- People’s Square Park
The People’s Square Park is located nearby the Shanghai Museum. As a group, we walked around the park and fed the doves who resided there alongside many locals. It was an exciting and thrilling experience for many students because it was their first time feeding birds out in the open. Although I have fed doves before, I had a great time seeing the other students enjoying themselves.
- Shanghai Museum
Shanghai Museum is a large museum that showcases a variety of historical sculptures, porcelain, jewelry, artifacts, and artwork. The museum had four levels with a small shop on each floor. What was surprising was the availability of English, Japanese, and Chinese pamphlets and English descriptions of all artifacts and artwork in the museum. This made the experience much more worthwhile for all the students.
- Yu Garden
The Yu Garden was exceptionally beautiful. Although it was a highly populated attraction, I was extremely impressed by the amount of tour guides who spoke in different languages. I was amazed by one Chinese tour guide who spoke fluent Spanish.
- Yuyuan Bazaar
After exploring the Yu Garden, all the students went to the Yuyuan Bazaar which was nearby. The bazaar was a large outdoor shopping center where many of the students bought souvenirs. We all had the choice of eating lunch on our own, however the majority of us went to eat at a local Chinese restaurant. I was amazed by how open the students were to trying new types of foods such as chicken feet. I also found it interesting how we had to pay for our meal beforehand rather than after.
- Jin Mao Tower/Skywalk
Once we finished eating, all the students had the option either to go to the Bund or the Jin Mao Tower. About half of the students went to each destination. At the Jin Mao Tower, a few of the students went on the famous Skywalk. It was interesting to see the process. Additionally, while inside the tower, we got the opportunity to look down 88 floors; it was not as scary as I had imagined. While we were waiting for the Skywalk, we interacted with Chinese children who sat next to us. It was nice to know that despite the obvious differences between our cultures, the children were still open to interacting with us. There was absolutely no discomfort between us. I feel as if this is incredibly important to note because as these children grow up, they will be more open-minded towards foreigners making it easier to build lasting business connections and friendships.
- Oriental Pearl Tower/The Bund
Although I was part of the group who did not walk to the Bund, I still had the opportunity to see the Pearl Tower from the Jin Mao Tower. The view was undoubtedly breathtaking. We later ate dinner near the Metro station and enjoyed the sights of Shanghai from the outside patio.
