Shanghai trip advisor (visited 25/05/14-31/05/14)

Day 1: 

SSAW Hotel

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4/5)

It was spacious enough for 2 people to stay in and the food covers a wide range of variety. However, the dimly lit corridor gives a very chilling and spooky atmosphere and scared some of us. I am quite impressed with the facilities in the hotel which include wifi and a gym.

Day 2: 

城隍庙(The city god temple) 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(5/5)

It is full of heritage, making it an ideal tourist attraction for those who want to understand the history of China. The area around the temple are bustling with people buying souvenirs and items from the small shops there. The items are attractive and sold at a low price, perfect for a good bargain.

上海书城( Shanghai book city)

⭐️⭐️⭐️(3/5)

Entering the seven story building, we were greeted by a never ending collection of books. There were shelves and stacks of books everywhere, with its contents ranging from cook books to chess tricks and even musical pieces. With the books conveniently categorized into their various genres, it helps customers find the book that they are interested in within a short amount of time. However, despite the valuable collection of books, I do not really recommend it to tourists as only tourists with an interest in books will enjoy the experience, whereas tourists that do not maybe feel a little bored.

南京路(Nanjing Road)

⭐️⭐️⭐️(3/5)

It was very modern and high end shops line the sides of the street. Many brands that can be found in Singapore can be found there. I rate it a 3/5 because the things sold there are quite extravagant, and some tourists might not be able to afford it. I encountered a beggars begging for money there too.

外滩(the bund) 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4/5)

The bund is a wonderful place along the river to observe the beautiful scenery and architecture. It's picturesque surroundings also provides a great opportunity to take photos as remembrance. 

Day 3:

School Immersion

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4/5)

It was definitely fun to make friends with people from other country. Despite us being late, they did not change their attitude in welcoming us and we were very touched by that. The students over there were so very friendly and approachable. The physics lesson and the craft work session was definitely fun and engaging. I would definitely want to visit the school again. 

Haidilao

⭐️⭐️⭐️(3/5)

Due to the online reviews, I was expecting a lot from the restaurant however due to the inconsistency in the service, I am actually very disappointed. They only explained the history of haidilao to only 1 table and it was the same table that had lesser amount of food and most of us were still hungry even after the meal. Also, we expected the restaurant to have lots of customers. In fact, there were only a few. This might probably be due to the fact that it wasn't a very popular restaurant to start with. Thus, I am very disappointed with their service but it might probably be due to the fact that I expected a lot from haidilao. However, it was also very entertaining to have a show that a man was trying to stretch the dough of our food and turn into a fun and engaging experience.

Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(5/5)

It was actually nice to be in the exhibition hall to see the different models that they constructed. There is also a huge model in it, showing the whole of Shanghai and another model showing the bund. I feel that it was very detailed and intricate.

The feeling of looking at the whole of Shanghai so small but crowded is definitely fun and interesting. I would love to go there again.

Day 4: 

Oriental DreamWorks

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(5/5)

It is definitely a rare opportunity to tour around some parts of the Oriental DreamWorks company, where they produce animations. The company is very big and comfortable, where the staff of the company are seated at their desks producing animations. We were able to see some of the scenes and characters of a new animation which is still under production, which is confidential and not supposed to be reveal to the public, so we were not allowed to take pictures. It was truly an interesting experience. 

Fudan University （复旦大学）

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4/5)

The buildings of Fudan University were quite old and there was not many modern facilities for the students, as Fudan University has a long history and they wanted to preserve the old buildings. The University is very big and people have to ride on bicycles and motorcycles around the school.

The senior also stated that the tables and chairs in the university are quite old. However, it was a nice and good experience to tour around one of the top Universities.

Wenmiao Street （文庙街）

⭐️⭐️⭐️(3/5)

As Wenmiao Street is a really old street, the houses on the street are old and the walls have cracks. The people living on the street are poor and they have lived there for a long time. There were also quite a lot of shops selling food, clothes and toys and people selling things along the street. It was a good experience to see how poorer side of Shanghai is. 

