By RAMA GAIND
VISIT China and you will be fascinated by its energetic phenomenon. The country has achieved a tremendous momentum of growth and change through the ingenuity of its people and with hard work.
Add to that the successful Beijing Olympics and you see a grand, global celebration.
Wherever you go, you will also find a touch of India: numerous Indian restaurants, Indian businesses and Indians walking the streets. This was not common place when I last visited China in 2001.
There is a growing splendour about Shanghai which is not only surprising, but engaging.
Shanghai, a cosmopolitan city, is the hotspot of modern China. This is where a lifestyle revolution is underway, showcased in the architectural temples of art, fine dining and contemporary urban living on the Bund, which many say is the heart of modern China.
With a population of more than 19.2 million, Shanghai is the most populous city in the People’s Republic of China – and the 10th most populous metropolitan area in the world.
The Bund is a symbol of Shanghai where the buildings, which are restricted in height, are harmonious in colour and style.
It is an area of Huangpu District in Shanghai, which runs along the western bank of the Huangpu River, facing Pudong, in the eastern part of the district. The Bund, which usually refers to the buildings and wharves on this section of the road, as well as some adjacent areas, is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Shanghai.
The word Bund means an embankment or an embanked quay, and comes from the Urdu word band, meaning an embankment, levee or dam.
The 24-hour traffic of freighters, ferries and barges on the Huangpu River forms the backdrop to the 1920s streetscape, framed by gigantic skyscrapers that demonstrate the city’s expansion.
Amazing sites
Another amazing site is the Pudong where rice paddies are being cultivated into the world’s most modern city.
Since the beginning of its development in 1990 when plans were first announced, Pudong has become a New Open Economic Development Zone, and has emerged as China’s financial and commercial hub. Pudong is home to the Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone, the Shanghai Stock Exchange and a skyline that includes the symbolic Oriental Pearl Tower, the Jin Mao Building and the Shanghai World Financial Centre, reflecting Shanghai and China’s rapid economic development. Not only is the Pudong home to Asia’s tallest building, an amazing new airport and – thanks to German technology – a 400-km/h maglev train which one day may extend to link Beijing with Hong Kong.
Walk around in the heart of Shanghai and you get an over-towering feeling. You will be overwhelmed by an abundance of skyscrapers.
The highest building is the recently completed 492-metre Shanghai World Financial Centre. The Jin Mao Tower (meaning Golden Prosperity Building) is an 88-storey landmark skyscraper in the Lujiazui area of the Pudong district of Shanghai, which contains offices and the Shanghai Grand Hyatt hotel.
The Shanghai Tower, a 128-storey building under construction in the Pudong district will, on completion in 2014, be 632 metres high and become the tallest building in China.
Prosperous surrounds
Prosperity is obvious as you walk into the city’s abundant restaurants and bars, drive around in limousines and watch the endless parade of smartly dressed women and men.
Every designer label can be found in the huge shopping malls and ultra trendy boutiques. Even the five-star hotels are virtual palaces, featuring sumptuous spas.
How many Indians live in China? While there are no exact numbers, an estimated 1000 Indians are registered in Beijing and twice that number in Shanghai. A large number are also registered in Shenzhen ad Guangzhou.
However, large concentrations of Indians are to be found in the market towns of Zhejiang and Jiangsu like Yiwu and Shaoxing.
Indian restaurants are aplenty in Shanghai. To name a few, there’s Bangra Bar, Indian Kitchen, Bombay Bistro, Hazara, Karma, Papadom Curry Restaurant, Red Chili, Spicy Café, Muse Curry , Tandoor, Punjabi Restaurant and Vedas Restaurant; Indian Kitchen Management Co (ZhuHai) Limited, in Guangdong; in Guangzhou, there’s the Natural Door Indian Chef, Taste of India, Maharaja Indian Kabab Corner, Spice Island, Jewel of India, Ashoka Indian Restaurant, Punjabi Restaurant in Nanjing,
Businesses include State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, ICICI Bank, TATA Autocomp Systems Limited, Satyam Computer Services Ltd, TATA South-East Asia Limited, Shipping Corporation of India, Confederation of Indian Industry, Air India, Cognizant Technology Solutions and Bhaiya Fibres Ltd.
The landscape had certainly changed in the years since my last visit, but if time had been a luxury I would have, no doubt, uncovered many more worthwhile venues to investigate!
