Spring Ride to Puxi

Missed two weekends of riding because of my Vancouver trip (where I biked once), but today the weather was fantastic (25C)! I took the ferry by the Yangpu bridge, ventured NE into Puxi a bit, and then back again by ferry. All in all about 43 km.

Shanghai Spring

Beijing

A few pics of my 2-day trip to Beijing:

Zhongnanhai; China's White House, Kremlin, Buckingham Palace

Terminal 3, which just opened last month; world's largest airport terminal (3x the size of Heathrow)

Shanghai's Pudong from the air; despite the clear sky quite hazy, probably because of the pollution and the fact it was taken through the plane's window

Mickey in Chuansha?

What was unofficially official for months, or even years, is now official: Disney plans to build a them park near the town of Chuangsha, in Pudong. All that remains is approval from the central government. Located only several kms from where I live, I decided to explore this city further. (See here for some previous pictures.)
The 200,000+ inhabitants are mostly blue collar, and I was told that until not too long ago, local gangs ruled the streets. Fortunately, that's improved significantly. Nevertheless, there's still some cultural places; on my journey today, I came across a handful of buildings that reflect the city's many ideologies of the past century.
I first biked to Chuansha's public park, with its large pagoda. Then on to a revolutionary war memorial (I was the only visitor), followed by a visit to the former home of one of Chuansha's famous political figures, Huang Yanpei. I then stumbles upon an old Catholic church (built by French Jesuits in 1874) and a small Protestant church, built by American missionaries in 1935), both hidden in obscure small alleys. The Protestant congregation had grown to over a thousand worshipers, so they now rent a large warehouse nearby, hoping and praying to find a piece of land for their own building in the future. They also told me proudly that Song Meiling was born nearby the church building in Chuansha. One of China's three famous sisters (all educated in Shanghai and the USA), she later married Chiang Kai-shek, leader of the Nationalist Party, and played a influential role in Chinese politics and history.

Tao, Croquet, and Steamed Buns

First the flu, then incessant rain, and now add a sprained ankle to that. January has turned out to be a disastrous month for biking, and I probably won't hop into the saddle again until after Chinese New Year (mid-Feb). So here a few more pics of last month's rides:
The Tao Hotel is in the middle of nowhere (an industrial area in Pudong), which according to its website "is the classical architecture Tao with a 100 year history. It covers an area of 1600 square meters. It was elected by the United Nations UNESCO Asia/Pacific Region as an applicant for cultural heritage protection." It's located right next to a modern business hotel, and the receptionist gave me a tour of the ancient and serene place. Well decorated but the old wood made it a bit too musty.

And pictures of a shy lady selling steamed buns (took this while biking past;spot the lady) and some village folks playing croquet...

Yan Village Update

It's gone.
(See Sept 1, 2007 blog)

Going Dutch

Believe it or not, these three pictures were taken in a remote town in the Shanghai area.
With 2 days left in the week-long May holiday, I biked for a total of about 80 km in nice warm weather (27-30 C), including a trip to Waigaoqiao today, which is located in northern Pudong. Together with the Yangshan port (also in Shanghai), it's part of the world's busiest port region.
Amazingly, right downtown there is a massive Holland Village being built (although "New Amsterdam" is more appropriate, I think), with Amsterdam-style housing and offices, a windmill, a church, and modern apartments.

Shocking Shorts

Spring has arrived in its fullest, so I've been in the saddle (on my bike, that is) almost every Saturday and Sunday morning. My neighbours and I have been following routes I've taken before, but a new season, new faces, new small roads that meander through small villages and the countryside continue to feed my curiosity and keep me in shape. The villagers look in shock either to see a foreigner or a person in shorts (or most likely both), but a simple "ni hao" brings a friendly smile to their faces and children are all too eager to pose for a picture. Could do without the unpredictable car drivers, for many of them traffic rules are there to be broken. Not unlike business here, it seems the end justifies the means, as long as you get there.