Tag Archives: Ursula Wicker

April 21, 2014 · 5:35 am

Museum Week — Shanghai History Museum

Shanghai History Museum

Inside the base of the Oriental Pearl Tower is yet another attraction. It’s a charming combination of wax figures, dioramas, classic vehicles, and historical artifacts called the Shanghai History Museum. The detail on the dioramas is stunning, and I’ve saved the best of these for Fun Photo Friday.

Shanghai History Museum

The vehicles were fun, especially what appeared to be an original Willys Jeep they had in the collection.

Shanghai History Museum

But it was the wax figures that stole the show throughout much of the museum. Take a look at this opium den, for example:

Shanghai History Museum

However some of the historical artifacts were also stunningly beautiful. Take this Wedding Sedan Chair for instance:

Shanghai History Museum

The Shanghai History Museum is definitely worth a run-through, and here’s more of what awaits you:

Shanghai History Museum

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Filed under Photography, R. Doug Wicker, travel

Tagged as China, China Spree, Fun Photo Friday, Jim Mao, Mao Gu’i Chen, Oriental Pearl Tower, photography, R. Doug Wicker, Shanghai, Shanghai History Museum, travel, Ursula Wicker

April 16, 2014 · 5:35 am

Oriental Pearl Tower Shanghai — Part 2

We were discussing as you’ll recall the Oriental Pearl Tower and showing off some of the incredible views that await you at the top.

Oriental Pearl Tower

The second tallest building in Shanghai, also very visible from the Oriental Pearl Tower, is the Shanghai World Financial Center (1,614 feet/492 meters). That’s the tall structure centered below — the one with the rectangular hole through it near the top.

Shanghai World Financial Center

Later in the Shanghai series I’ll show you a fascinating nighttime picture of the full moon peeking through that rectangular opening. Meanwhile, here is today’s gallery:

Huangpu River

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Filed under Photography, travel

Tagged as China, China Spree, Fun Photo Friday, Jim Mao, Mao Gu’i Chen, Oriental Pearl Tower, photography, R. Doug Wicker, Shanghai, travel, Ursula Wicker

April 14, 2014 · 5:35 am

Oriental Pearl Tower Shanghai — Part 1

Oriental Pearl Tower

Our first full day in Shanghai was a rather busy one. Our fearless China Spree leader Mao “Jim” Chen accompanied us the day before on our flight from Beijing, so we didn’t have to break in a new guide . . . or more accurately our guide was already well versed in how to herd us all around without losing anyone. First stop — The Oriental Pearl Tower.

A comparison of the world’s tallest television towers — Oriental Pearl fifth from the left

As we waited in line for the elevator I was taken by the curtain-like display of lanterns hanging from the ceiling:

Lanterns inside the base of the Oriental Pearl Tower

At 1,535 feet/468 meters — the third tallest building in Shanghai — The Oriental Pearl Tower is unmistakable against the skyline of Shanghai’s Pudong “New Area” District. So, what’s the tallest, you ask? This is, the tallest building in China and the second tallest on the entire planet — the incredible Shanghai Tower at 2,072 feet/632 meters:

Shanghai Tower — World’s 2nd tallest building

The Shanghai Tower is actually a skyscraper within a skyscraper. The inner structure houses apartments and offices while the outer glass structure enclosing it will be home to nine layers of atria containing gardens, parks, and even restaurants. Here’s a closeup showing both the inner and outer structures:

Shanghai Tower glass enclosure

But tall buildings are not the only view from the Oriental Pearl Tower. High above Shanghai you’ll see the famous Bund area and the Huangpu River — a tributary of the Yangtze River — that separates the Bund from Pudong.