CTD IN SHANGHAI // MUSEUMS, MARKETS AND THE BUND

With a few days to kill in between the Chinese Grand Prix and the start of the 2009 Auto Shanghai, we decided to spent the afternoon doing a bit of sightseeing. For a city of nearly 24 million, Shanghai can be difficult to navigate. However, with the help of our driver, Lu Ming, we hoped to spend the afternoon visiting a number of historical landmarks, museums, markets and other 'must sees'...[read more]

Our first stop was the Shanghai Museum. An eclectic mix of art and antique, the museum boasts an incredible collection of ancient Chinese weaponry, bronze work, paintings and jade, as well as a number of other collections spread across nearly five floors. Included in the collection was this Ming dynasty bronze Ox.

Also showcased in the museum was an extensive collection of ancient Chinese calligraphy. Filling nearly three rooms, the collection includes a number of rather important documents, to include work by Wang Xizhi, the most renowned calligraphers in Chinese history.

After the Shanghai Museum, we headed across town to the Yu Yuan Garden.

I managed to snap this shot just as we exited the car. A Lexus is a rare sight here in Shanghai, as the majority of the automobiles are built by either VW (Santana) or Shanghai GM (Buick). This particular Lexus IS appears to have been modified slightly, yet another rare sight for the streets of Shanghai...

Yu Yuan Garden sits in the middle of the Yu Garden Market. A massive complex of buildings, bridges and walkways, the market plays host to a massive collection of shops, vendors and street merchants, all of whom are eager to barter with you.

Yet another 'ShingBucka,' this time near the entrance to Yu Yuan Gardens.

After the Yu Yuan Garden, we headed toward the 'The Bund,' located along the Huang River.

First developed by entrepreneurial Westerners during Shanghai's colonial era, what is known as 'The Bund,' is a stretch of real estate running North to South along the banks of the Huang. A place that was once home a number of Western businesses, hotels and banks, The Bund is now undergoing extensive construction in order to prepare it for the 2010 Shanghai Exposition.

Along the Huang River, a variety of wildly decorated boats are docked, offering sightseeing tours up and down the river for 50RMB.

From our boat, I was able to capture this shot of Pudong, the financial sector of Shanghai and home to the world's second largest building, the Shanghai World Financial Center (1,510ft).

Stay tuned for additional coverage from our visit to the People's Republic of China as well as the 2009 Auto Shanghai.


Photo/Editorial: Justin Coffey