The second day was probably just as busy as or at least busier than the first. We had an entire day planned ahead us, starting from Yuyuan temple to a public media lecture at Shanghai Library. Speaking of Yuyuan Garden, that place is probably one of the most scenic areas a person could visit in their lifetime. Its history actual history, though, spans all the way to the 16^th century with the Ming dynasty. This is a time when the North American colonies were not even established. It is such a weird, yet awe-inspiring feeling to be stepping where Chinese royals once stood and where the British had occupied during the First Opium War. Though I knew of how extensive Chinese culture is, I did not get the full picture until I stepped into ancient sites such as Yuyuan Garden. Most would agree that this is a “touristy” spot, but at the same time, going to cultural sites like Yuyuan is necessary to get an accurate perception of China. Most people think of Mao or Communism, but there is so much more to China. My best advice would be to explore the early beginnings of China and to visit such places while in China; you will begin to appreciate history much more.

At this point in the day it was still relatively early so we had much more to uncover about the wonders of Shanghai. Taking a little “pit stop,” we visited a marketplace nearby where merchants sell all kinds of goods ranging from “designer” glasses to teddy bears. While there are stores such as Gucci, GAP, and other name brands, going to these small marketplaces instills a sense of authenticity in a person’s trip here. Nothing compares to the crowdedness, the pace, or the bargaining that takes place in these markets. Where else could you convince a store owner to lower the price on glasses from 200RMB to possibly 100RMB? Besides a garage sale, I can’t conceive of any place in the United States that has the same characteristics. Going to these tiny street stores is definitely an event that will forever be stored in my mind.

Maybe an hour or so later we decided to go make our way towards the Shanghai library, the place where we had lectures over the history of Shanghai, in addition to the public media in Shanghai. The moment we walked in this place I was again impressed at the cleanliness of such public venues. I feel as if people indeed have a strong work ethic and a sense of pride in their work here. Everywhere I go I see people not toil, but work like their job is a “labour of love.” Now I am not saying that every place is as spotless as the Beijing airport or the Shanghai library, but so far most of these places have impressed me with their overall features. Anyways, we had gotten to the lecture room where both presenters were patiently waiting. Before I describe to you the actual content of the lectures, I must point out the hospitality of many people that we have encountered here on a professional level. Many of these people always look to make their guest comfortable and happy. They never hesitate to offer you tea, water, or anything else. This is very welcoming, which I think contributes to the instant comfort felt between people here.

Now it was time for the lectures. This was most interesting because there were some facts told during the presentation that I was not aware of such as what the First Opium War, the Treaty of Nanking, and the amount of influence that foreigners had in China during the 1800s and very early 1900s. To get a better understanding of the city you are in, I think it is necessary to build at least some sort of basic foundation in which you can see how and why the city developed the way it did. In lieu of this, we learned about the significance of the Bund. This area was a major spot of economic activity because of the nearby Huangpu River acting as an entrance into this area. Even more so, because of the heavy European influence, this area has many French, British, and English buildings stretched across the main street. On a side note, I find it so amazing that a country in Asia has districts that resemble European cities. If you face away from Pudong and the river, looking back into the Nanjing Road, you would probably confuse this place from being Germany or France.

Besides the history of Shanghai, we gathered some knowledge on the role of public media in China. I felt as if this was a very important topic to discuss because many people think of China as being a place where the media is continuously spouting propaganda and slogans. Based off of what was being told by our lecturer who worked at a news station, Chinese media isn’t as restrictive as we see it purported to be back home. It was mentioned that people work generally with freewill, with respect to the boundaries set by the government. To clarify, the government is not actively forcing journalists or news channels to cover what they want. They are not forcing anybody to do anything. The only thing that they do is set a boundary for certain topics, which generally isn’t much. I am guessing this is sort of a way to avoid inciting violence among certain groups of people or to avoid reporting offensive material. I still feel as if it is used as a way to stop people from making defamatory remarks about leaders in China, but then again she did mention that local leaders are always criticized in papers and other media outlets.

This was just the beginning of the week so I knew that we have so much left to explore. It is incredible that this city has endless amounts of attractions ranging from Buddhist temples to luxury stores lining row by row. I just can’t help but notice how quick Chinese society has progressed from a relatively poor country to one that is the holder of the second largest economy in the world. Despite this country being very “Eastern,” I just cannot help but notice how some of the city’s cultural characteristics mirror ours back home in the United States.