The second day started around noon with a walk through Renmin Guangchang (人民广场).
Scaramouchine and her cousin ran into the weekend marriage market. In many Chinese cities, the parents of eligible adults gather in parks and post simple advertisements of their children’s statistics and achievements. They will then arrange dates among their progeny. However, the Shanghai Renmin Guangchang marriage mart was larger and more professional than Scaramouchine ever imagined. Some ladies appeared to represent multiple parties. It was very business-like and quite large. Advertisements were quite clinical, categorized according to sex and then itemizing, age, height, educational degree, job, financial assets. Some were more creative with a photo album of professional pictures (these were only for the girls).
By then lunch was well overdue so the ladies made their way through RenminGuangchang to Huanghe (黄河路) Road and the justly famous XiaoYang’s Dumplings (小杨生煎). These are ‘soup dumplings’ or Shengjian (生煎).
Yang’s Dumplings. 101 Huanghe Road
First you order your Shengjian. Then you sit and it is delivered.
Shengjian. Dumplings filled with hot broth and pork. There is careful technique to eating these so as not to squirt hot broth and pork fat all over yourself. It is also improved, Scaramouchine thinks with lashings of Changjiang vinegar and hot pepper paste.
After that Scaramouchine and her cousin walked down Nanjing Dong Lu (南京东路) to the No. 2 metro line and took the subway to “Yuyuan Garden” (豫园).
Nanjing Dong Lu
They visited Shanghai’s “Old Town”. It used to be the centre of Shanghai and now is a tourist area boasting a well-known tea house and a Ming garden “YuYuan”( 豫园) .
YuYuan Gardens were ransacked during various conflicts but have been well restored and are a lovely oasis in the bustle of downtown Shanghai.
Everytime Scaramouchine goes to YuYuan, she discovers something new. Like all gardens, it changes with the seasons, but Yuyuan is special in its density. It is a small garden but full of views and small, special corners.
Scaramouchine likes the juxtaposition of old and new. The newest and tallest building in Pudong arising behind the ming architecture of the YuYuan garden.
After that the girls headed towards the Bund for the Shanghai photo-op.
The Bund is on one side, the historic turn-of-century buildings speaking to the colourful history of Shanghai.
And on the other side, is the modern Pudong, the futuristic Shanghai.
It is best to watch the sun set on the Pudong skyline.
And watch the lights come on.
The historic Peace Hotel
After sufficient photo taking, the girls walked down Nanjing Dong Lu (南京东路) which only becomes more lively after dark (pickpockets proliferate, beware!)
The girls went to the JW Marriott, and on the 40-something floor had a reviving glass of wine and enjoyed the view.
Then finished the day with dinner at a Uighur restaurant off of NanJIng Xi Lu (南京西路).
Scaramouchine 