Tag: Shanghai


  • Nanxun – Water Town

    After spending Saturday in the factory, I was keen to get out of Shanghai and see some sights. Initially thinking of heading to Suzhou or Wuxi, I came across this article on water towns, and opted instead to tick another one off the list; especially since I enjoyed visiting Tongli and Zhouzhuang so much. Nanxun,…

  • Back in the Saddle

    After 18 months away from Asia, I finally headed back. Back in the saddle!

  • Tongli – Water Town

    Escaping Shanghai is always a challenge, but as I have highlighted in previous posts, the HSR service heading out to Nanjing is opening up the entire Yangtze corridor. This time with my manager, Paul, in tow, we headed out on Sunday to Suzhou station, and a cab to take us out to Tongli, a so-called…

  • Kunshan station at sunset.  Along with the track hardware, the stations are impressive in their design intent. Beyond the Expo, the biggest impact to my China experience on this trip was the incredible improvements in the transport infrastructure, and in particular, the trains.  Most of our suppliers are located in the Yangtze River Delta region;…

  • Shanghai is a huge, vibrant, emergent city that has had the world’s gaze upon it for at least the last five years.  I might argue, however, that there has not been a any cultural development coming out of the city that has really influenced the rest of the world; and ‘modern Chinese style’ doesn’t count…

  • After several years of trying (admittedly, probably not trying hard enough), I finally made it to one of the ‘Water Towns’ in the Jiangsu province, near to Shanghai.  The whole country had come to a stop to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, which I understand indirectly commemorates overthrow of Mongol rule (although I have never quite…

  • In Shanghai, it’s apparently oh-kay to clip your fingernails on the underground train. Apparently, it is also okay to leave a pile of clippings on the seat for the next customer. This made me physically revolt, more even than seeing people spit everywhere. Rant over.

  • And what better way to mark it than with an introduction to the skywalk in the Shanghai World Finance Center? While I had been there before, I had not had the chance to experience a death-defying encounter with a 474m drop, in the world’s highest observation deck (higher, even than the Burj). All I can…

  • “China, meet World.  World, meet China.” It’s statement is pretty clear. World Fairs and Expositions are a chance for the nations of the world to trade ideas and peddle their cultural and industrial wares.  This year’s show, held in an emergent and increasingly confident Shanghai, seems to be less for the benefit of the global…

  • Well, it’s been a while, Shanghai, but it’s good to be back; a great night out with Gerhard and the Shanghai design mafia, and home in time to see the sunrise from the 49th floor.  I might regret this tomorrow! Before I head out. Macdonalds on the edge of Zhongshan park, punctuating the darkness.