After a day of sightseeing, we headed back to our hotel. On the sidewalk in front of a convenience store on the corner of a busy intersection, these two guys locked horns in a game of xiangqi (Chinese chess).
Throughout our trip, we were frequently stopped by students looking to fulfill a school assignment. In the French Concession, these girls asked questions about my view of Shanghai and whether the education system was better in the U.S. or China. Every exchange was recorded on video, so we’ll be making an appearance in a Chinese classroom before long!The Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Centre is hidden in the basement of a giant apartment complex, but features one of the world’s best collections of Mao-era propaganda posters and 1930s “Shanghai Ladies” posters. Early posters took on more of an editorial cartoon style while later posters adopted the bold look associated with Soviet-era propaganda. Displayed in order by year, it also offers a visual timeline of the changes in Chinese attitudes during the 20th century.Every afternoon, this man set up his noodle stand (a bicycle with a flatbed and propane gas tank attached) around the corner from our hostel in Shanghai. He’d make stir-fried noodles and rice until late in the evening. We stopped in twice during our stay, getting a filling meal for about $1.50 USD each.On our last night in the city, we were able to meet up with two of our travel buddies from our India/Nepal trip who are teaching English in Shanghai. It also highlighted how reliant we’ve become on internet access… All of our planning had been done via Facebook or Gmail, both of which are blocked in China. We finally found a way to touch base at the last second.
More Photo of the Day posts from Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and Vietnam