Day 5:

Zhejiang university

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(5/5)

It was nice to see what was the environment that the students there study in and compare it with 复旦大学. It was very big, very modern and the environment was very nice. 

Hangzhou Vina Hotel: 

⭐️⭐️⭐️(3/5)

The room was very spacious and comfortable but there was no wifi in the room and it was very troublesome as most of us wanted to contact our parents. The food covers a wide range of variety but not as good as the hotel in Shanghai.

Zhejiang university

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It was nice to see what was the environment that the students there study in and compare it with 复旦大学. It was very big, very modern and the environment was very nice. 

Day 6:

Yue Fei Mausoleum （岳王庙)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(5/5)

This temple was built in honour of Yue Fei, a famous general of the Southern Song dynasty. It's history could be traced back to the year 1221. With rich history, Yue Fei's tomb and other interesting things, this place is truly worth a visit, especially for people who likes China history.

Westlake (西湖)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(5/5)

As one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is a must-see site that all must not miss. It has influenced my poets and artists for its beauty and historical relics. We were also able to ride a ferry around it and observe it close-up. 

 Lei Feng Pagoda（杭州雷峰塔)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(5/5)

As an octagonal, five-storey brick and wood structure, it is famous for the story 《白蛇传》("The Legend of the White Snake")  where a character was rumored to be under this pagoda and is one of the ten scenery of west lake (西湖十景之一) .

As you enter the pagoda, you could see the ruins of its previous collapsed pagoda and you would learn about "The Legend of the White Snake" through the words and pictures on the wall. At the top level, you would be able to have a heavenly view of the area. It is definitely worth a visit!

Day 7:

Qibao Ancient Street

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4/5)

It was nice to be able to see and appreciate the beauty of all the old architecture and old bridges.

It is a great place to shop if you have got the time. There are also a lot of smelly tofu stalls over there.

 

Tianzifang:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(5/5)

There were a lot of shops there selling very different things. It was very crowded and the whole place was like a maze. We all shopped a lot over there as you can anything from there at a very low price. 

Yi Ki's OELP reflection

Day 1:  25/6

As my family sent me off at the airport with well wishes, I was left at the Changi Airport with my classmates and teachers. We boarded the plane and took an approximately five hours flight. It was my first flight to China but I was bored by the long flight and was not expecting the trip to be enjoyable in every way. Our arrival at the Shanghai Pudong Airport was welcomed by an unfamiliar man, our tour guide who picked us up and brought us to the restaurant for our dinner. On our way to the restaurant, our tour guide, 黄导， introduced us the brief history of Shanghai. We tasted several unique Shanghai dishes which did not suited my taste buds as they were too salty or too unfamiliar. We were then brought to the SSAW Hotel which was rather grand and was better than I thought it would be. We were then told to write a letter to our future self on this trip. 

Content of the letter:

Dear me, 

              I hope the trip was not too boring for me. I would like myself to be able to answer these questions which I have always been curious about after this trip:

-China seem so prosperous. Why is its currency smaller than it should be?

-What is the pace of living in China?

I hope that I had enjoyed this trip and brought many meaningful memories back to Singapore.

Your past self,

Yi Ki

The informative 黄导游 also left me a deep impression with the origin of the other name of Shanghai, 申 (Shen) which was found on car plates of Shanghai's vehicles. The name could be traced back to 战国时期 where 楚国申君黄歇 was in charge of this city, it was name Shen due to this man. I was surprised by the long history that Shanghai have, unlike Singapore's short history. From the old fishing town of Shanghai, it have developed to such a prosperous city. It reminds of the old fishing village, Temasek, which is the current Singapore. I was rather surprised that Shanghai have a similar history of being once a fishing village. Overall, today was informative for me since I gained much more knowledge from our tour guide and tasted unfamiliar dishes which would have never tried. 

Day 2:  26/6

Today started with  a  long bus ride to the Lujiazui Finance and Trade zone (陆家嘴金融区) where we toured the area in the bus starting with the most significant landmark there, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower as the highlight of the area. The tower is surrounded by Yangpu Bridge and Nanpu Bridge which creates a scenery of “双龙戏珠” ( 'twin dragons(the bridges) playing with pearls(oriental pearl TV tower)  ). It is 468m tall and I could hardly see the top. 

