SHANGHAI Reminiscing In Fog ...

Shanghai as recalled in the fog that night. Early winter weather brings creeps up to the 94 floor of Shanghai World Financial Center (SWFC). Occasionally even drizzling delivering splashed up onto the terrace cafe. In the height of this city, our bodies like a cold rat hordes. Executive summary by Darmansjah

Fortunately Zhanyi Cai, our guide, forcing up to half the height of the building which was built in 1977. Though an officer is providing details, that night Shanghai weather is less friendly, a lot of fog and the possibility of the city landscape is not good. 'How do we gamble it up? ' asking Cai, who is fluent in the Indonesian language.

Some members of the group Black Innovation Awards Incentive Tour hesitant to continue the journey. Cai Zhanyi once again assured, 'We're in Shanghai, do not miss a second of closed,' he said.

That night in early November 2012, within a few minutes we were at the height of the building SWFC. Landmark city as high as 492 meters with 101 floors, it stands like a giant firm in the Pudong district, the new district in northern Shanghai. Of altitude, Shanghai flickering like a bunch of fireflies flying through the fog of desperation.

As can be imagined across the Huangpu river, which resulted in the swift currents of the Yangtze, there is a cluster of old town known called The Bund. The complex of buildings at the Bund had embryo post-Opium War in the late 19th century. Since then, important ports in mainland China, ranging crowded foreign vessels from England, French, Russian, German, Dutch, and Japanese. The Bund even built as a foreign territory, which should not be entered by the indigenous people. 'It's like a State within a State. All because China lost the Opium War, 'said Lisa, our loyal friends during in Shanghai.

During the day before rising to the top of the SWFC, we had visited The Bund. Shanghai Municipal Government to build the plaza as high as 10 meters from the road surface in the Huangpu River delta. Actually plaza serves as a dike that guarded The Bund of possible flood scour, as had happened in the early period of the 1990s. The levee is now present as a plaza to shoot The Bund with a camera lens. Landscape that is totally different from most of the old buildings in China.

The Bund was originally a settlement of British people in China and the United States with 52 buildings with eclectic architectural style, a blend of roma, gothic, renaissance, baroque, neo-classical and art deco. This residential complex as a European colony in the middle of oriental buildings. The Bund is now used as the headquarters of the world's financial institutions as well as the offices of multinational companies. This area has now reverted to China.

Three Civilizations

Not far from the Bund, across the Huangpu River, Pudong new city or be a marker that Shanghai continues to grow. Pudong  a 'city' built by the government to accommodate the demands of the development of civilization, as a city, which later became one of the most important stopover international trading ships, Shanghai grew to be so 'sexy'.

Then from SWFC mist hovering altitude as we usher in the Yu Yuan Garden, which is located in Anren Jie. The park is one of the favorites of tourists from all over the world, especially Indonesia. 'Every year 28,000 people from Indonesia to Shanghai and always stop at Yu Yuan Garden, said Cai Zhanyi, who asked his name written as Chandra. Cai guides Indonesian people Indonesian with a good, but not even coming to Indonesia. 'One time my country to you ...' so his determination.

Indonesian people, is typical, said Cai, often lost when visiting Yu Yuan Garden. Park that was built when the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), is located in the middle of the market that sell all kinds of souvenirs as well as food-eating typical china. 'Often I lost because of a busy shopping ha-ha-ha ...' said Cai with intent joking.

Yu Yuan Garden like the present to be haunted for the growth of civilization in three scene of Shanghai. Shanghai Classical periods marked by oriental-style buildings such as Yu Yuan Garden, and colonialism can be found at The Bund, while the cluster of contemporary times represented the town in Pudong. And this then became the hallmark of Shanghai, which is not found in other cities in mainland china, including Beijing, the capital of the country's bamboo curtain.

The more nights no longer hostile weather. Now almost whole shanghai shrouded in mist accompanied by wind and drizzle. I tightened my scarf and jacket that wraps the body. It's time dropped from a height of this skyscraper. Maybe in my dreams tonight, still recalled in shanghai, fog. Then the memories fall into the drizzle that soaks November ...

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