are looking for, don’t let this discourage you, just take your time and have a decent look around before purchasing. Trying new foods and restaurants is always fun. There is quite a big range of traditional, fusion and modern western food here. So there is something to suit everyone, within any price range, if you want to be adventurous or safe, the restaurants in the immediate area surrounding the apartments will cater for this.
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