Huaqing Pool, Famous for Romantic Love Stories

30km east of Xi’an and beside the Terracotta Army, Huaqing Pool features the Imperial Pools of the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907), Pear Garden, Frost Flying Hall, Nine-Dragon Lake, Five-Room Building and Mount Li. Huaqing Pool is famous for the romantic love story of Tang Emperor Xuanzong and his concubine Yang Yuhuan.

Within Huaqing pool, there are also five hot spring pools: lotus pool, begonia pool, star pool, master pool and prince pool. The lotus pool was the private bath of emperor xuanzong of the tang dynasty and looked like a lotus. Begonia pool, also known as guifei pool, shaped like begonia, originally for Yang yuhuan. It is said that the star pool has no roof, so people can take a bath at night and enjoy the whole star. The grand master pool is for officials, and the prince pool is, of course, for princes.

The pear garden in Huaqing pool is the most famous royal theatre in China. In the garden, xuanzong and his concubine Yang yuhuan created many tunes and dances. However, the most famous one, the song of ni shangyu, has long been lost.

On the west side of the pear garden stands the frost-flying heaven, also known as the frost-flying hall, which was the residence of emperor xuanzong of the tang dynasty. The name frosty flight comes from an interesting story. It is said that the whole hall is warm even in winter because of the hot springs. When the snow fell on it, all the snow turned to frost at once.

Tourists are not allowed to use hot springs in this scenic area. If you really want to have such an experience, many hotels near the scenic area welcome you all year around. They have hot springs for you to enjoy. With an even temperature of 43°C (109°F), the ever-flowing water here contains minerals and organic materials that have therapeutic effects on the skin.

Tianzifang, a Vanguard of Creative Expressions

Tianzifang has gone from a traditional residential building and factory to an artsy place with bars, cafes, craft shops, design studios, galleries and boutiques. It has received enthusiastic support from a group of yuppies, trendsetters, designers and expats who have fallen in love with shikumen’s old houses (shikumen houses) and the lure of its infinitely strange alleys.

The development of Tianzifang was relatively late. Also known as taikang road, it is a back street of the former French concession. One of the highlights of Shanghai is an old residential building called shikumen, literally “stone gate,” reflecting the fusion of architectural tastes. As an important treaty port, Shanghai was known to adventurers as early as the mid-19th century. In the 1920s and 1930s, houses with stone doorframes and solid wooden doors were called shikumen. People use simple carvings on stone frames. The taikang road area is an extension of the French concession. In addition to the buildings in shikumen, there are remnants of the French style. The unique landscape and architectural composition of taikang road represent the city’s eventful times. In the 1930s, white-collar workers, including doctors, artists, capable sailors and bank clerks, preferred to settle here. It was the equivalent of today’s bustling residential area. At the beginning of the 20th century, many influential artists made this area their home.

The year 1998 marked a watershed in the history of Tianzifang. Chen yifei, one of China’s most famous contemporary artists, has taken over two abandoned factories at lane 210, taikang road, and turned them into his own painting, sculpture, fashion and photo studio. Designed by cheng yifei, the cross-street sculpture “art gate” is located at the east end of taikang road, which is known as the “symbol of taikang art street”. The monthly opera recitals at the dekker arts center become regular community gatherings. Subsequently, resident artists from ten countries and regions followed suit. The name Tianzifang was coined by huang yongyu, a leading figure in Chinese painting. Tian zifang was the earliest recorded painter in China. Mr. Huang changes the last sentence “fang fang” to “fang fang” meaning, quarter, passage or workshop. In 2002, a stone tablet bearing the inscription “Tianzifang” hung at the entrance to lane 210.

The Tianzifang enclave has been extended from line 210 to line 248. Dubbed the SOHO of Shanghai, it is home to 29 art and design studios, 58 craft shops and galleries, 65 antique shops and a few boutiques. Many of its cafes, bars, teahouses and silk shops are run by international mixers. They are either inlaid in modern Spanish or English style alleys, castles or in shikumen buildings. The restaurants are small, but they offer a wide variety of delicious food from many countries, such as Thai food, New York steak and hamburger, barbecue, Japanese sushi, French foie gras, fondue…

Like xintiandi, Tianzifang is one of the few shikumen buildings in Shanghai. The difference lies in the vivid living atmosphere created by Tianzifang. The original building is still intact, truly reflecting the original appearance of Shanghai hutong, and shikumen architecture stands out. There are more than 20 well-preserved shikumen buildings in Tianzifang, and their types and integrity are among the best in the city. Many of the original residents still live in narrow alleys. Please note and respect their privacy. Tourists and local residents alike should take a break from this land.

