Markets in Xi'an

MARKETS IN XI'AN

Our afternoon stroll found us entering Xiyang Shi Street. We discover this is the Muslim Quarter of the city. The Chinese Muslims belong to the Hui community with the men wearing white skullcaps and the women generally wearing scarves. Colour abounds. Crowds jam the mall walks. Food stalls and leather shadow puppet shops are discovered in profusion. 

Entering Xiyang Shi Street.

Street shops.

Crowds jam the Mall walk.

Hui men wearing white skullcaps

Nuts!

Cooking!

More food!

More nuts!

Walnuts.

Hui women wearing scarves.

Walnut sculpture.

Fun haberdashery.

Leather puppets and paper cutouts.

Leather puppets.

Hui Muslim chefs.

Cheap nuts!

As we leave these food stalls an interesting " dish" of pigs' trotters, provided by chefs in the Muslim markets of Xi'an, catches our attention!

VIEWS FROM THE BOTTLE OPENER

Shanghai World Financial Centre.


From entering the lift at the ground floor we arrived in a matter of seconds at the 91st floor of this incredible building. This observation floor is open to the public as long as you spent money on food and drink. 'Tis an amazing experience! Two legged "ants" and dinky cars wander below. Leggo structures seem to gasp and clasp flimsy fingers towards our mystic, eerie nest or eyrie.

Huangpu River separates Pudong from Shanghai. 

Leggo Land. 

The "Pearl" hypodermic needle. 

The launching of the dashing Jinmao Dasha! 

Lighting of the "rockets" at dusk. 

Customers viewing scenes from a height of 400 metres.

Sunset over Shanghai. 

Dinky cars below the monoliths. 

A smoggy day in Shanghai town! 

Teetering on the edge. 

Dining room in the sky! 

A walk beside the restuarant. 

Reflections in the ceiling. 

Alice in the "Looking Glass"! 

The drinks counter. 

An apple a day keeps earthquakes away! 

I see no evil! Farewell!

A VISIT TO PUDONG.

MODERN CHINA AS SEEN IN PUDONG.

From Shanghai we caught a taxi which drove through a tunnel under the Huangpu River. The sights we encountered were completely unexpected, for here is a modern city of skyscrapers extraordinaire.
Pudong was Shanghai's poorest quarter, a squalid huddle of slums, brothels and gangsters. Now a forest of skyscrapers has grown out of this backwater. 

Our first view of Pudong 

The broad avenues stretched beyond the skyscapers.

Behind the avenue awesome skyscrapers reach upward. 

The beginnings of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. 

And it stretches ever upwards.

The "PEARL" seen through a glass dome.

The "PEARL" framed by other skyscrapers. 

The "BUND" seen from Pudong. 

Crowds wander about modern Pudong.

Pudong has its own "Twin Towers". 

Modern car, modern city! 

Who uses stairs in a modern city? 

Various companies have branches in Pudong! 

Some skyscrapers are taller than trees!

Paths,using bridges, are generally constructed in a zig-zag pattern. 

The "PEARL" attempting to hide behind trees and towers! 

A reflection on skyscrapers! 

Architects seemed to have a brief demanding diversity.

Massive! Jinmao Dasha 421 metres. 
Behind - Shanghai World Financial Centre 492 metres.
And to the right, the new construction is to surpass them all! 

Is it Leggo? No. Jinmao Dasha.

 Behind the lovely lady is the "Bottle Opener".

The "Entrance" to the Jinmao Dasha whose 88th floor has an observation deck. 

Just amazing! 

The "Bottle Opener"! We are about to enter the Shanghai World Financial Centre! 

Believe it or not! We are in a lift on our way to the "Bottle Opener's" 91st floor.
Within seconds we reached our destination on top of Pudong.