One thing learned today: Shanghainese love tiny models of things. We visited the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center in the morning, and there was a huuuge model of downtown Shanghai (an immense area) on one of the floors – similar to but much larger than the one we saw in the Shanghai World Financial Center. The urban planning museum was fantastic because it had lots of old pictures from the late 1800s to early 1900s that compared the old days to contemporary Shanghai – one of the things I find the most fascinating about Shanghai is that it has a rich history, not only in a Chinese context but in an international way as well.
Another thing learned today: protesting is a round-the-clock thing, and, yes, Chinese citizens are allowed to protest. The Urban Planning Center is in People’s Square – the location of the city government – and there were lots of different groups of people protesting outside when we walked by around lunchtime. I am interested to learn what, exactly, they were protesting, but it was hard to determine at the time.
Yet another: college campuses are very different in Shanghai, but not at all in a bad way. It was a cold day, but people on the campus of Jiao Tong University were lively and active. Students and faculty biked to and from dorms and academic buildings, several people were playing tennis, and groups were gathered at the outdoor food vendors. The dorms were very different and the buildings were more spaced out than at Rice (the campus was ginormous), so it didn’t seem like a very convenient place to live and study. However, there were a lot of food options, a bank and a 24-hour convenient store in the student center, and lots of park-esque areas with benches, creeks, and fields. All-in-all, JiaoDa’s seems like an amazing place! I’m super glad we got to visit.
Tags: China, Education, Shanghai, The Urban Planning Center, Urban Planning