After a brief introduction of surrounding building, we proceeded to The City God Temple (城隍庙） which is located within the old walled city. People visits this temple to pray for good fortune and peace. We were walking by ourselves in the temple. As a Buddhist and Taoist, I prayed and toured around the area and nothing was exceptionally interesting there. Afterwards, we left through the side exit which led to a shopping area surrounded by Yuyuan Garden(豫园）, the temple and the Old Shanghai Street(上海老街）.  While walking around this area, I hear an old song being played repeatedly. Hence, I questioned the stall older about it and she said that it was a song called 上海滩 which means Shanghai. I think it is quite meaningful to play a song which represents a city.

Our journey then continued with the Shanghai Book City which was practically a seven-storey book store. We were encouraged to buy Chinese book but nothing really interests me. Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street was our next destination. It is not only the main shopping streets in Shanghai, but also one of the world's busiest shopping streets! However due to fatigue, I could hardly walk and of course, shopping was out of topic. How I wish I was in the hotel sleeping. Last but not least, our last stop of the day is French concession and Bund. The picturesque Bund is definitely worth a visit. Unfortunately, we were unable to have a look at it nocturnal scene which was said to be much better than the day's scene. I could not take my eyes off French concession as well as it seem so "Europe looking". I remembered someone commented that when she look at the Bund, it feels like the she in the prosperous China city but when she turn around to look at the French Concession, it feels like she is in French. Well, I feel similarly too, as if the Bund represents the East; French Concession represents the West.

After another meal, we ended our day. During our journey, I notice that beggars are common and I presume that this is due to the high cost of living in Shanghai, as mentioned by the tour guide. Despite the fact that there are many with high income, people who live in poverty still exist. I can conclude that Chinese have huge income gap, with people living way below the poverty line and vice-versa. Overall, it have been an eye opener for me. However, I am so 

tired that I would sleep the whole day tomorrow if I could.

Day 3: 27/5

Basically, we experienced the heavily congested traffic of Shanghai on our way to Shanghai Nanyang High School which resulted in our late arrival in the school. I would say that the hosting teacher, Mr Lu, was really patient to wait for us and was nice to welcome us warmly. After an introductory talk by the school's vice principal, a physics teacher came to conduct a short lesson about using a piece of A4 paper to build the tallest tower without the use of tape and glue. The lesson end with example of ways to build tall and sturdy paper towers. Our buddies who rushed down during their break to meet us earlier on came once again. We were supposed to make a 香包(fragrant pack) but due to the chaos, I followed my buddy to tour the school before leaving the school. Through observations and questions, I realised that the student were supposed to eat in class and allowed to enter the stuff room which is totally different from our school. 

Haidilao which was supposed to be the highlight of the day ended up as great disappointment. Food was barely sufficient despite the amazing service. I was surprised that a stuff would turn the tap on and off for me, put hand soap on my palm and give warm towel to me just to wash my hands. 

Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall was under tight security due to the conference taking place these few days. There were awesome models of the city of Shanghai that impressed me.

Shanghai Wenmiao street was our next destination where we walked the whole street till a certain point and turn back and board the bus. I do observe that there was a rubbish dump which smells as though it have not been cleared for a few days and the residents there lived in rundown houses with shared areas but I do not think that the residents live in extreme poverty since many of them posses hand phones and other gadgets.

Last but not least, after our dinner, we were welcomed with endless reprimands and discussions. Honestly, I just want to sleep. As a early sleeper, staying up late just to be scolded and conduct discussion is making me sick. Even my parents who tried to contact me had to stay up later than usual. I am starting to dislike this trip.

Day 4: 28/5

Second and last day at Shanghai Nanyang High School, we witnessed the morning exercise and the students' orderly way of jogging to the parade square. With force, interest and embarrassment, I joined the morning exercise with the class. I guess we were like a bunch of monkeys trying to fit it. We then sung '立化情' as a class before splitting into groups to attend different classes. I attended the English class and realised that the difficulty level of the lesson was average, similar to our current standard. The students were honest and responded fast to the teacher with some exceptions. For instance, when a student is called, he would stand up straight immediately and if he is unsure of the answer, he would be honest and admit that he does not know the answer. It was a rare opportunity to observe a foreign class having a lesson.

