It’s remarkably quiet for an early Sunday afternoon in one of China’s biggest cities. In contrast to the always busy Nanjing Lu, one of the major shopping areas in Shanghai, the French Concession offers a quiet retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life. I find myself perusing the smaller, tree-lined streets peering into shop windows, looking at antiques, clothing, and quirky art. You can find both the best of Western and of small, hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurants here. Although the weather is grey, cold, and rainy – it is beautiful. The flower shop on one corner add a burst of color on an otherwise dreary afternoon. More people pass by on bikes and rickshaws than they do in taxis or cars on this particular day. I snap photos of the picturesque e-bikes and bicycles that rest against phone polls and walls along the side-walk. I pass people with bright umbrellas, talking rapidly on their cell phones and young couples who huddle under one umbrella and seem to not notice that it has stopped raining.
One of the charms of Shanghai is the neighborhood feel you can get almost anywhere outside of People’s Square. I love to walk around the streets of Jing-An or the French Concession because it’s so quiet. You can stumble upon local markets, parks, and restaurants at almost every turn. A contrast between modern and old architecture characterizes the area. I’m told that when the weather is hot in the summer, the French Concession is the best place to visit where the streets provide a cool refuge to locals and tourists alike.
Living in China, I’ve found that walking around a city aimlessly is one of the best ways to discover new places. I find quaint coffee houses next to beautiful restaurants. I find men huddled around tables in the park playing Chinese chess, couples holding hands and whispering quietly as they stroll along, and families watching their young children run around the grass. I love Shanghai for the contrast that you can find between old and new, between Western and Chinese. I can choose to explore smaller, local streets or the famous areas of Xin Tian Di or Tian Zi Fang, which although touristy, are fun to walk along allow yourself to enjoy the European feel.
Every time I feel like I finally “know” Shanghai, I happen upon a new area that blows away any notion or intense familiarity. I love discovering, but I also love the feeling of comfort as I wander down some of my favorite areas. It’s the joy of knowing an area, but also knowing that there is still so much to be found that makes the city so endearing.
