China’s Shanghai: A modern city in the East

Nanjing Road in Shanghai

SHANGHAI--We first land in Beijing, the capital of China, before flying to Shanghai aboard a two-hour flight from the capital. As soon as we set foot in this city, we immediately realize that we are in a world city.
This city is a clear indicator of China's development. Giant skyscrapers are ordinary in Shanghai. In a district that is so large it could engulf several Manhattans, giant buildings have been built and are still being constructed. Trade and commerce have resulted in incredible wealth for this city. As you wander the streets of Shanghai, you frequently come across luxury houses and cars. There are giant housing complexes, each of which is more populated than some cities around the world. For instance, one building complex comprises some 250 buildings, each of them with some 30 floors. They say that about 40,000 people live in this complex. There are even larger complexes housing about 100,000 people each. Given their immense population, the Chinese naturally have to tinker with the idea of building complexes of buildings.
A small fishing town just 150 years ago, Shanghai today is among the world's biggest and most important cities. Shanghai does not have much background in Chinese history, as the city flourished after the arrival of Europeans. Since then, European have never left this major city. The impact of Europeans is clearly visible in the buildings scattered around the city. There are about 500,000 foreigners living in the city.
Shanghai is the heart of the Chinese economy. It is a rapidly growing and developing city. With a population of 18 million, Shanghai is called the "Manhattan of China." The Shanghai skyline is littered with giant skyscrapers. As the city has seen considerable development during recent years, Shanghai is very different from what it was even 10 years ago.

A pagoda in Suzhou

Chang Jiang, meaning “long river,” flows through the middle of Shanghai. Westerners call it the Yangtze river; it is the third-longest river in the world.
The city has misty and foggy air; this does not change year round. The city's inhabitants enjoy sunny days only for a week or so each year.
In the city center, the Jin Mao Tower, a 421-meter tall, 88-story skyscraper, is now accompanied by the 101-story Shanghai World Financial Center, which reaches 492 meters into the air. Shanghai is brimming with such grandiose skyscrapers. In order to allow for the smooth flow of traffic, giant, multi-layered junctions have been built, and there are overhead highways where cars travel at a height of a seven or eight-story building. These highways lead to the main centers around the city. Seeing them, one might think such projects could be readily implemented in İstanbul.
Nanjing Road is the most famous and busiest street in the city. There is where tourists flock for shopping and entertainment. The street is busy at every hour of the day, getting progressively more crowded in the daytime and reaching a peak in the evening. World-famous brands have opened shops along the street.

The Yangtze River

One sees a flood of human beings flowing through Nanjing Road. Since it is closed to vehicle traffic, people can freely wander to and fro in this junction where Chinese and Western cultures meet. It can be likened to İstiklal Caddesi in İstanbul. Nanjing Road is not only crowded; it is also the most expensive place in the city. The leasing prices for shops are astronomical. Small battery-operated cars serve the same function as the historic tram on İstiklal Caddesi. At night, Nanjing Road becomes luminous and colorful and vivid. It is one of the most-illuminated streets in the world.
Shanghai is a city on a plain, at a low elevation. There are large parks in the city. The city planners placed great importance on vegetation. Although it is located in the far eastern reaches of China, it is extremely Western oriented. Western lifestyles are dominant in the city. There is a Shanghai school in response to the Beijing school, the former being more progressive and open than the latter. Having mingled with Westerners for many years in the past, the city has always represented the progressive school in literature, philosophy and commerce. The traffic signs are bilingual, Chinese phrases being followed by their English counterparts.
Chinese citizens need to obtain permits in order to live in this city. Working in Shanghai is also regulated, as the people who aspire to work in this city are required to obtain a permit for this. Obtaining this permit is a difficult process. This is intended to curb migration from rural areas to cities.
There is a matriarchal structure in China. In Shanghai, it is ordinary for men to cook meals, wash the dishes and do the cleaning. Women are the heads of the household. It is said that this is the case for a large percentage of households in Shanghai. Shanghai women are depicted as practical bosses.

Silk production

We go from Shanghai to Suzhou, a one-hour highway trip. Suzhou is called the "Venice of the East." It is famous for its canals as well as for its gardens and pagodas. The historic Auspicious Light Pagoda, a Buddhist temple, is a popular destination for tourists. Built in 1004 B.C., the pagoda is 53 meters tall. It is a mostly wooden structure. The pagoda was built to reach up to the gods. We climb to the highest point in the pagoda and gaze over the surroundings of the temple.
Then, we pay a visit to the Humble Administrator's Garden, a 500-year-old garden built during the Ming dynasty. It is one of the four most-famous gardens in China. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The garden, spanning an area of 5.2 hectares, was built over the course of four years. Local and foreign visitors show great interest in the garden. As guides speak about the garden, tourists carefully listen to them.
We start to tour the streets of Suzhou. Souvenir shops line the streets lying parallel to canals. The owners of these shops both produce and sell a variety of souvenirs.
As we travel toward Hangzhou, we remember a famous Chinese saying. In order to depict the beauty of Suzhou and Hangzhou, the Chinese say: "Paradise above. Suzhou and Hangzhou below." Hangzhou has a lake called Xi Hu, or West Lake. The landscape around the coast of the lake is beautiful.
Silk is one of the symbols of China. China has sold silk to the world for centuries. We visit a silk factory and touch silkworm cocoons. For many years, China maintained strict control over knowledge about silk production. It is said that when several silkworms hidden inside the hair of a Chinese princess were taken out of China, the rest of the world learned how to produce silk. We watch how cocoons are processed in the plant. With awe, we observe how silk is transformed into thread. Silk threads are carefully peeled away from cocoons and wrapped around reels.

Cocoons may be spun separately or side by side. Single cocoons generally produce higher-quality silk, which is used for apparel. Double cocoons produce lower quality silk which is used for rugs, carpets or covers.
A small test is held for tourists in order to show whether two scarves are made of real silk. Only one of the scarves is made of real silk. Scarves are burned. Only the scarf made of real silk emits neither black smoke nor a bad odor. This is not the case for the fake scarf. This test clearly shows which one is authentic.
The importance of silk around the world has always given China an upper hand in trade. For this reason, silk is an important commodity for China. When silkworms were smuggled out of the country, other countries started to produce silk, which dealt a large blow to the Chinese economy. Even local Chinese buy imported silk, thinking that imported commodities are of higher quality. Even today, this is a common perception among the Chinese. Although China is a textile giant, its people still prefer to buy imported apparel.
We tour a silk showroom in Hangzhou. Colorful clothes made of silk are displayed for prospective buyers. One thing to note is that bargaining is important in China. Whatever price is offered to you, you should bargain with the seller because the Chinese like to bargain.

[QUICK FACTS]

Capital: Beijing
Language: Standard Chinese or Mandarin, Yue (Cantonese)
Government: Communist state
President: Hu Jintao
Premier: Wen Jiabao
Area: 9,640,821 square kilometers
Population: 1,330 ,044,544*
GDP (PPP): $7.8 trillion**
Religions: Daoism, Buddhism, Christianity (3-4 percent), Islam (1-2 percent)