Thanks to Mr Lu, my class got the opportunity to visit the Oriental Dreamworks company! We observed the different types of work animators do and was able to see the process of making animations. It is certainly an unexpected and rare opportunity.

Lunch was followed by a visit to Fudan University, where a few of our seniors study. Guided by enthusiastic seniors, we were brought around the campus. As the introduction and meeting comes to an end, our senior reminded us to study hard as she send us off. 

In my opinion, today is the most meaningful day among the other days. I got to visit a foreign school which made me review in my studies, an animation company showed me the origin of my favorite animation films and a capable senior gives study tips. I am probably crazy but I found passion to study out of nowhere.

Day 5: 29/5

“上有天堂，下有苏杭”

This means there is heaven above and Suzhou and Hangzhou below. It was said that the heavenly scenery is comparable to the heaven. And hence, our day started with a 3 hours' bus ride to Hangzhou. I observe many crop fields, possibly rice fields and thought that farming in China is still very important, for both their own consumption and exportation. 

We reached and had our long awaited lunch before proceeding to the prestigious institute of higher education, Zhejiang University. A brief introduction of its 国际设计研究院 is followed by a bus tour around the large campus. 

Qing Hefang Ancient Street was our next stop. It is a well preserved part of an ancient city which have been developed into a shopping district. We were then dismissed for shopping before dinner where the tour guide was replaced. Lastly, we went to the Hangzhou Vina Hotel which had poorer facilities. It's wifi is only available at the lobby and there are people who left prostitution cards at the door of the hotel rooms. This left be a poor impression of a Hangzhou. 

Day 6: 30/5

Yue Fei Mausoleum （岳王庙）was our first stop. I was looking forward to visiting this place since I like historical stories such as 《三国演义》. And Yue Fei was an important general in the history who have stories told till today. This temple was built in honour of Yue Fei, the famous general of the Southern Song dynasty. It's history could be traced back to the year 1221. With rich history and great significance behind every statues and words, this place is truly worth a visit. I really enjoyed the time spent here.

Next, we headed to the must-go freshwater lake Westlake (西湖）which was famous for its natural beauty as well as the it historical relics. As one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, it have influenced many poets and artists throughout history.  We were also able to ride a ferry around it and observe it close-up as we learn about the brief history of West Lake and it's ten sceneries: 平湖秋月、苏堤春晓、断桥残雪、雷峰夕照、南展晚钟、麯院风荷、花港观鱼、柳浪闻莺、三漳印月

Lei Feng Pagoda（杭州雷峰塔）collapsed years ago. A new pagoda was then built on top of the ruins.  The octagonal, five-storey brick and wood structure is famous for the story 《白蛇传》("The Legend of the White Snake")  where one of the characters, 白娘子 was rumored to be trap under this pagoda. The trip there was an enriching journey where I learnt briefly about "The Legend of the White Snake" through the words and pictures on the wall. A highlight is the scenery from the top level, you would be able to have a magnificent view of the area.

The highlight of the day is most probably '西湖之夜', a stunning and impressive musical and acrobatics show. It was indescribable, it have six scenes: '岳王雄风', '南宋盛景', '梁祝情缘', '东方佛光', '风雅西湖' and a finale where 4 bikers rode into a large spherical cage at full speed, circling 360 degrees with dangerously high risks of crashing. 

I enjoyed today's journey since I liked 三国 stories and stage performances. It was memorable to spend my birthday at places that I like. 

Day 7: 31/5

转眼间，我们的中国旅已来到了尾声。In the blink of an eye, our OELP trip is coming to an end. It is the last day in China. We walk through the scenic 七宝古镇 briefly and was only able to snap a few shots of photos.

Soon, we were at Shanghai TianZiFang. Being the arts and craft enclave, it is described as "a cosy little lane district". 

