Shanghai Diaries – Unboxing Shanghai

Every great city reveals itself layer by layer. Shanghai is no different. The ‘Pearl of the Orient’ invites travellers to peel back its many layers, discovering history, culture and humanity beneath its glittering skyline.

The Pearl of the Orient

The ‘Pearl of the Orient’ is wrapped up in layers.

And ‘unboxing’ is as pleasant as it is full of surprises.

Familiar, Yet Different

The foreground seems familiar to the sub-continental traveller.

Yet the skyscrapers pass on the message that one is present in a city of global dominance.

The Heart of the City

The discerning visitor finds oneself at the centre of the city.

Opposite People’s Square.

The centre stands proof of the changes that have swept over the city since the Revolution.

Holding on to the Past

Yet there is a conscious effort at holding on to past layers.

Through silverware.

Preserved décor.

With a gramophone in tow.

The Lanes of the Orient

The lanes and by-lanes still carry the smell of the Orient.

Of thoughts which are Asian.

Of lifestyle and décor which are unique to the continent.

The Cat and the Traveller

The cat.

And the traveller.

Old Facades, New Technology

The city displays its colonial past unabashedly.

Yet the fine print in the advertisements lays bare the use of AI for cosmesis.

A New Planet

At the unboxing, the city comes through as a new planet.

With a new language.

A novel cuisine.

An unknown palate.

Timeless Emotions

Despite all this…

Emotions which are timeless.

And human.

Shine through.

Spring Eternal

A century-old school reassures the newcomer of the presence of the human in the city.

Of children.

Of spring eternal.

(Till the machines take over!)

A Promise of Discovery

Shanghai shines through the unraveling.

The effort of ‘unboxing’.

A promise of life ahead.

As the poet wrote—

“এলেম নতুন দেশে”

“I have arrived in a new land.”

Stay Tuned

Stay tuned for a journey of discovery and exploration.

Burst Abdomen team would like to know about your journey.