Last stop: Shanghai Shenanigans

This is a continuation of my Japan/China trip report. See also Back from China and Japan Trip! 5 Takeaways, Worth it: JAL Premium Economy Award Seats, Better Than Expected: AA Premium Economy Shanghai PVG to DFW, Hits and Misses from our day at Tokyo DisneySea, Take this Line and Shove It (Literally): Shanghai Disneyland Hits and Misses, Dormy Inn Shibuya Jingumae Hot Spring in Tokyo, Highlights of our Tokyo Shenanigans, Surprise Upgrade at Hyatt Regency Tokyo Bay, Our Machiya Rental in Kyoto, The Deer Really Do Bow! Day Trip to Nara, Japan, Highlights of our time in Kyoto, Japaan, Was Universal Studios Japan Worth the Time and Money?, Two Nights on Miyajama Island, Highlights from Our Whirlwind Day in Osaka, Japan, Beijing, China: Airport Confusion, No Photos, and We Don’t Speak Russian, Grand Hyatt Beijing Review, Goodness Gracious Great Wall of China, Visiting Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven, Courtyard by Marriott Shanghai International Tourism and Resort Zone, Shanghai Shenanigans

Shanghai was our last stop on our epic summer trip to Japan and China. I already posted about our day at Shanghai Disneyland, so this post will detail our non-Disney activities in Shanghai as well as some thoughts on the city.

Shanghai Wild Animal Park

Our last full day in China turned out to be a rainy day. I wanted to explore some indoor areas, but my daughter had her heart set on Shanghai Wild Animal Park. We took a Didi car to the park.

Since the weather was crappy, it felt like we had the entire park to ourselves.

The park is huge! Our first stop was a bus tour of some animal areas. We had 3 choices: A regular enclosed bus, a bus that was like a giant cage with a zoo employees feeding animals, or a smaller bus where we could feel the animals ourselves. We opted for the second choice.

This was one of the most interesting experiences I’ve ever had. We saw some rather dangerous animals up close.

You definitely don’t want to get too close to the side of the bus.

The tigers were beautiful.

 

Looks innocent enough!

After the bus tour, we walked around other areas of the park to see more animals.

Giant pandas are always entertaining.

Of course there were panda ice cream bars:

We had the chance to feed several animals:

I was surprised to see this McDonalds inside the park:

One section of the park had some rides, including a Ferris Wheel and a few small coasters. We rode the Ferris Wheel and had it completely to ourselves.

In the afternoon, we bought tickets for the International Circus inside the park. It’s really more of a Russian circus.

The circus was incredibly entertaining.

Acrobats, trapeze, horses…so many talented acts. Our day at Shanghai Wild Animal Park was so jam-packed.

The Bund

In the evening, we took a Didi car to the Bund, a waterfront area in the heart of Shanghai. It has a great viewing area of the modern high-rise buildings across the Huangpu River. Unfortunately, it was rainy and cloudy that night, so our view was a bit obstructed:

But it was still a gorgeous site to see:

On our side of the river, the buildings reminded me of Paris and London. The city has an interesting colonial history with British, French and American influence. I definitely see why Shanghai’s nickname is the “Paris of the East”.

On a Sunday evening, this area was brimming with excitement.

We walked through the streets and narrow alleys, just taking it all in.

Beijing vs. Shanghai

After spending a few days in each city, it was evident how different the two cities are. Beijing had a more formal, serious feel to it. Shanghai seemed more relaxed and fun. If I return to China on a future trip, I wouldn’t mind revisiting Shanghai to explore more of the city and surrounding area.

This is the final installment of my trip report. Let me know if you have questions in the comments. I am currently traveling, so my responses will be delayed.