In my opinion, it is indeed cosy and I really like the interesting and creative businesses. As a result, I ended up shopping and buying lots of things. One of the shop which left a deep impression was a tiny shop with only a window and a door. It sells cupcakes that were so nice that I cannot forget its tastes, such rich flavours and sponge like soft cake accompanied by creamy texture, it is worth the price. I think it is also creative and money-saving to own a small shop which sells marvelous cupcakes. In addition, Shanghai TianZiFang was a unique Shikumen architect. This means that TianZiFang was made with a traditional Shanghainese architecture style which is distinguished by high brick walls enclosing a narrow front yard. 

Through this trip I learnt a lot more about China. For instance, the interesting stories and sayings behind some words or places. I feel that it is a rare opportunity for me to travel. Overall, I enjoyed this trip and feel that most of the time spent was meaningful. Even though there were times that I was bored or regretted this trip, I feel that this trip was experiential and fun. I am glad I came for this trip.

 

AnQi's OELP Reflection

Day 1 Reflection (25/5/14)(SUN):

Today, when we got down from the plane, some of us are very tired from the journey and some of us are very excited about coming to a new country and being on our own without our parents. We met our tour guide who was very kind and introduced us to Shanghai on the journey to the restaurant for our dinner. He also mentioned many facts about Shanghai although I don't understand most of the things. However, he was patient enough to explain it slowly and telling us the significance of different skyscrapers that we pass by on the bus journey. He also warned us the fact that China has a lot of pickpockets and to ensure our safety, he told us that at all times, our bag are suppose to be in front of us. He said that "包包在后面是别人的, 包包在旁边一人一半, 包包在前面是自己的". I feel that this saying is very interesting but true. In order to ensure that our valuables are safe, we need to be responsible and place our bags in front to safeguard our items ourselves. I hope that I would be able to learn more about China's education system and

Day 2 Reflection (26/5/14)(MON):

Places that we visited:

1) 城隍庙

2) 陆家嘴 Finance & Trade Zone

3) 上海 Book City

4) 南京 Road

5) The Bund & French Concession

Looking at the structure of the building, 城隍庙 is actually a temple where people can pray for safety of the family however, walking further into the temple, it seems to turn into a small Orchard Road in Singapore. There are a lot of shops selling souvenirs and food. At the "small town" in there, there are 2 Starbucks Coffee which made me doubt why is there a need to have the same shop in the same area. It seems like 城隍庙 is very good in catering to the needs of different age groups. For the elders, they can visit the temple to pray and for the youngsters and tourists, they can visit the temple with their elders to shop for souvenirs and also grabbing some food to eat. Also, this temple also has a rich history since the Ming Dynasty. Thus, I feel that the success of 城隍庙 is contributed by the fact that it is able to cater to different age groups.

* I feel that 城隍庙 has 2 Starbucks Coffee is so that they can reduce the queueing time for the customers as there is quite a big crowd buying food and drinks from Starbucks.

At the 陆家嘴 & 上海 Book City, I feel that it is amazing that Shanghai has a building that sells so much books. In the Book City, there are so many different types of book ranging from Children Books to Medical Books to English Books (Imported). How I wish that Singapore also has a building like this so that it can help the customers to save time by allowing them to buy the books they want at one go. Despite having books there, the Book City also has a Starbucks Coffee where the customers can take a break and have a coffee. I feel that the architect of the building is very mindful and has taken the needs of the customers into consideration. Thus, I feel that the 上海 Book City is definitely a place that we should visit. Visiting 南京 Road is definitely an eye opener where some shops sells traditional craft word and some sell fashionable stuff where teenagers nowadays would shop for.