Tianzifang is the pioneer of creative expression. Each boutique sparkles with intelligence and creativity, and each is a handmade novelty. Tourists from abroad sat outside the cafe, while local residents hurried by. Most of the old walls are used as panels to display the latest, elaborate, colorful graffiti. Tianzifang survived the urban demolition in the form of art. Its preservation is of great significance to the city’s cultural heritage.

Shanghai Tower, the Tallest Skyscraper in Shanghai

Shanghai tower is located in Lujiazui finance and trade zone, Pudong. It is the tallest building in China, second only to the world. It covers an area of 30,368 square meters, with a construction area of about 576,000 square meters, including 5 floors of basement, 127 floors above ground and 5 floors of podium.

For visitors, a visit to the Shanghai tower would be incomplete without the world’s highest indoor observation deck, the “top of the Shanghai observatory.” From this height, you can enjoy a unique panorama of the Huangpu river, the bund to the west, and several other skyscrapers, such as the Jinmao tower and the world financial center on the east bank. Visitors are advised to visit the B1 exhibition hall and then take the express elevator to the 118th floor, which only takes 55 seconds. Finally, if time permits, visit the exhibition “Shanghai eye” on the 125th and 126th floors.

The skyscraper’s foundation is important because Shanghai is located in an inactive seismic zone and the construction site is in the Yangtze river valley. To reinforce the ground, engineers first placed 980 foundation piles 86 meters  underground, then poured 61,000 cubic meters  of concrete to install a 6-meter floor to secure the main building.

The outside of the building spiraled like a snake. Each floor rotates by one degree to counteract the force of the wind high above. This is very important for super tall buildings in Shanghai to withstand frequent typhoons.

The tower has two glass facades, one inside and one outside, like overlapping “pipes”. The space between the two “pipes” is from 1 to 10 meters wide, providing more public space inside the building. At the same time, the space is like an insulating layer, like a vacuum flask. It’s environmentally friendly and it costs less.

As a complex super-tall building, the building is subdivided into five main functional areas: 24-hour offices for multinational corporations and financial services; Super five-star hotel and supporting facilities, providing personalized services and supporting facilities; High-end retail stores, etc. The leisure and entertainment area, which forms a new commercial and cultural center in the city, is obviously different from the ghost town image of lujiazui after work. Conference facilities, including sightseeing rooms on the upper level, a multi-purpose convention center of more than 2,000 square meters, and a multi-purpose banquet hall of more than 1,000 square meters are located in the podium building.

Huangpu River, a Landmark of Shanghai

The Huangpu river is a landmark of Shanghai, dividing the city into Pudong and Puxi. It is 113 kilometers (70 miles) long and 300-770 meters (984-2,526 feet) wide, flowing through more than 10 districts of the city. It is regarded as the mother river of Shanghai, with functions such as drinking water, shipping, drainage, fishing and tourism. In order to provide better transportation conditions, submarine tunnels and Bridges have been built under and above the river. On both sides of the river, there are buildings of various styles and important scenery. Famous scenic spots such as the bund and lujiazui finance and trade zone are located here.

To enjoy the scenery along the river, the bund on the west bank and binjiang avenue on the east bank are the two best places in the city. Binjiang avenue is less crowded, but the bund is more beautiful. On the bund, there is a group of historic buildings along the road. It is made up of a large number of western-style buildings built about 100 years ago, when Shanghai was home to a large number of foreign immigrants. The east bank of pudong is a tall and modern building built in recent decades. Pudong has become an important financial and commercial center for Shanghai and even for China. The contrast between the skyscrapers of the east and the classical architecture of the west is striking, and you can see the development of the city over the past century.

There are two Bridges across the river: yangpu bridge and Nanpu Bridge, like two dragons lying across the water. Between the two Bridges stands the Oriental pearl tower. From a bird’s eye view, the whole picture looks like two dragons playing with a pearl, which is one of the unique features of the river. Another famous bridge across the river is the waibaidu bridge at the junction of the Huangpu river and Suzhou river. It is the largest iron bridge in downtown Shanghai. The bridge has a history of hundreds of years and bears witness to the development of the city. In many old movies and photos, you can see the image of the bridge.

In Wusong mouth, there is a special scene: three color water. It is where the Huangpu and Yangtze rivers meet and flow into the east China sea. The water of the Huangpu river in the urban area is steel gray, the water of the Yangtze river is yellow and sandy yellow, and the water of the east China sea is green.

The best way to see the Huangpu river is by boat, especially at night. During the roughly 50-minute trip, you can enjoy the views of the river from the cruise ship. At night, brightly lit, dotted with different styles of buildings on both sides of the river, presenting a different beauty. If you don’t want to spend too much time on a cruise ship, you can also take a quick ferry trip between pudong and puxi, about 15 minutes each way.