Golden Week 2004: A Journey to Wuyuan, Shanghai, and Lushan (Part II)

Published on October 21, 2004, at 10:47 AM. On the morning of the third day, we arrived in Shanghai.[...]

Published on October 21, 2004, at 10:47 AM.
On the morning of the third day, we arrived in Shanghai. After disembarking, we used a modern coin-operated restroom, feeling refreshed to continue our journey.
On our way to Tongji University, the driver mentioned that we had to transfer at the Bund. So, we reached the Bund at 6 AM. The early morning in Shanghai was quite pleasant, with fewer people and more beautiful scenery. The weather was also good, clear and bright, making the Oriental Pearl Tower and the scenery across the river even more charming. There were not many tourists around, some elderly people were doing morning exercises, and others were flying kites. As long as there were not too many people, all of this could be considered a beautiful scenery.
In the morning, we checked into the Magnolia Hotel at Tongji University and after a brief rest, I hurried to contact my classmates and visited them in the morning. My classmates had changed in appearance… the changes due to having children were significant, of course, and those who had not yet had children had not changed much. However, everyone was doing quite well, having bought houses. House prices have soared in the past two years, making everyone’s assets substantial. Regardless, everyone has settled down here. Especially the courageous ones, who bought a spacious 170-square-meter house, which is extremely enviable.
On October 4th, during the day, their classmates’ gathering was arranged to visit the Oriental Green Boat. In the evening, we went to the Bund Center to meet up with our companions for dinner, their farewell dinner. The venue was top-notch; the Bund Center is that blooming lotus. On the way there by taxi, I said, ‘Let’s go to the Bund Center building,’ and the driver said, ‘There’s no such place,’ which confused me. Later, I realized that they have the Bund Center but not the Bund Center building. When we were close, I said, ‘So it’s that flower,’ and he replied unhappily, ‘It’s the blooming lotus.’ Alas, a typical country bumpkin. But the Bund Center is really great. We were at the top-floor观景 restaurant, on the 50th floor or so. The night view of the Bund was unobstructed. The Pudong Oriental Pearl Tower goes without saying, and the Bund scenery and downtown风光 were also brilliantly lit, making one sigh. I thought, Shanghai has surpassed the prosperity of Hong Kong. Just looking at the night view makes one understand this point. Everything is self-evident now. My companion asked me if I regretted not choosing Shanghai back then. I did not, because the city’s development prospects were not a factor I considered when making my choices. But I believe many people will regret it, and their glasses will fall off in surprise. Shanghai’s development has exceeded everyone’s expectations, and now it is clearly evident that Shanghai is a true economic center, with the Pearl River Delta and Hong Kong no longer being able to compete.
The venue was top-notch, yet the buffet dinner was subpar, perhaps because everyone was not there for the meal, leading to the staff’s lackadaisical service. Around 9 p.m., after concluding our final dinner, we took a car back. Initially, I planned to explore the Xintiandi bar street alone, but no one else was interested. We wondered if we were particularly young or if everyone else had aged prematurely in spirit. Despite feeling disheartened, we followed the crowd and boarded the vehicle back with everyone else, only to regret it late into the night at the hotel.
On October 5th, after breakfast and checking out, we headed straight to Shanghai Railway Station with our large backpacks. Fortunately, despite the crowd, we managed to secure sleeper tickets to Lushan, departing at a convenient time around 4 p.m. With our luggage stored, we embarked on our final day of wandering in Shanghai.
We first visited Shanghai Xintiandi, a bar street transformed from the traditional Shikumen architecture, reportedly built by international designers through a bidding process. It was indeed impressive, with a unique style and ambiance. Strolling there on a clear autumn day was quite enjoyable. Sitting and observing the tourists might have been even better, but we lacked both time and money. Incidentally, Shanghai’s consumption levels were not as expensive as we had imagined, with many mid-to-high-end venues possibly charging slightly less than those in Guangzhou.
Leaving Xintiandi, we wandered nearby without a specific goal, but with a direction in mind—towards Xiangshan Road. Along the way, we observed the transition of old and new, witnessing the changes in urban planning. After enjoying a nostalgic Bright Dairy ice cream, we finally reached Xiangshan Road and the familiar Villa No. 9. The house and garden remained the same, but the pathAt a loss, I tried pushing the door, and to my surprise, it opened, just like in a novel—quite amusing. Another humorous incident was when we stopped in front of the villa, and I mentioned that my grandmother lived there, which made my companion’s eyes widen in disbelief, as if I had dropped a significant revelation. Upon entering, I met my aged grandmother, who might be suffering from dementia, unable to remember people or past events clearly. Her children had either emigrated or moved away, leaving the elderly couple to live on their own. I felt a sense of desolation in their later years, perhaps a universal condition regardless of era or location. As people age, their physical limitations increase, and their quality of life deteriorates.

In our youth, we never paid attention to this issue, but now as our horizons expand, so do our realizations. Our parents are getting older, especially my in-laws who are over 70 and without their children around, which is always a concern. What can we do? Financially, it’s better when we can contribute some money, but with everyone’s tight economic situation, many problems arise. The weight of it all feels heavy on our hearts; money is always a significant issue. After catching up with my aunt and uncle, we strolled down Huaihai Road and then walked through the Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street. Wow, there were so many people! It’s hard to believe that even during the Golden Week in the city, there are this many people. It seems that people from surrounding areas like Zhejiang and Jiangsu have all come here to spend their long holiday. Eventually, we made our way to the Bund, took in the views one last time, and concluded our Shanghai trip before embarking on the next leg of our journey, Lushan.