Month: April 2010
The Street Vendors of Menghua Jie
Shanghai Confucius Temple Part 2 – Outside
Outside the Confucius Temple, you can walk an interesting loop leading you into an old neighbourhood. At the temple gates turn left as you step out onto Wen Miao Lu, then left again into LiuJiang Jie. You will pass by a book market at the back of the temple, and some little street food vendors. Things get more lively as you go further along the street. At the end of LiuJiang Jie, turn left again onto Menghua Jie. Enter another world. This is old Shanghai. Unadorned, exposed and raw. Not dangerous, but very gritty – there has been no facelift here in time for World Expo, and it is quite confronting to realise that less than a kilometre from the opulent shops and restaurants of the Bund, there is a Shanghai without running water or indoor toilets.
Shanghai Confucius Temple Part 1 – Inside
This week I visited the Shanghai Confucius Temple (Shanghai Wen Miao 上海文庙) for the first time. It’s in the Old City, but for me was always a little too far to walk from Yu Gardens what with all the roadworks and detours, and it’s taken me a long time to get there.
Graceful
The Shanghai Dream
The Most Politically Incorrect Fairground Ride Ever
Yu Gardens
Shanghai Street Food #3 Liángpí 凉皮
At the next door stall someone has ordered wok fried red-claw, and as the flames leap high and the smell of garlic fills the air, I feel very happy indeed.