UPDATE: Editor’s note: Added video.

By Lawrence Casiraya
INQUIRER.net

THE HUANG Pu River cuts through Shanghai, dividing it between ultra-modern Pudong and culture-rich Puxi. After a hurried lunch, I took a quick break from the first-day sessions at the Intel Developer Forum, which was at the Shanghai Convention Center in Pudong, located near the river.

Being the lone Filipino journalist, I bumped into a fellow journalist named Kema (editor of CNET Turkey) while grabbing a smoke outside. A first-timer like myself, I tagged along when he said he was crossing to the other side via this tunnel right (Editor’s note: The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel) in front of SCC.

What the heck, I thought, I’ve got a few minutes to kill and a bit of a walk would be a welcome treat because I was feeling the springtime chill.

Not much walking, however, because it was actually a train ride to the other side of the river. The ride cost 40 yuans (or RMB as they call it here).

Anyway, so much for sightseeing, I did expect to see the bottom of the river! It was more like a light show that reminded me a lot of Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey.” “Lightseeing” tunnel then, huh?

Here’s a video I took.

By Lawrence Casiraya
INQUIRER.net

UPDATE: Editor’s note: Corrected blog post.

SHANGHAI, China–Shanghai is full of skyscrapers it’s a pain in the neck — literally.

Which isn’t surprising since it’s touted as China’s modern metropolis. The Orient Pearl Tower sticks out from among the rest because of how it looks. Yes, it’s that one next to Chairman Mao (Editor’s note: Thanks to our readers who noticed the error and pointed out that this is a statue of Chen Yi.) the statue of Chen Yi, who was Shanghai’s first mayor when the People’s Republic of China was founded .

It reminded me a lot of Malaysia’s Petronas Towers because everywhere you go, it’s just a head turn away. It’s actually a TV tower (third largest in Asia) but it stands out from among many skyscrapers because of its rocket-ship look.

The Orient Pearl is just right beside the convention center in Pudong where I’m covering the Intel Developer Forum, so each time I go out I couldn’t help but crane my neck up.

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By Fung Yu, Contributor
INQUIRER.net

Author’s note: This article uses Apple’s QuickTime and Adobe Flash in providing an immersive experience by means of virtual reality technology. QuickTime and/or Flash are required to view the 360-degree VRs. Average VR size is 2MB each.

IT was just prior to the Christmas season last year that I took a trip to Shanghai and Beijing with my friends. Although this was my second time to China, it was my first time to visit these cities. We took advantage of Cebu Pacific’s “One Peso” promo fare from Manila to Shanghai. The smooth flight took about three hours, touching down at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai just a few minutes before midnight. The outside temperature was in the range of 7 to 10 degrees Celsius; thank God for the cheap winter jacket I bought at our local “ukay-ukay.”

Being a modern cosmopolitan city with a rich history, Shanghai has become a fusion of Oriental and Western influences. The city is dotted with marvelous skyscrapers, towering infrastructure, and contemporary architecture. Likewise, its old streets boast of neo-colonial buildings, ancient temples, and old traditional houses.

The highlight of our Shanghai tour included: The Bund, the heart of international settlement along the western banks of the Huangpu River; the Oriental TV Tower; the Huangpu River cruise and the sight-seeing tunnel underneath it; People’s Park; jade and silk factories; Yu Yuen Garden; and of course bargain shopping among the “secret shops” of the old districts which my female companions enjoyed so much.

Pigeons in People’s Park

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Performances at Sian Tian Ti

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Shops outside Yu Yuen Garden

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Fishes inside Yu Yuen Garden

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Compared to Shanghai, the capital city of Beijing is a sight of endless wonder. Apart from the rich historical heritage of ancient dynasties, a journey in Beijing is one of visual spectacle as well as a gastronomic experience.

Being higher up in the North, the temperature was of course a lot colder than in Shanghai; and since it was the winter season, most trees looked barren with their leafless branches. Gone were the lush greenery, with very few birds in the sky, and the lakes were frozen. Even with a noontime sun above, you didn’t feel its warmth; sunsets came much earlier as well, setting around 4:30 p.m. local time.

We spent our first day scaling the Juyongguan Pass section of the Great Wall, said to be one of the steepest portions of the Wall. Then there was the Summer Palace where Emperors spent their summer months. The last stop of the day was at the Temple of Heaven where the Ming and Qing Emperors prayed for good harvest.

The Great Wall

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Summer Palace

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The following day was a walking tour of Tiananmen Square; directly behind it was the Forbidden City. As China will be hosting the Olympic Games this year, a lot of renovations were ongoing inside the former imperial grounds. The site of the Ming Tombs was the final stop. Here, people who are more attuned to their surroundings can experience an eerie feeling.

Tiananmen Square

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The Forbidden City

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Imperial Wedding House

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Ming Tombs

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Although I truly enjoyed this trip, I was actually looking forward to having my first snow experience. Alas, it just wasn’t cold enough for one during the time we were there.

VRs taken from December 13-17, 2007. The author can be reached at fung@firefly.ph

HERE are more clips of INQUIRER.net multimedia reporter Erika Tapalla’s Shanghai odyssey. Hope you’ll enjoy them.

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Online Videos by Veoh.com

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INQUIRER.NET multimedia reporter Erika Tapalla may be spending the holidays in China, but that hasn’t stopped her from working, heh

Check out this video she sent of her visit to the Jade Buddha Temple in Shanghai.

Online Videos by Veoh.com

As noted in the video caption,, “hidden inside is the rare cultural relic, the Jade Buddha, which cannot be photographed or filmed out of respect for both Buddha and its pious followers.”

By Behn Cervantes
Inquirer

I FIRST visited China in 1971, when Chairman Mao was very much in power. I went back in 1984, then in 1987.

I had long heard about magical Guilin and asked if we could visit it. Alas, it was not on the itinerary! So, it remained a dream.

Inspiration

This year, I finally visited fabled Guilin–the inspiration for countless Chinese paintings, poems and songs. Yes, the visit was a dream fulfilled:

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