From PuDong to PuXi - Shanghai Shopping

The Huangpu river is barely 60 miles long.  But its last few miles make it one of the most important waterways in the world.  It happens to dump into the Yangtze river just at the point where the Yangtze dumps into the China Sea.  The geography of the Huangpu river provides the best real estate for a port in an otherwise muddy Yangtze delta.  The location is ideal as a gateway between ocean and river traffic.  And Shanghai just happens to occupy that location.   If the Yangze is the Missisippi of China, then Shanghai is the New Orleans.

 The city of Shanghai is split into East and West by the Huangpu River.  We were staying in a hotel on the East side, known as the Pudong area.   Pudong is new city, built up in the last 20 years of economic boom.  The West side of the river, known as the PuXi, is the old city.  In truth, the larger part of it is also recently built.   Historically, though, the West side of the river is what made Shanghai.

Shanghai traffic can be horrendous, and getting over the river can be one of its larger horrors.  Theresa, being the trouper that she is, climbed in a taxi one day and made the crossing.  She was motivated by the opportunity to go shopping in one of the truly "old" areas of Shanghai.

 

Above are some photos of the shopping area in the City God Temple district.  Below is a photo taken back at the apartment showing Theresa and her purchases.  It's like a photo of a hunter with his kill huntress with her kill.