After an exhausting day at the China International Travel Mart it was time to recharge our bodies with more food. Many of our group had made private arrangements for the evening meal, so only four of us dined. I am not fond of seafood, so was disappointed to find that all the Chinese banquet dishes were seafood of various descriptions. I dined mainly on the fish and rice dishes which I enjoyed. It was only when we were leaving the Restaurant that I read its name – it was a Chinese Seafood Restaurant. That explained all the seafood dishes!
We arrived in the mini-bus back at our Renaissance Yu Gardens Hotel, and rather than going to bed I set off on another walk to explore Shanghai. I walked along Henan Road until I came to Nanjing Road, the main pedestrian shopping mall in Shanghai. It is about 6 km long and starts at the Bund in the east and ends at the People Square in the west. Even though it attracts over a million visitors daily, it was not overly crowded when I walked along it late at night. Nanjing Road was first the British Concession, then the International Settlement. Importing large quantities of foreign goods, it became the earliest shopping street in Shanghai
I discovered modern shopping malls, specialty stores, theatres, department stores, restaurants, cafés and international hotels lining the street. To my surprise I even spotted KFC, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, and Starbucks scattered along Nanjing Road
I ventured into a McDonalds to make a purchase only to discover the menu boards written in Chinese. The helpful member of staff saw my state of confusion and handed me a laminated menu page written in English from under the counter. I then easily ordered my small serving of fries..
Amongst the upscale stores selling countless famous brands and new fashions there are traditional Chinese stores and specialty shops still providing choice silk goods, jade, embroidery, wool, and clocks. I ventured into Shanghai's most famous department store, the cutely named “Shanghai No. 1 Department Store”. This first opened in 1934, but has been has been updated since. The store is devoted to selling clothing, shoes, gifts, books, watches, toys, jewellery, cosmetics, homewares, sporting equipment, and electronic goods. I wandered around a supermarket that seemed to mainly sell confectionary and alcoholic beverages. An interesting combination!
I was approached by various touts inviting me to go into their shop to purchase handbags, DVDs and other reproduction goods. I went into one shop and started the haggling process to lower the price form the high initial price but went away without making a purchase. Other hawkers approached me trying to sell items they had in their pockets, such as watches and laser pointers. I just kept on saying no thanks and kept on walking.
Nanjing Road was crowded even though it was late at night, mainly with young Chinese people. I imagine that during daylight hours it would be even more crowded. The crowds added to the liveliness and atmosphere of the area.
A trackless sightseeing train provides a comfortable tour of the pedestrian street. However, I walked the length of Nanjing Road rather than riding on it. Flashing neon signs in Chinese language letters illuminated the magnificent buildings and spangled the night skyline. After walking the length of the Nanjing Road I walked back along Henan Road to the Renaissance Yu Gardens Hotel for a restful nights sleep. My feet were telling me that after walking all day around the CITM and along Nanjng Road they needed a rest!
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