China has only been opened to the West for approximately 20 years. Shanghai which was the center of Western influence in China during the 1920s has been transformed within the last eight or nine years into a showcase city for China. The modern buildings that looked little bit like a science-fiction set for all constructed within the last 10 years on what was formally farmland. the impact the city had on the us was significant. We had no idea what to expect and what we saw was beyond anything we could have imagined. To see the industriousness of the people was sobering. They will undoubtedly be a major world power in the next few decades.

Entering the city of Shanghai in the morning mist.

The bridge design is very modern.

Jacquie, the fitness instructor, and Jeff, a tour-office staffer take in the approach.

Part of our welcoming committee

Guess who?

A traditional Chinese building in the old City.

Donna speaking to our guide.

Samples of traditional Chinese architecture and furnishings.

All chinese gardens have tranquil ponds or lakes surrounded by rock formations and plantings. It was hard to believe that only 200 feet away was part of the now bustling old city center.

More traditional Chinese architecture.

The old city section was filled with tourists but, the old city's ambience was wonderful.

On this corner in one of the more affluent areas is an old lady making a living repairing umbrellas.

At lunch at one of the better old restaurants in Shanghai. No english at all here. Our guide helped us order.

The juxtaposition of the old and new was starting to become familiar.

The architecture was modern and international.

Two real tourists. Along the waterfront is stone walkway. That along with the adjoining 6 lane roadway is known as the "Bund". It is approximately a mile long. A walk along the stone walkway section was a wonderful way to spend the sunny afternoon.

Looking from the Bund across the river. The view looked a little like the backdrop for a "Flash Gordon" movie. For those who have not heard of Flash Gordon read "Star Wars circa 1931".

The amount of river traffic was impressive.

The public demonstrations of affection is new to China. This picture would have resulted in great embarrassment if not arrest just a few years ago.

At one end of the Bund was a monument dedicated to veterans.

The Bund is bounded by older buildings built mostly during the early 1900's.

The area adjacent to the Bund was affluent by Chinese standards and consisted of 3 and 4 story buildings with stores at the first level.

We took a private guide and car for the day. It was a wonderful luxury allowing us to see and exactly what we wanted. So, after some input from Donna we were able to see every shoe store in the city.

The local Bobby.

Donna points out a hair clip that costs $3.00. I was aware that we had paid $35.00 for the same clip in Guam just a few days before. Ouch!!

One of the stores provided a fashion show to motivate the visitors.

More pictures of the Bund.

We had dinner in a restaurant frequented by our guide and his family. It was so authentic that we had no idea what several of the dishes were. And we had ordered them.

The views of both the Bund and the far shore at night were spectacular. The Chinese have a thing about lighting up their buildings.

Nathan, the manager of the lounges taking in the city skyline.

The next morning we took a cab to the Shanghai Museum. Ceramics, castings , carvings and furniture were only a small part of the exhibition.

The wonderful architecture was reflected in the marble stairway design.

Donna takes in some of the carvings.

The escalator in the museum was itself beautiful.

Calligraphy represents a significant sector of Chinese art. Here were some wonderful examples of historical significance.

Ink paintings were also in abundance.

Extremely old jade carvings were also displayed

The street scenes were varied but clean. Here we were in one of the middle class sections.

The dumpling factory was small but the lighting was good.

The overhead wiring did a substantial amount of damage to the aesthetics of the city, The new section across the river is free of this problem.

One of the more modest restaurants. You can only drink bottled water in China. We were told the food in these local shops was good but we didn't take a chance.

We ate in the Peace Hotel.

All the fish is fresh and is brought to the table alive before it is cooked for your inspection and approval.

This scene could have been out of Chinatown in New York.

Some of the older sections of the former British and French sections reflected their heritage.

Many of the food shops display their wares in various stages of their preparation.

Construction of residential apartment complexes, like the commercial sector, is at a frantic pace