Day 3 Reflection (27/5/14)(TUE):

Today, we were suppose to go to 上海市南洋中学. However, due to the fact that some of us are late and that there was a heavy traffic, we reached the school by 9am. Even so, the teacher that was expecting us was not angry. But instead warmly welcomed us. There was even a signboard that specially welcomed us. I was quite touched that they were expecting us for a long time and had planned out the activities well. It was definitely a new experience to visit other schools and understand their teaching style. We had our first physics lesson in Chinese where we are suppose to build a tower with an A4 size paper and that the tallest tower will win. We also tried to place ping-pong balls, tennis balls and golf balls on the top of the tower. Through this lesson, I learnt that no matter what mission that may seem impossible, there will always be a possible way out. After that, we were suppose to had some handy craft work by doing a fragrant bag however, excited students came in and we were probably too shy to communicate with them that in the end, we gathered together at the side of the room. Seeing that we were chatting among ourselves, our buddies even initiate to bring us around the school to see. They seemed ashamed that at that time when we visited their school, it was kind of rundown for they were preparing to shift into a new school campus where it is bigger. With that, we left the school and went to our next destination which is the 海底捞. I actually expected a lot from 海底捞since it had been famous for their incredible service. However, when we reached there, I felt that it was not expected. Our class feedback that the service was not unison to all 3 tables which is what I think should be expected in every restaurant in the world. However, it may be due to the lack of manpower. However, I was very shocked when I came out from the toilet to wash my hands and the waiter initiate to press some soap foam into my hands. After so, he even gave me a warm towel. So, I would said some parts of the service is superb while some parts is still average. Moving on to our next destination, we went to 文庙街to see the poorer parts of China and compare the difference. We are kind of shocked to realize that the difference was actually huge. With that, we went to have our dinner and went back to our hotel.

Day 4 Reflection (28/5/14)(WED):

Today is our second and last day in 上海市南洋中学. We saw how the students entered their parade square to attend their morning assembly and they also did morning stretching. After that, we sang 立化情for the buddies that took care of us these 2 days. After so, the school teacher brought us to the Oriental DreamWorks. We even get a chance to talk to the staffs that were designing the KungFu Panda 3 that will be out during next year. I was flabbergasted when I saw how much effort had to be put in just to create a scene. After that, we went to lunch and went to 复旦大学to meet our RV seniors who introduced her campus to us and she also found some of her friends from Singapore to help along. We also sang her 立化情and gave her some present as a token of appreciation. I was very touched that all these seniors spent their studying time to talk to us and entertain us even though it was a competitive school where they had to treasure every minute to study. After that, we went for our dinner and head back to the hotel.

Day 5 Reflection (29/5/14)(THUR):

Today, we had to travel to Hangzhou for 3 hours and when we board the bus, everyone was preparing to sleep which was a good opportunity for us to complete our photo mission which is to snap a photo of our group mates sleeping with their mouth open. It was definitely funny looking at how people are able to sleep on the bus. So, our main agenda today is to visit 浙江大学. We went there and realized that the school was even bigger and nicer looking than 复旦大学. After that we went back to our hotel to have our debrief of the day which is comparing the differences of both universities in China. 

Day 6 Reflection (30/5/14)(FRI):

Today, we spent a lot of time around the west lake and we also took a jetty to see the beautiful scenery by the lake. We also went to the pagoda to see the ruins of the old one and also to learn about the history of the pagoda. We also went to the 岳飞庙where we learnt about the history and death of 岳飞. The were 4 statues kneeling in front of his grave and we were shocked to the fact that they barricade the statues up for the Chinese had spit on these statues and how they had managed to throw all these statues into the sea. It shows that their hatred towards these 4 sinners is very extreme to the extend they can even throw them into the sea. After that, we went to watch a night show called 西湖之夜 where it first showed the story of 梁山伯与祝英台however, it ended up in a acrobatic show where 4 women riding in their motorcycle entered into a huge metallic ball and started riding around it. It was definitely a dangerous but interesting show that we might not be able to see in Singapore. With that, we ended our day.

Day 7 Reflection (31/5/14)(SAT):

Today is our last day in China. We packed all our luggage and went back to Shanghai with our 3 hours bus journey. We went to 七宝古镇to see the streets only to realize that it was very crowded. After so, we went to 田子坊to do some last minute shopping. With that, we find back to Shanghai airport to fly back to Singapore. Even though this trip might only be a short 7 days, but I have definitely experienced a lot more about China, knowing the difference between China and Singapore like the traffic condition and the educational system.