The Architecture!
The architecture in
Shanghai and
Hong Kong took our breath away. Hundreds of tons of glass and steel rise like monuments out of the earth, reaching for the sky. Much of the architectural beauty we enjoyed in China was derived from contrasts.
Hong Kong's impressive collection of modern skyscrapers, for example, appear to spring directly from the jungle. The islands that make up Hong
Kong lend drama when seen from above. It is very much a city of layers: Islands float on murky blue water, a jungle of plants and animals lends deep green and a symphony of bird and insect sounds, and enormous buildings tower above it all - a reminder of the magnificent and stirring art humans can create.
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| One side of The Bund... |
In Shanghai, the old is sharply contrasted with the new in the area of town known as
The Bund. One side of The Bund feels like old London, while the other side looks like a city of the future. The historical side has 20 or 30 buildings built in art deco and other European and Greco-Roman styles from the late 1800s and early 1900s. The buildings across the river are all skyscrapers, and their weight is increased by the old-timey feel of the ones behind you. The contrast is particularly amazing at night.
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| ...And the other! |
Shanghai has another area called the French Concession. This area often felt like Paris or New Orleans, and the sandwiches we had at a popular coffee shop there made us feel like we were back in the States (we white people LOVE our
fancy sandwiches). French bakeries and plenty of Western food also fill the French Concession, and we spent the better part of two days getting lost in and loving this splendid slice of Shanghai.
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| Lijiang (Old Town = VERY touristy) |
Unfortunately, many of China's truly old buildings, homes, and temples have been demolished to make way for its seemingly unstoppable development. On the one hand, China's largest cities are dazzling in their modernity. On the other, China has had to artificially rebuild and recreate old cultural heritage sights (see
Dali and
Lijiang) because they realized their significance too late. The destruction of such gems is heartbreaking, but, on the up-side, China is getting better about identifying such landmarks and future tourist attractions, so hopefully the older, and even odd ancient, architectural examples that remain will stand the test of China's crashing wave of development.
Notes:
Here are a few photos of some more traditional and Communist Chinese architecture:
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| Three Pagodas, Dali, China |
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| Dali , China |
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| Bell Tower/Traffic Circle, Xi'an, China |
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| Green Lake Park, Kunnming, China |
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| Chengdu, China |
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| Beijing, China |
Honorable mention for "Place With the Most Interesting Architecture from Our Trip thus Far" goes to Macau. This small island is the Las Vegas of the East, netting more revenue annually than our desert gambling hole. The Portuguese are responsible for much of the architecture, but many of the buildings made Annette feel like she was back in the Caribbean. Here are some of our favorite architecture photos from Macau:
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| Macau |
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| Macau |
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| Macau |
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| Macau |
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| Las Vegas. Er...uh, we mean Macau. We think... |
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| More of the Vegas-area of Macau |
Kong lend drama when seen from above. It is very much a city of layers: Islands float on murky blue water, a jungle of plants and animals lends deep green and a symphony of bird and insect sounds, and enormous buildings tower above it all - a reminder of the magnificent and stirring art humans can create.
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