Shanghai sky-high and down-low

The main tourist destination in Shanghai is The Bund for skyline peeping. It's pretty impressive day and night.

Two yuan (about 30 cents) will get you across the Huangpu River to the modern 
Pudong District.

Another two yuan will get you back to the old-school Huangpu District.

Part of the nightly light-show includes a non-stop parade of highly-decorated tour boats. 

Art deco peeping is also big along The Bund. The best example is inside the Peace Hotel, formerly the Cathay before the revolution. Now it's the Fairmont Peace Hotel. 

I managed to get a few pictures before the guard stopped me.

There are plenty of mildly amusing sites around the older part of town. Such as young scam artists. The fresh-faced gang that targeted me as I entered People's Square sounded like they had read Lonely Planet as a how-to. Just like the guide said, they told me they were students, they took my picture and invited me to a one-of-kind traditional tea ceremony.

Me and my scammers.

Ah-ha, I said to myself. That's right -- ah-ha! But I played along so I could get the photo. The girl on my left did all the talking and she delivered her lines in monotone without taking a breath. I think they must have been new to the scam game. When I said no thank you, they just melted away and didn't even try to give a hard sell. Anyway, the scam involves stiffing the tourist with a large bill after they stuff themselves at a local hotel.

Chinese tourists wear matching hats. Red is the most popular color.

In the the tree-lined French Concession is where you can experience the well preserved, east-meets-west Shikumen architecture that is now home to upscale cafes and boutiques. You can also line up with local tourists and visit the site of the First National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party on July 21, 1923. A young Mao Zedong was in attendance. The red-hatted tourists above had to pay to get in, but a uniformed guard intervened when I tried to pay and said it was free. I wonder if he thought I could use a little re-education. Honestly, even at free it's over-priced. The exhibits are mainly old photos and everything is in Chinese. Go figure.

This time I only got off one shot inside before I was told to knock it off.

One can just imagine Mao and some of the boys discussing dialectical materialism
at The Coffee Bean.

Old Town is worth a look if only to see what a Chinatown in China looks like. You'll know you're there when you reach Old Street.

Classic Chinatown entry on Old Street.

Classic Chinatown trinkets and trash.

But wander down any of the side streets and you can still find, uh, rustic Shanghai. Stick 
with this unpromising lane and you come to Yuyuan Gardens founded in the 16th century.

May in China is wonderfully colorful. 

 Time to move on to Hong Kong. But first, a few parting shots:

Only in Shanghai did we see two-wheel vehicles (motorized or other) rule some streets and
all sidewalks.  

Break time outside the mannequin outlet. You can only imagine what those guys stuck
inside might do for a cigarette.

It's almost like Ray Kroc knew that someday China would be the Big Mac's largest market.

 Zaijian Shanghai!