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A Canadian in Beijing: Floating Billboards on The Bund
Since I'm on vacation here in Shanghai, it stands to reason that I ought to act like a tourist once in awhile. I have been snapping photos like one since I arrived, to be sure, but besides visiting The Great Wall, I haven't yet taken in many historically significant sites. For once, I read a guide book and took the advice of the pages therein. They advised me to take in the waterfront in Shanghai, particularly on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.
The Bund, also known as Zhongshan road, is an historical section of waterfront that stretches a little less than one mile on the western front of the "Pu Xi" (West City) and looks out to the eastern part of Shanghai known as "Pu Dong." It is raised and separate from the roadway and proved to be a popular tourist destination on this sunny day. I was among them and I got the requisite photo taken across from the famous Oriental Pearl TV Tower as well as one of the tallest in the world, the Jin Mao Tower. (Hard to believe that, coming from Toronto and knowing the scale of the CN Tower!)
The Bund is part of the Huangpu River, an essential shipping route and regarded as the symbol of Shanghai for many years. There are lots of cruises available in these waterways that are flanked by huge corporate modern structures intermingled with a diversity of architecture from many different cultures across many centuries. It's clear that this port has long been an international one, and not just because of the wide diversity of faces we can see walking along and snapping pictures just like us.
I thought it would be a great place for a romantic stroll on a warm evening and this thought warmed me into stalling and going to the edge of the walkway to peer over. I stared out into the river to see muddy waters below. My gaze followed the river's current out and north-westward where the waters were guarded by Nikon and Nestle and other multinationals.
Between their buildings and my perch, there was a boat cruising slowly across the harbour with a giant screen and constant television advertisements flashing brightly for all to see. I could think of nothing more I'd rather NOT see than commercials at that moment. Talk about muddying the waters... A floating billboard on the Bund?!
I took that as a sign that I had seen enough. I turned and left, having walked only about halfway.
Still, I am happy and grateful to have seen an historical section of an ancient port, and this moment of its development is no less valid. It, too, will eventually become part of history.
Pic of me by Sarah Keenan
Filed under: Arts and Culture, History, Blogs, Stories, A Canadian in Beijing
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Lawson Jun 2nd 2010 4:24AM
You have a very good resource! My congratulations ) I'd like to share my resource with you - search engine on rapidshare files ( http://rapidqueen.com ). Will be glad if you have a look and say whether you like it
Nancie Apr 30th 2007 2:06AM
The Asians do take their marketing seriously....LOL
Great post. Thanks for sharing.
http://www.360.yahoo.com/bunni56531
dreambird2002 Apr 30th 2007 10:13PM
为了你学习中文，我先用汉语写。
去了上海，看样子，你很高兴也很激动！东方明珠电视塔比多伦多的电视塔，你觉得哪个更好些呢？呵呵，估计你很难判断吧。
The history of ShanHai are very longinquity. Some years ago, I has gone to ShangHai. There A choice or dainty food in ShangHai.There are many delicious snack at the place I remembered is called "fu zi maio(夫子庙）",you may go to look at it.
I believe that you will feel very happy at the "fu ai miao".
At the end ,I want to say to you in Chinese :"五一节快乐"!!
iandanger Apr 30th 2007 4:18AM
Not to nitpick or anything...but Jin Mao is actually the fifth tallest building, behind Taipei 101, the Patronas Towers in Malasia and the Sears Tower in Chicago. Obviously that mistake is that websites, not yours.
Shanghai is an amazing City, but watch out for little kids pickpocketing, theyre everywhere.
Sammy Apr 30th 2007 5:42AM
China must be agree with yo because you a looking very happy, healthy and I must say that you are glowing.
Stay safe
Sam xxoo
ember.swift Apr 30th 2007 7:56AM
Hi there Ian,
Thanks for the note there. It'll teach me not to trust single websites for their information -- a naive mistake to be sure. I've edited it above to reflect that it's "one of the" tallest buildings in the world. Thanks again!
- Ember
Denzylle Apr 30th 2007 8:55AM
Not connected with your travels, altho' I'm enjoying reading about them and about life in Beijing - but here's a link to another Canadian in China:
http://frugalcuisine.blogspot.com/
She's in Cheng du, however, and it's a meat eater's food blog, but I do enjoy how she talks about the food in China, and all the new food she finds, much of it vegan.
Lou Apr 30th 2007 10:09AM
I'm going to agree with Sam and say that you seem to be glowing, Dear! Is that was pursuing a passion, a dream, and fulfillment looks like? It's a good look! :-) I don't know about your other faithful readers, but you are definitely inspiring me to take on this type of adventure!
Luke Apr 30th 2007 10:21AM
Hi Ember
I recently discovered your posts and I find them fascinating! I have always had the dream to travel through Asia and you are providing a great guide!
But i was wondering, what camera or cameras do you use to take your pictures? they are great pictures!
Luke
Alex Apr 30th 2007 11:12AM
Please keep up the excellent blog! I'm a former Torontian as well now living in Dallas, TX and your stories and photos remind me when my wife and I visited my mom in Hong Kong 3 years ago (she lived there for 5 years).
I really enjoyed the little of China that I saw and long to return.
Keep up the great work and have fun!
- Alex
Skippy Apr 30th 2007 12:31PM
Deja Vu! I was just there Friday and took a picture from almost the exact same spot. I was fascinated by the floating billboard - what a business model! I also saw a roaming van on Nanjing Road with a giant video screen built into the side.
If you're still there, try to visit the Shanghai Sculpture Garden on West Huaihai Road - it's a really interesting outdoor sculpture garden.
Shan Apr 30th 2007 5:37PM
What the website mentioned could be the Shanghai World Financial Centre that is construction and supposed to be the tallest as it's completed in 2008. It's just a block away from JinMao.
Anyway, such kind of a No 1 thing is always a relative term.
Jan May 1st 2007 6:48AM
Ember Great Picture! I was there in Dec 2006 on Goodwill Tour sponsored by AT&T. We visited same area, loved seeing the boat with the "big" TV, shared with my daughter's third grade when I came home. Wish you well on your journey. As to safety, my fiend and I walked around at night near our hotel in three cities and felt very safe and we are in our sixties. There are people in uniform everywhere!
david May 1st 2007 9:27AM
hey ember! sounds like you are really having a great time in Shanghai!! Have you been to Hong Kong yet? It has even more lights, signs and billboards...
But actually I think that the dynamic growth of industy in China is a really intriguing part of its modernisation, and it's really interesting to think about what changes have occurred to create the city scape that you described. Don't you think that it all adds up to create the exciting place that is China?
Enjoy the remainder of your time Shanghai, keep looking at those lights!
biker_frog May 31st 2007 9:09AM
Ember,
Love the picture of you in Shanghal. Real dyky kewl!
How's the dialect in Shanghai? I've heard that eveything's pronouced slightly different and that makes it difficult for even chinese folks (from different regions) to understand each other.
Of course, it's your good musical ears that even allows you to catch and adjust to the slight tonal variations of the chinese language in the first place, but I wonder how easily it is to adapt as a foreigner to the different dialects as well.
Also as a side note, I love reading your posts and I'm also happy that you are accomplishing an exquisit dream. Cheers...Zan