Shanghai Planners Not Without Criticism

When “openness” became the byword in the early nineties, so did the entrepreneurial ability of its citizens. The hitherto suppressed consumerist quality came to the fore, literally making a mockery of the MBA-peddling business schools. Shanghai planners — not without its critics — have also done reasonably well to harmonize the old with the new. While the French Concession and riverside Bund retain the old-world colonial charm, the majestic Shanghai Grand Theatre, and towering Jin Mao are the best representatives of the 21st Century.

Newer roadways, highways and underwater tunnels mean big bucks for auto giants honking its way into the country, but the common man’s bicycle lane singularly remains untouched. There is also always a possibility that while meandering down one of the busy avenues you will hit upon 18th and 19th-century China.

Shanghai’s Old City, close to Yuyuan Gardens, still retains its distinctive features, complete with tea houses, temples and classical gardens displaying masterful calligraphic strokes for the bewitching eyes.

This date back to the Ming Dynasty and are the best example of Chinese classical gardens. Ironically, Old Shanghai drew such harsh pejoratives such as ‘The Whore of East’ and ‘Gamblers’ paradise’ that `to be Shanghai-ed’ became a common refrain among scribblers and belletrists. Not too surprisingly, in this cosmopolitan and multi-ethnic of all the cities in pre-war Asia — it was home to the Russians, English, Americans, French, Germans and even the Japanese — its original inhabitants lived a hard, struggle-prone life. Even now, some China watchers are quick to draw parallels between the present and past but it is quickly rubbished in a heap of statistics that point to the amazing spending power and the rise of the nouveau riche here.

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Beautiful Bund, or Waitan, could well be Shanghai’s answer to Mumbai’s Marine Drive. Bund itself is apparently an Anglo-Indian term but the Germans have their own argument for it. Either way it is the most transfixing of all the sights in Shanghai. The row of brownstone structures on the embankment have been a silent witness to centuries of change and transformation — from once being China’s Wall Street to the glitzy and the ostentatious Pudong right across the Huangpu River. From its banks in Pudong, one gets a breathtaking view of the new millennium’s most modern metropolis. Once ridiculed for being over-ambitious, urban planners have completely transformed this muddy farmland into a financial district that is expected to eclipse the likes of Hong Kong and Tokyo one day. A constant stream of container and cruise ships and sand-laden barges only reinforces the impression of a city constantly reinvigorating itself.

The nights are long in Shanghai — or so they say — and it would be imprudent to ignore the sexier side of the city — literally. It revels in a fun, fast and furious nightlife and the best place to get started should surely be at Xintiandi, a historic neighborhood that once resounded with revolutionary zeal. It was here in one of the shikumen’s — a brick-layered old tenement unique to Shanghai — where Chairman Mao Zedong and his first batch of comrades met on a hot summer day in 1921 to set up the Chinese Communist Party. While historians would balk at the poor tourist turnout at such an historic site, they would knuckle under at Shanghai’s newest signature site, where modish office-goers throng the lines of chic cafes, classy clubs, exclusive boutiques, quality restaurants and jazzy bars. If your wallet allows it — and weather permits — perch in on one of the outdoor cafes and chug the night away.

Shanghai’s constantly changing demographics also mean that the latest guidebook could well be out of date by the time it hits the shelves! That said, this vibrant and pulsating metropolis never ceases to mesmerize — or shock. The choice is ours to make. There is no doubt that it is among the world’s most dynamic cities today — the 70,000-odd and the rapidly growing expatriate community would vouch for that. It is still a far cry from becoming another Hong Kong, Tokyo or Bangkok. When that happens, it may be time to pack up and quit. But till then, as the saying goes, it’s all happening here — it would be unwise to miss the bus.