In China, Shanghai and Wuzhen offer multi-faceted attractions

Wuzhen is a scenic water town in Tongxiang, China. — Photos: FLOREY D. MIKIL/The Star

It takes less than a minute – 45 seconds to be exact – to reach the 88th floor of Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai.

We can attest to this, having experienced it ourselves on a recent trip to the Chinese city, where the tower stands proud in the Lujiazui financial district.

Already impressed by the speed, and the panoramic views greeting us when we exited the express lifts (there are two serving the tower), we were further floored by the fact that we had to look up, rather than down as one might expect, to fully appreciate the buildings surrounding the tower.

Despite its 420.5m-tall height, Jin Mao Tower is only the fourth highest skyscraper in Shanghai.

That’s because China’s biggest city is home to three other skyscrapers – one among them being the tallest in the country.

You get a good view of the Oriental Pearl Tower and its surrounding area from Jin Mao Tower.

Jutting out even prouder next to Jin Mao Tower are Shanghai Tower (632m) and Shanghai World Financial Centre (492m). The Oriental Pearl Tower (468m), once the tallest structure in China until it was bested by the latter in 2008, stands some distance away from the towering trio.

Be it high up in the skies or deep underground, we explored the many facets of a city that offers attractions encompassing the traditional to the modern.

Sea, sky and land

But before that, we spent a few days bobbing between the skies and grounds. The wide open sea was our home for five days, aboard the Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum of the Seas.

Our experience on the Quantum Ultra class ship was filled with exciting entertainment (including the stage productions held every evening) and exceptional service. The staff, such as the ones who attended to us when we dined at speciality restaurants like Jamie’s Italian, Chops Grille and Wonderland, were always all smiles and ready to assist.

Also helpful were the sports staff who, due to unfavourable weather conditions, had to repeatedly reschedule our North Star appointment.

We finally had the opportunity to experience this observation pod on our Ishigaki port day in Japan, when sunny weather permitted it to rise about 100m above sea level, giving clear 360° views of the island and its sparkling blue waters.

Royal Caribbean’s North Star is an observation pod offering 360° views.

Cruising with Royal Caribbean is made hassle-free when booked as part of the Fly Cruise package offered by Malaysia-based tour agency Golden Destinations (GD).

The cruise is incorporated into a 10-day itinerary that includes flying Malaysian tourists to and from Shanghai (where passengers embark and disembark), as well as a post-cruise exploration of various attractions within and beyond the city.

An efficient tour leader, assisted by a knowledgeable local tour guide, assures a smooth experience throughout.

Return to the root

While on the cruise we spent a leisurely time on the ocean, in Wuzhen – another city in China that’s part of the tour package – we did so along winding canals. A two-hour bus ride from Shanghai took us to the scenic water town in Tongxiang.

With a history dating back 1,300 years, the town’s restoration process that started in the late 1990s birthed a picturesque place. Here, visitors could unwind while appreciating its historical and cultural aspects.

The particular area we visited was called the Wuzhen West Scenic Zone. As it is cordoned off, tickets are required to enter the area. Overnight stays are also possible, and there are no shortage of inns and hotels operating within the town. Some overlook the tranquil canals, where wooden boats carrying visitors will occasionally float along them.

Our accommodation, Tong An Hotel, maintains its heritage exterior. Its interior, while retaining some traditional touches such as the wooden beams and furniture, has been given a modern facelift to allow more creature comfort.

Some visitors wander Wuzhen while dressed in hanfu.

The buildings in this town largely retain their quaint wooden or stone facades. A stroll down the cobbled streets made us feel transported into another realm. Especially so when visitors clad in rented hanfu (a traditional Chinese costume) occasionally wandered the streets.

Although, the smartphones in their hands – and ours, admittedly – were quick to break the illusion.

The Indigo Fabric Workshop, Wedding Museum and Chinese Footbinding Culture Museum were some of the places we visited during the day. At night, the White Lotus Pagoda was the highlight for us.

The Bar Street, its name a nod to the bars and pubs lining this stretch of road near the pagoda, was probably the only place for night owls, as the other shops within the West zone had shuttered for the evening by 9.30pm.

Our “water adventure” continued the next day, as we departed Wuzhen for Guangfulin Cultural Relics Park. 

The sprawling archaeological site dubbed “The Root Of Shanghai” features the underwater Guangfulin Culture Museum, where visitors could view cultural relics dating back to the Neolithic Age. These were unearthed during the archaeological digs at the site.

Our next stop was Yu Garden, an enchanting oasis in Shanghai city. Once a private garden owned by a Ming-era governor, it changed hands several times over the centuries until eventually, in 1961, it metamorphised into the highly visited public garden that it is today.

Yu Garden is a popular photography spot in Shanghai.

