Wolfgang's photos

The most famous classical garden in Shanghai is the Yuyuan Garden, which is also known as the Yu Garden. Built in the period of the Ming Dynasty, for more than 400 years, it has been considered one of the best and most beautiful gardens in China. Yuyuan is located in the center of the Old City in Shanghai, south of the area known as Bund. The builder was Pan Yunduan, a military figure in the Ming Dynasty, who created it for his family as a place where they could rest and enjoy the magnificent scenery. Throughout the centuries many changes have been made, and the last restoration was made in the middle of the 20th century by Liangshu Han who recreated it in its original state.

The Huxinting Tea House is a great place to visit. The mere façade of this place is fascinating. Before you get to the main pavilion, there is an attention-grabbing bridge which is constructed with a zig-zag style. According to traditional Chinese beliefs, this zig-zag design is not only for aesthetic appeal. It is also important for keeping the evil spirits from getting into the pavilion. Since the Huxinting Tea House stands right in the middle of the lake, its foundation rests on sturdy stilts. Hence, it gracefully rises above water.

Shanghai with a population of more than 24 million is the largest and traditionally the most developed metropolis in China. The megacity was the largest and most prosperous city in the Far East during the 1930s. In the past 20 years it has again become an attractive city for tourists from all over the world. The world once again had its eyes on the city when it hosted the 2010 World Expo, recording the greatest number of visitors in the event's history.

Yuyuan Garden, aka Yu Garden Shanghai, was finished in 1577 by a government officer of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) named Pan Yunduan. Yu in Chinese means pleasing and satisfying, and this garden was specially built for Pan's parents as a place for them to enjoy a tranquil and happy time in their old age.

The Bund is a landmark of Shanghai and is full of history and culture. Many inland and foreign tourists take their pictures at different places like here in front of a bull statue.

Shanghai Tower is one of the most sustainably advanced tall buildings in the world. A central aspect of its design is the transparent second skin that wraps around the entire building. The ventilated atriums it encloses conserve energy by modulating the temperature within the void. The space acts as a buffer between the inside and outside, warming up the cool outside air in the winter and dissipating heat from the interior in the summer. It wasn't easy to capture a photo where I got the 632 metre high building full on the picture.

As for shopping in the newly opened mall, there are over 250 brands stationed here with a mix of lifestyle and dining options. There are also 10 dedicated spaces for events and activities. Like most new malls in China, it’s much more than just shopping, it’s a sensory experience and entertainment venue. This futuristic architecture is captured at the end of the Bund or called in China Waitan.

The word bund means an embankment or an embanked quay. The former idyllic atmosphere has gone and a modern surrealistic cityscape repressed the beautiful view it was before. But it's one of the most famous tourist destinations in Shanghai. Building heights are restricted in the area.

A cruising tour on the Huangpu river should be done during and after sunset when all the tall skyscraper building are lightened at every house front. It also shows the tallest skyscraper the Shanghai Tower, which is 632 m tall with 128 floors. It is currently the tallest building in the People's Republic of China and the second tallest in the world.

he Bund in Shanghai is the waterfront area along the western bank of the Huangpu River in central Shanghai. It is one mile long and all spots here offer amazing views. Most fronts of the skyscrapers lighten running pictures in all colors and give the skyline a particular touch which makes the view out from the Bund of Shanghai to an unforgettable experience.

To experience the best way to enjoy the scenery along Huangpu River, a cruise was the top choice. A Huangpu River cruise has become for us a must-have activity when visiting Shanghai. When cruising at night, we enjoyed the most extraordinary sights.

The Shanghai-Beoijing high-speed railway train goes with the highest speed of 355 km per hour in exactly 4 hours and 20 minutes. On some parts the train reach the speed of 400 km/h. Inside the waggon we did not feel about the high speed but it's displayed at the top of the cabin door between the coaches.

Pudong New Area is situated in the east of Shanghai, it takes the benefit of the location at the junction of middle China costal area and the mouth of Yangtze River, and face to the wide range Pacific Ocean. The average temperature is around 16 degree centigrade, a comfort city for living. In 1990, China State Council officially announces to open a new area to strengthen the economic of Shanghai, Pudong is lucky to open an new page of history. During the 19 Years development, Pudong occurrence of great changes, this area is take the place of the rice paddies of farmland into skyscrapers, and from the remote countryside to the prosperity urban areas, which has become the world's attention and known as the "Pearl of the Orient", people regard it as the epitome of modernization and a symbol of China's reform and opening up.

The once highest point in China blends symbolic design with a kick of adrenaline. One of the tower’s sightseeing decks has a transparent glass bottom offering a unique and dizzying view of Shanghai and there’s even an arcade game center. Real thrill-seekers can also ride the space-themed roller coaster 300 feet off the ground.

Nanpu Bridge is the first bridge to cross the Huangpu River from central Shanghai, linking it with the Pudong district across the river. The bridge and its spiral approaches are a major connection across the river and between Zhongshan South Road and Lu Jiabing Road. The bridge is a major contributor to the ongoing and rapid development of the Pudong District.

The Yuyuan Garden invites for a visit in the plenty of restaurants located in this area, like this where is offered halal food what is permissible or lawful in traditional Islamic law. Captured in the Fuyou Road in the center of Shanghai.

There are the traditional Chinese lanterns, primarily red but also in other colours, that can be round or capsule-shaped, usually seen in stores like shown on this photo, at temples, or during festivals. The color red (fire) traditionally symbolizes good fortune and joy.

A walk along shops in Yuyuan Garden, colourful lightened at night and busy until 11pm. There was a great number of small streets and lanes where we found many restaurants, tea houses, and shops. It was a good place to sample some local snacks and buy some souvenirs but the origin idyll is gon forevery.