Shanghai was both the beginning and the end of the final chapter of my journey through China.
I first spent a couple of days there, escaped to Hangzhou and Suzhou for the weekend, and then returned for my final days in Shanghai. It turned out to be a fitting combination of colleagues, skyscrapers, museums, shopping, tailored clothes—and inevitably a few more things that somehow had to fit into my luggage.
A very practical Shanghai hotel
I arrived in Shanghai in the evening and checked into the Crystal Hotel Shanghai The Bund Jinling East Road.
The hotel turned out to be a very practical choice for this stage of my trip. There was a late-night snack available, which was particularly welcome after arriving in the evening.
Even better after several weeks on the road: the hotel had a laundry room where guests could wash and dry their clothes. And the service went one step further. If you left instructions, staff would even move your laundry from the washing machine to the dryer for you.
It's amazing how exciting a washing machine can become after several weeks of travelling.
Lunch in the former French Concession
The next day, it was time to meet Min, the third member of our MHCV team in China.
We had lunch at Jing Alley, a lovely restaurant tucked away near South Maoming Road in Shanghai's former French Concession. We sat outside in its peaceful courtyard—a surprisingly quiet and green setting in the middle of Shanghai—and finally had the chance to meet in person.
After lunch, it was time for another Shanghai speciality: skyscrapers.
The Bund – From old Shanghai to new Shanghai
In the afternoon, I walked along the Bund, with its historic buildings lining one side of the Huangpu River and the futuristic skyline of Lujiazui on the other.
The contrast is what makes the Bund so impressive. The western bank represents Shanghai's history as an international trading centre, while directly across the river are some of the skyscrapers that have become symbols of modern China.
Rather than taking the metro across, I chose the much more entertaining option: the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel.
Small automated cars take you underneath the Huangpu River surrounded by flashing lights and visual effects. It's definitely more tourist attraction than serious public transport—but it gets you to the other side.
And then it was time to go up.
Oriental Pearl Tower and Jin Mao
My first stop was the unmistakable Oriental Pearl Tower.
A fast elevator took me straight up to the observation levels. I visited the 263-metre sightseeing gallery and the 259-metre transparent observatory.
the huge circular pedestrian bridge at the Lujiazui Roundabout.
The elevated walkway separates pedestrians from the busy road intersection below and connects several of the surrounding skyscrapers, shopping centres and attractions.
Back at ground level, I walked across that same pedestrian circle on my way towards the Jin Mao Tower.
And there I noticed something slightly amusing: there seemed to be more people downstairs and on the pedestrian bridge trying to get the perfect picture with the Oriental Pearl Tower than there had been upstairs enjoying the view.
I continued to Jin Mao for another perspective over Shanghai before eventually heading back towards the river.
After enough time above Shanghai, I returned through the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel and walked along East Nanjing Road, one of the city's major shopping streets, before catching the bus back to my hotel.
Then it was time to leave Shanghai temporarily for my weekend in Hangzhou and Suzhou.
Back to Shanghai – And a balcony this time
After tea, rain, gardens, boats and one missed train, I returned from Suzhou to the same hotel in Shanghai. I collected the luggage I'd left there—and also some clothes I'd left hanging in the closet. Fortunately, they were still there. This time my room came with an additional bonus: a balcony.
Shanghai Museum – Recognising China
One of my stops during my final days was the Shanghai Museum.
Visiting a major museum towards the end of several weeks travelling around China felt very different from visiting one at the beginning. By now, some objects, styles and themes looked familiar.
Some of the bronze exhibits reminded me of things I had already seen elsewhere during the trip. I even came across a representation of the famous bronze chariot connected with the First Emperor's mausoleum, which immediately brought back memories of Xi'an.
There were ancient vessels, jewellery and jade objects, plenty of Buddhist sculptures and an extensive collection of Chinese seals.
The seals particularly caught my attention after carving my own seal with my Chinese name in Chengdu. I had already noticed the importance of seals in Chinese historical movies, and seeing so many historic examples in the museum put my little Chengdu souvenir into a much larger cultural context.