Exiting the garden led us straight into the Cheng Huang Temple Commercial District. At its heart is the architecturally stunning City God Temple, while spread throughout it are various shops and restaurants selling everything from souvenirs to local delicacies.

Regarding the latter, even if we weren’t told what one of the must-try foods in this area was, we would’ve gotten it all the same. It was hard to dismiss the sight of almost everyone walking around holding what looked like an oversized xiao long bao.

The size wasn’t even the most attention-grabbing; it was the curious way the dumpling was being consumed – by sipping the soup through a straw.

Soon, we were among those with a bowl of tangbao (soup dumpling) in one hand and a straw in the other. “Drinking” the deflated-looking steamed bun treated us to the piping hot crab roe soup within.

Burnt tongue was an ordeal worth the taste.

Eating the drained dumpling afterward proved to be the bigger issue, however, since the straw didn’t quite pull off its double duty as a spoon.

The temple district isn’t far off from The Bund, which we visited on our first evening in Shanghai, prior to the cruise.

The famous waterfront gave us a spectacular view of the earlier-mentioned skyscrapers, their twinkling lights creating a luminous skyline.

Our modern hotel in Shanghai was located in the Putuo district. Interestingly, it offers breakfast in a restaurant that borrows elements from Harry Potter. Think cloud-adorned ceilings and walls reminiscent of train carriages.

Modern meets traditional

On another day, we visited some modern attractions and a few others inspired by the city’s olden days.

First was Jin Mao Tower, followed by the 1192 Lane Old Shanghai Food Street, which recreated 1930s Shanghai in an enclosed “food street” replete with rickshaws and retro paraphernalia. It is more of an underground food court than food street per se, as it is located within the Century Link shopping mall.

Next, we had our hearts won over by The Romantic Show Of Shanghai, a stage production at Shanghai Romance Park that marries storytelling with dance, song and acrobatic performances.

Part of the show’s theatrics was, well, the “parting” of the audience. We were seated in the non-moving half of the seating area, so it was alarming at first to see the seats to our left suddenly break away from us.

The Romantic Show Of Shanghai includes a “disappearing” stage that occasionally rises in the middle of the audience.

An “aisle” appeared in the middle, and after the actors were done performing in our midst, it retreated below and our seats were once again reunited.

We quickly grew accustomed to this, and would eagerly anticipate the hydraulic stage to rise between us the next few times the other half of the audience started shifting away again.

At teatime, we were carted off to the Shanghai Starbucks Reserve Roastery, the brand’s first fully-immersive roastery in Asia. Spanning two storeys, the expansive store carries exclusive merchandise and a curated menu only available there.

Patrons can spend their time sipping on speciality coffee while gathered around the store’s towering copper cask to watch its coffee bean roasting process.

Before calling it a day, we stopped by Xintiandi, an upscale shopping heaven born from the restoration of Shikumen buildings.

Shikumen, an architectural style unique to Shanghai, loosely translates to “stone gate”, in reference to the stone gateways found in the city’s olden day housings that amalgamated Eastern and Western architecture. Revived with modern touches, these buildings give Xintiandi its distinctive aesthetic.

On our 10th and final day of the trip, we managed to visit one more attraction before leaving for the airport.

We’d driven past the looming red pavilion several times before – finally we were able to step foot on the premises of the grandiose China Pavilion. Unveiled in 2010 as part of the Shanghai World Expo, it remains an emblematic building in the city and now houses the China Art Museum.

It was at this museum that we marvelled at the moving recreation of Along The River During The Qingming Festival. And by “moving”, we meant that in the literal sense.

The large-scale virtual painting of Along The River During The Qingming Festival at China Art Museum.

Originally a handscroll painting by Zhang Zeduan, a renowned Song Dynasty painter, it has been transformed into an animated masterpiece measuring 128m long and 6.5m high – 30 times larger than the original.

It was an immersive walk through the exhibition hall, as we watched the virtual painting play on the undulating wall while more projectors beamed lights onto the floor alongside it, creating an artificial river.

If we didn’t have a flight to catch, we probably would’ve stayed rooted in front of the painting much longer, taking in every little detail, observing the tiny villagers (and their tiny camels) go about their day.

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Travel notes

Getting there: Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia X operate direct flights to Shanghai Pudong International Airport from Kuala Lumpur.

Where to stay: Harbour Plaza Metropolitan, Fairmont Peace Hotel, The Middle House, Meego Youth Hotel, Shanghai Fish Inn Bund

Currency: Yuan is the official currency, with RM1 equivalent to CNY1.65. Malaysia’s Touch ‘n Go ewallet can also be used in China.

Visa: Malaysian citizens are allowed visa-free entry into China for up to 30 days.

More information: Find out more about the tour packages offered by Golden Destinations at https://www.goldendestinations.com/partners.