The author visited these places: The Bund in Shanghai, Yu Garden, Shanghai Exhibition Center, Waibaidu Bridge, Jing’an Villas, Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, Huangpu River, Lujiazui, Shikumen, Chenghuang Temple, and the Whole Season Hotel. Published on January 31, 2020, at 17:53.
This year’s Spring Festival in Shanghai was marked by continuous rain and updates on the ongoing pandemic. It felt as if the outside world had nothing to do with me, as I was immersed in my own small world of entertainment! I quietly enjoyed tea, reading, watching movies, eating, and sleeping. When hungry, I would stroll around the nearby supermarket, strictly following the government’s propaganda directive on self-isolation! When the sun came out and the weather cleared up, my restless heart began to ripple. Seeing people taking street photos at the Bund, I also wanted to go and see, and to record Shanghai in my eyes during this period!
In the past festivals, the most bustling places were Nanjing Road, the Bund, and Yu Garden, which I usually avoided, but this time I chose this route! Of course, protection was still necessary, and since I hadn’t bought masks before, I also wanted to see if I could buy a few at a pharmacy for backup, as this invisible battle might last for a while. (Note: Today, WHO declared the epidemic an international public health emergency, and it’s better for everyone to stay at home as much as possible, although Shanghai has taken many measures: such as requiring people returning from other provinces after January 16 to report, requiring those returning from Wuhan to report their temperature twice a day, and requiring waste to be separated, etc., yesterday supermarkets did not allow entry without masks) Due to the virus’s two-week incubation period, it is still very dangerous!
I left home at 10 am, starting from Hongqiao Town, mainly by bus route 71 and on foot, and took the subway line 10 back home from Yu Garden station at 5 pm, covering 7 hours and 15 kilometers of my observations. Route: Hongqiao Town – Hongmei Road – Foreigner Street – Hongxu Road Station of route 71 – Start walking from Shanghai Exhibition Center Station, passing through Shaanxi North Road – Nanjing West Road – Nanjing East Road – The Bund (Waibaidu Bridge – Shi Liu Pu) – Wai Ma Road – Old Pacific – Zhongshan South Road – Dongmen Road – Zhonghua Road – Kangjia Lane – Sipai Lou Road – Fangbang Middle Road – Yu Garden.
It was my first time walking through the most bustling streets of Shanghai since 1997! However, this time I also saw the old alleys in the center of Huangpu, and when I walked through the streets and alleys, it was as if I was transported back to my impression of Shanghai in 1997 – starting from Wu Zhong Road in Hongqiao Town, this street used to be bustling with traffic and famous for its congestion! The Chinese fast-food restaurant Shanghai Laoshengchang, known for soup dumplings and covered rice dishes, was still open, with each shop posting notice slips. Between Hongmei Road and Hongxu Road, there used to be a park with square dancing, Tai Chi, opera singing, badminton, and various small teams enjoying themselves in their own circles. Now occasionally, a group wearing masks can be seen dancing gracefully! Special morning dance for a special period! On Hongmei Road, the newly established Hongqiao Fund Town, with its villas, is something I aspire to visit but have not yet had the chance. At the entrance of Hongqiao Golf Course, the security stopped the car, requiring the driver to wear a mask before entering! On the road, one can still see the busy green of Dingdong, the black of SF Express, and the blue of Ele.me, serving those who stay at home! At the entrance of Foreigner Street on Hongxu Road, the quiet and festive Foreigner Street, all shops are closed, with occasional pedestrians taking a walk! At the entrance of Hongxu Road on route 71, the trolleybus, Shenkun Road Hub Station (Terminal – East Yan’an Road Bund), during the whole journey, only one gentleman was not wearing a mask, and he stood in a corner quietly playing with his phone. The bus was very quiet. I originally planned to take it to the Bund, but this would miss Nanjing Road because I didn’t want to go back. Getting off at Shanghai Exhibition Center was a good choice. Sugar-fried chestnuts – Xin Changfa, a must-buy memory when shopping young, haha. The dim sum shop on Shaanxi North Road. Jing’an Villas: The largest new-style residential complex in Shanghai, it is a microcosm of Shanghai’s residential areas and has a certain
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**Morning Scenes in the City:**
The store staff mentioned that people started lining up at 5 a.m., and by the time the store opened at 9 a.m., they could only purchase 10 masks. Coffee bars that remain open on holidays display the sign ‘stay in open’, yet no customers are present.
