A Tale of Two Cities
Business travel give you a very different perspective than recreational travel. You stay in different locations, undertake different activities, have different priorities and frequently have little time in any location.
Over the past 12 months, I have had the good fortune to travel to Shanghai and Beijing with work. What makes it more interesting is that Kate spent a significant amount of time in both cities while chaperoning Lucy on a school exchange. The different purpose certainly seems to have resulted in different perspectives.
For some reason, I expected that Shanghai would be the bold, brash, shining, high rise symbol of modern China but devoid of charm and a sense of its history.
I expected Beijing to be the reverse, more historic and grounded in the culture and civilization of China. In hindsight I think this assumption was based on the number of well know historical sites in Beijing such as the Forbidden Palace, the Summer Palace and the easy access to the Wall.
My visit to Shanghai was first and I had the good fortune to stay in the old French Concession. I found the French Concession with its narrow roads and lane ways very charming. I was able to go for my morning run from the French Concession and down to The Bund which gave you a real sense of the layers of history and the running was enjoyable.
As with all business trips, much of the day was in meeting rooms and offices. However, we were released for the evening and headed to the iconic art deco Peace Hotel on The Bund for dinner which was a great experience.
My experience in Beijing was the opposite. We were accommodated in a soulless area full of Malls and high rises to the north east of the City. I tried to run to a nearby park but it was fenced off and I couldn't find my way into the park. The rest of the time was spent running along busy roads. Disappointed, I retreated to the hotel treadmill.
I traveled to Beijing a day earlier to see the sites and I was able to go, via Metro of course, to the Forbidden City and "Old Beijing". While both are amazing historical sites, I found them a little sterile. Certainly, Old Beijing looked like it had been built by Walt Disney!
The next day was back in meeting rooms, which look the same anywhere in the world, except for India perhaps. That evening we went to a spectacular but slightly kitsch acrobatic show. You could imaging my disappointment when the evening meal was at a French restaurant instead of enjoying some local Peking Beijing duck. You know what they say, when in Rome, eat snails!
After another day of meetings my view of Beijing was rescued by an evening meal followed by some drinks in one of the few remaining hutongs. The atmosphere in the courtyard dining area was excellent and the food was wonderful. It was followed by a cool bar with a 9 piece band consisting of locals and expats jamming in one corner. The scene was so hip that I started wonder what I was doing there and if I was dragging the place down. Still, it certainly gave me a slightly better opinion of Beijing
Over the past 12 months, I have had the good fortune to travel to Shanghai and Beijing with work. What makes it more interesting is that Kate spent a significant amount of time in both cities while chaperoning Lucy on a school exchange. The different purpose certainly seems to have resulted in different perspectives.
 |
| New Shanghai |
For some reason, I expected that Shanghai would be the bold, brash, shining, high rise symbol of modern China but devoid of charm and a sense of its history.
 |
| Old Beijing |
I expected Beijing to be the reverse, more historic and grounded in the culture and civilization of China. In hindsight I think this assumption was based on the number of well know historical sites in Beijing such as the Forbidden Palace, the Summer Palace and the easy access to the Wall.
 |
| But the back streets of Shanghai are full of character |
My visit to Shanghai was first and I had the good fortune to stay in the old French Concession. I found the French Concession with its narrow roads and lane ways very charming. I was able to go for my morning run from the French Concession and down to The Bund which gave you a real sense of the layers of history and the running was enjoyable.
 |
| Colonial history in the Bund |
As with all business trips, much of the day was in meeting rooms and offices. However, we were released for the evening and headed to the iconic art deco Peace Hotel on The Bund for dinner which was a great experience.
 |
| Beijing Disney |
My experience in Beijing was the opposite. We were accommodated in a soulless area full of Malls and high rises to the north east of the City. I tried to run to a nearby park but it was fenced off and I couldn't find my way into the park. The rest of the time was spent running along busy roads. Disappointed, I retreated to the hotel treadmill.
I traveled to Beijing a day earlier to see the sites and I was able to go, via Metro of course, to the Forbidden City and "Old Beijing". While both are amazing historical sites, I found them a little sterile. Certainly, Old Beijing looked like it had been built by Walt Disney!
The next day was back in meeting rooms, which look the same anywhere in the world, except for India perhaps. That evening we went to a spectacular but slightly kitsch acrobatic show. You could imaging my disappointment when the evening meal was at a French restaurant instead of enjoying some local Peking Beijing duck. You know what they say, when in Rome, eat snails!
After another day of meetings my view of Beijing was rescued by an evening meal followed by some drinks in one of the few remaining hutongs. The atmosphere in the courtyard dining area was excellent and the food was wonderful. It was followed by a cool bar with a 9 piece band consisting of locals and expats jamming in one corner. The scene was so hip that I started wonder what I was doing there and if I was dragging the place down. Still, it certainly gave me a slightly better opinion of Beijing
