Sunday 22nd October 2017
The sky's the limit in Pudong
Another weekend of extraordinary contrasts This weekend has been one that I shall remember perhaps mostly for the differing images that it conjured up, ranging from the wide open spaces at Cape Nanhui on Saturday, to the teeming metropolis of downtown Shanghai today, and even that was far from uniform, especially with regard to the contrasting architectural styles to be seen on the opposite sides of the Huangpu River, with the stolid 1920s buildings on “The Bund”, the western side of the river, facing the extraordinary mountain range of skyscrapers across in Pudong New Area across the muddy river.
The (rapidly disappearing) wilderness at Cape Nanhui in the evening light was a calming scene
Sunset over the Nanhui wetlands
Buildings of different periods, each reaching upwards towards the sky
The stratospheric tower of Tomorrow Square contrasts with the gardens in People's Park
Amazon Water Lilies, Victoria amazonica, survive outdoors in Shanghai's muggy, clammy climate
The Lotus Pond was popular among photographers on a Sunday morning
Ladies were carrying brightly coloured parasols
The group walked slowly past the pond, showing their parasols to the photographers across the water
The Bund was the seat of colonial power from the 1850s, although most of the buildings date from the 1920s and 30s
The Fairmont Peace Hotel (1929) and to its right the Bank of China (1942), which was originally commissioned to be the tallest building in Shanghai
The Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Building (1923) and the Custom House (1927) are two of the grand old ladies of The Bund
The North China Daily News Building dates from 1924
The older buildings along The Bund look out towards the river
The stupendous cityscape that Pudong New Area presents is in stark contrast to the 1920s architecture opposite it
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower has come to symbolise modern Shanghai
The Huangpu River's muddy waters wind through the city, dotted with boats
