Nope, the market is more like a food street while the temple is a small religious site.

I'm from Guangzhou, and I felt that Shanghai is just like any other big city. It's all about modern architecture; there's not much difference.

The main issue is that it's not just one metro station entrance like this; every single one has the same problem.

Honestly, Guangzhou's road planning is just terrible. I feel like it's a major contributor to the severe traffic congestion.

I really vibe with Beijing, I absolutely love this city. No matter how tired I get, I still love it. Beijing's size isn't its fault; it's mine for not having enough legs.

Hey, I've been traveling to Beijing a lot recently and it's clear that the city has fewer people compared to a few years ago. You see, people commonly refer to Beijing as “Imperial City” (or “capital”), because it used to be where old emperors resided.

• Although the center of the city, or "inside the Second Ring Road" as we say, looks busy with people going in and out, most of them are just tourists, not locals.
• Today, I had a long talk with a taxi driver who complained about making the same amount of money as an inexperienced laborer helping at a construction site, and he asked me how much impact the current economy is having on people.
• To tell you the truth, I think that today’s Beijing has a better sense of being that “Imperial City.”
  • It feels like there's a presence of power and political vibe in the air, you can't really explain it clearly.
  • People you run across on the street seem more intelligent and cultured.
  • Moreover, we can also see friends from all around the world wandering around every corner.
• Reminder for my friends who are planning to visit Beijing:
  • You will find that almost major scenic spots in Beijing, whether Chinese or foreign visitors, will now offer a relaxed and free stroll than before. No longer as overcrowded, definitely much comfier!
  • Beijing today carries the good and bad reputation that a big city should have, but the disparity isn’t as striking as you may have heard.
    • For example, housing prices haven’t been so intimidating comparing to those years either.
    • The daily price of goods also seems more reasonable; competition is a bit fairer among merchants.
• Travel Tips (Pain Points are Resolved!)
  • Taking a cab at South Station, one of the largest railway stations in Beijing, used to be a huge pain, but now its not such a challenge anymore.
  • On the famous Yinchu line (Metro line 10), the number of passengers are not so densely packed, offering some breathing space and comfort.
• Everything seems to be getting better by degrees, yet somehow feels missing something.
• Perhaps it is due to Beijing’s “Urban slimming program”, transferring unrelated functions to keep the core essence of the capital?

Hey sisters who scrolled to this! Cheers!

I used to feel the same way, coming from a tourist perspective that prioritizes natural landscapes and ancient architecture. But I've since realized that the real reason to come to Shanghai is to broaden your horizons and experience the world.

I was just about to grab a cab over, then slammed the brakes on that idea!

Why? That's the one I booked.

If you're looking for something not too spicy, try Shanghai Lao Tai Gong. It offers pretty good value for money too.

Back when food delivery wasn't as widespread, cycling around West Lake was truly enjoyable, probably around '13, '14, or '15.

I'm with you, I love West Lake when it's lush and green too. But for that, you'd really need to come next month at the earliest. Right now, West Lake isn't looking its best. The flowers haven't fully bloomed, the trees aren't green yet, and even Yanggong Causeway is quite bare. It's far from its peak beauty. April-May and October-November are when it's absolutely gorgeous.

Staying at one of the state guesthouses near West Lake would be very comfortable.

You could say it's pretty much unavoidable for ECNU folks.

Wow, there are just too many people on holiday in Shanghai! It's practically a sea of people everywhere!

Fortunately, I planned my route in advance using the incredibly useful navigation app Amap (short for Auto-Navigation Map). Otherwise, it would've been impossible for me to visit so many places. The streets were packed with people, police officers regulating traffic, and even the subway station entrances temporarily rerouted.

• Some small complaints and experience sharing:

• On the high-speed railway from Hangzhou to Shanghai, I saw multiple players of a famous mobile game, Arknights, who were attending a music festival called "Sonar Sync". Upon arriving at Shanghai, I noticed an even greater number of them; they could be found almost everywhere! At the Jing'an Joy City shopping mall, the collaboration pop-up store between Miniso (a lifestyle brand offering low-cost products) and Arknights was filled with long queues of eager fans. No wonder I couldn't make appointments last night; everyone was vying for their opportunity to explore.

• My first stop of the trip was at Jing'an Joy City. Even when I arrived there at 11AM, the place was already swarming with people. There were various pop-up brands and anime collaborations crammed into narrow spaces. Around 3PM, while watching a video on Ximaibo (an app comparable to Instagram that users share their daily life and travel tips), the crowd seemed to have even grown larger. Nevertheless, I left the area for my lunch break after 12 p.m.

• I visited Xinguo Department Store and Shangyi Department Store.

  • I felt that the 4th floor was reasonable in terms of activities, which featured collaborations with an anime called Dungeon Teacher, Capcom (a Japanese gaming company), and Kamen Rider (a line of toy products). I noticed that aside from dining, other options appeared relatively uninspiring.
  • Please keep this in mind: when I tried to go back to look at some shops near Exit 7 and Exit 8 of People's Square Subway Station, the area had been restricted due to massive crowds. Also, fearing that I would miss my train, I decided not to visit there, only to confirm that I made the right decision as the station was incredibly crowded too in the evening.

• The Linking-Z Xuanchuang Avenue is another anime-themed shopping mall and definitely the most "exaggerated" secondary-culture district! Despite the building being quite small and air conditioning units struggling to cool the premises, all that I encountered was absolute pleasure in terms of shopping. During the day, a collaboration event between the cafe Mengguo Zhuoji and the other popular mobile game Mingchao was taking place in the vicinity, which added more fun.

• Daimaru Department Store, another Japanese-style mall, was a meeting point between myself and some "Buff Friends" (a nickname given to the players of the online game Final Fantasy XIV). I found out that the store now has its own Square Enix (the developer of Final Fantasy) cafe. The collaboration brings a full set of game-themed cafes.

For the first time, I tried the business class seats of the high-speed railway on my way back to Hangzhou! (Regular tickets were sold out, so I spent nearly 260 yuan on an experience lasting an hour).

-Because of the previous points mentioned, I arrived at the station too late, hence unable to enjoy the exclusive lounge for business class passengers! As a result, I could only directly enter the station and board the train.

• The main selling point of the business class apart from its exorbitant price was its superior service, such as expansive seats with plenty of legroom, even allowing one to lie flat and rest. The friendly attendants greeted us with fresh mineral water and snacks upon boarding.

-One thing that somewhat dampened my mood was that as I headed to the dining section to try out tonight's complimentary dinner (which would have rounded off my high-speed ride perfectly), I discovered that meals were no longer given after 7 p.m.! Such disappointment!

In short:

-Even though it was enjoyable, I recommend avoiding traveling during holidays whenever possible since crowds can reach extremely large proportions.

-The most profound lesson to be learned comes down to pre-tour planning; it will make your trip much smoother compared to making decisions on the spot amid overwhelming crowds.

Perhaps you just haven't experienced the truly vibrant parts of it yet.

Weren't you scared, being so close?

Wow, actually making a meme reference!

Hi, were you flying from Shanghai?