Then there was calligraphy.
I could appreciate the skill and visual beauty of the characters, but I also realised that to truly appreciate Chinese calligraphy, I would need to be able to read considerably more Chinese.
Perhaps something for another trip.
Three tailored pieces in less than 24 hours
It was already late afternoon when I made it to the South Bund Fabric Market. Browsing quickly turned into buying. I ended up ordering two summer dresses and a Chinese-style pleated skirt, all tailored for me and promised for collection in less than 24 hours. Measurements taken, fabrics chosen and order placed, it was time for dinner.
Hotpot again. This time there was an additional challenge: the entire menu was in Chinese—and, unusually for China, there were no pictures of the food to help me choose.
I'd become fairly accustomed to pointing at photos when I couldn't understand a menu, so finding the ingredients I actually wanted took considerably longer than expected. Eventually, though, dinner was successfully assembled and eaten.
Xintiandi and much more time in Tianzifang
My last full day started with some more wandering. I passed through Xintiandi, around South Huangpi Road, an area known for its restored shikumen buildings. These distinctive stone-gate houses combine Chinese and Western architectural influences and were once characteristic of residential Shanghai.
Xintiandi is now very polished, with restaurants, cafés and boutiques occupying the historic buildings. I had a look around, but I spent considerably more time in Tianzifang.
Tianzifang felt much more like somewhere to wander without a particular destination. Its maze of narrow lanes is filled with small shops, studios, cafés, restaurants and souvenir stalls, all squeezed into an older residential neighbourhood. Rather than being one polished redevelopment, it still feels more layered and slightly chaotic.
I wandered through the lanes, looked for the final souvenirs of the trip, stopped for a lox bagel and tried some fresh mango. It was a good place to spend the last morning without a major sightseeing agenda—just walking, eating and buying a few final things. Although by this point, “a few final things” was becoming a dangerous phrase considering the state of my luggage.
Less than 24 hours later
That afternoon, I returned to the South Bund Fabric Market. Less than 24 hours after I'd placed the order, my two summer dresses and Chinese pleated skirt were ready. Then it was back to the hotel to face the inevitable challenge: getting everything into my luggage.
Tea, tea cups, teapots, clothes, souvenirs, tailored dresses—and everything I'd originally brought with me. Somehow it all had to get back to Germany.
One last upgrade
There was, however, one consolation waiting at the airport. For my Lufthansa flights, it had been possible to bid for an upgrade. I had tried it in both directions—and both bids had worked. On the flight to Beijing, I had managed to upgrade to Business Class, while for the flight home from Shanghai I got Premium Economy. In both cases, the amount I paid through the upgrade bid was very reasonable compared with what those tickets would originally have cost.
The Premium Economy baggage allowance may also have helped explain why I could check in both my suitcase and travel bag without any problems—which, after all those souvenirs, was a considerable relief. With my luggage safely checked in, I headed to the lounge, which I could access thanks to my American Express Platinum Card.
Lounge at the airport
And even there, China had one final language misunderstanding waiting for me. At the lounge entrance, the staff member looked at my details and apparently assumed that “Frau” was my last name. Since Chinese names traditionally put the family name first, I could at least see how the confusion might have happened. I tried to explain that Frau wasn't part of my name at all—it was simply the German equivalent of Mrs. I'm not entirely sure I succeeded.
After several weeks of translation apps and linguistic misunderstandings, it seemed like a rather fitting final communication challenge before leaving China.
Shanghai – Almost the end
Shanghai had been a fitting final destination: colleagues and skyscrapers, old neighbourhoods and futuristic towers, museum collections that suddenly meant more after travelling through the country, tailored clothes, shopping and one final linguistic misunderstanding.
But this isn't quite the end of my China story.
After several weeks travelling across the country, there were plenty of things I had become surprisingly used to—and others I definitely hadn't.
One more China post to come: the things I will miss...and the things I definitely won't.
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