Shanghai and Hangzhou

Shanghai and Hangzhou are contrasting cities, but equally beautiful and open to tourists. On the way back to Manila, we took a side strip to China to experience what the country had to offer. I was expecting good siopao and wonton noodles, but got so much more. Read on.

SHANGHAI

After more than eight hours on an Emirates plane eating Chinese airplane food, we finally landed in Shanghai. Pudong International Airport is big, modern and very promising. We hopped in a cab, headed to the Hilton, and checked in painlessly. Bonus: We arrived a day before the Shanghai Open, and a bunch of famous tennis players were staying in the same hotel! I saw Jo Wilfried Tsonga and two others (can't remember their names, but if you're a tennis fan, you would recognize them).

We wasted no time. We stepped out, crossed the road, and immediately saw a small after-work joint, where we had our first drink. Not bad. We continued to explore the area, pub-hopping and merrily snacking on street food. I was very happy with my first treat: a bowl of fresh egg noodles, with a bunch of fresh bokchoy, mushrooms, chilies and chives thrown in. And of course, Northern China's version of the siopao - a rice bun sandwich, with the middle bit slapped with a generous heap of oily, sauce-drenched peppery pulled pork. Also, they're very, very cheap.

The next day, we walked further and went to a few places. We stopped at a very busy temple, which was cool. Hundreds of Shanghainese were lighting incenses and throwing coins into a waterless well, and bowing to the gigantic Buddha statues.

Then we went to the People's Park, where we saw some people on bicycles, groups holding tai chi sessions, and bridal pre-nuptial pictorials. We also saw one of the most bizarre and amusing phenomena in modern China: A whole stretch of the park were filled with ads. These ads were posted by the parents of eligible bachelors who were having a hard time looking for wives. Creative, pro-active, innovative, and judging by the scale of it, trendy.

We continued our walk and reached Shanghai's Oriental Pearl Tower. We actually queued to enter it, but abandoned our plan when we realized we were competed with what seemed like three million locals. We wouldn't have time for anything else if we decided to go ahead with it. So we walked some more, took a cab and got out in front of a festive market that occupied about a whole block, and had a Chinatown feel to it. We realized that we ventured beyond the tourist trail, and landed in a local family hangout. We loved it.

We walked into a canteen and realized that the whole menu was in Chinese. After about 15 minutes of choosing and sorting out the ordering process, we finally got what we asked for - four different kinds of dumplings. Unfortunately, none of them tasted good. We must've ordered four dodgy varieties. Not happy with them. 

HANGZHOU

We left Shanghai boarding a high-speed train to Hangzhou in Eastern China, very impressed by the efficiency, punctuality and cleanliness of the trains.

After less than an hour, we arrived at the Banyan Tree Hangzhou, a luxury resort situated by the city's wetlands. It boasted of huge villas with high ceilings, a small lake with pretty pagodas, all in the style of the area's ancient culture. 

They have a tea house, which in Hangzhou is considered an esteemed place where guests are welcomed and important conversations take place. Guests can also choose from several restaurants, and can choose from classic Hangzhounese dishes such as Dong-po pork, to the good ol' burger. Plus, The general manager, Pascal Eppink, gracious as ever, sent a bottle of red wine and a basket full of fresh, exotic fruits.

We spent hours in the spa, which houses a big infinity pool, complete with luxurious trappings such buttons and knobs that can can set a complete massage experience in motion. A much smaller heated pool is perched on an elevated platform beside it, and it's where we read our books and practically fell asleep.

The next day, we were introduced to the marketing communications manager of the resort, Alice, who agreed to take us on a tour around Hangzhou. We went to Lingying Temple, one of the oldest temples in China. Businessmen from other parts of the country travel to Hangzhou just to visit it and pray for success, wealth and health. There's also a series caves with amazing carvings of Buddhas, indicating different dynasties that lived in that area. 

We also saw the Westlake, a man-made body of water with an aim of attracting more tourists. 20 odd parks are scattered all over it, connected by bridges. The idea is people can go park-hopping and have picnics and explore the flora and fauna in the area. Our next stop was China's National Tea Museum, located in the heart of Hangzhou's tea fields. We sample a bit of LongJin tea, a specialty of the city, and explored different kinds of tea and how they're made, served and enjoyed. A few grams of tea can cost hundreds of dollars! And a tea set can cost much more. Our last stop was the National Silk Museum, which displays different kinds of silk clothes and accessories, all arranged chronologically, reflecting each dynasty's style. These days, very few people wear silk. But its value doesn't diminish. Hand-crafted silk wear is still seen as elegant, and its price tag can prove it.

SAD TO LEAVE

As much as we looked forward to arriving in Manila, we were sad to leave China. The place is refreshing and fun, and my visit there dispelled my pre-conceived notion that the country still had a communist feel about it. Maybe it's true for other Chinese cities, which I would love to visit in the future. But for now, I'm still on a high from one of my latest Asian trips, truly one for the books.