Return to China -- Part 43, Shanghai by Night

Descending to earth we then spent some time wandering around in a subterranean museum illustrating aspects of Shanghai's past. There were several antique autos that I found interesting.

And I was particularly taken by this panorama of Shanghai's "Bund" -- a group of commercial buildings lining the west bank of the Huangpu River. The Bund was once the commercial center of Shanghai and the old buildings have been carefully preserved.

Emerging from the museum we had some time to wait for the group to reassemble.

Some took advantage of this to engage in yet another shopping opportunity.

I just wandered around taking pictures.

Then it was on to Nanjing Road, Shanghai's high-end shopping district. We arrived in late afternoon and immediately dispersed for yet more shopping. I had been here before, at night, when the place to my mind is much more impressive.

It was still pretty impressive by day, though.

Then as night fell, we headed back to the river for a nighttime view of the city.

Here is a view of the tower we had ascended earlier in the day.

The Pudong skyline from the west bank of the river.

There, at last... the Bund. It had been closed to pedestrian traffic the last time I was here so I had no pictures of it. This time, though, I expected to see and photograph the area in its full glory.

The Oriental Pearl Tower again.

Getting closer to the Bund.

And still closer...

Then we got the word -- time to go back to the bus. Regretfully I turned back, taking one last shot of the Pudong skyline. It's an amazing sight, especially if you remember that twenty years ago none of these buildings existed.

Then we boarded the bus and traveled back to the hotel to rest up and prepare for our departure from China the next day.

So ends our return to China. I suspect it will not be our last visit there.