Extreme China
(View from the steps of Jing’An temple, Shanghai)
Perhaps this photo can convey how extreme China can be, but also that Shanghai itself is very intense. It is a chameleon city with temples and shopping centres as neighbours, restaurants backing onto building sites, and shop owners living with their produce. From the refuge of this temple, amongst the burning incense and the monks, we are besieged by the modern world clawing for our attention. What struck me about traveling to Shanghai was the vast numbers of people – they were everywhere and appeared in droves. Taxi queues from the station are a hundred people long all the time and before you make it that far, there is a lot of jostling and the feeling of immediacy with people rushing past. I kept looking out from taxis over the city – there are lots of elevated roads here – and I cannot conceive a number of people to fill all these buildings. Each one is massive and there are thousands as far as the horizon.
Since I arrived here, China has felt extreme in the sense that it is full of contradiction and contrast. In Suzhou, I have stayed in probably the most opulent hotel I have ever seen – and I’ve seen a few – I used to work as a tour escort and stayed in many hotels in the UK and Europe. There was an outdoor and indoor pool, sauna, fresh fruit in the room every day and beautiful gardens next door. Mere streets away I saw a man bathing in front of his house in a small basin, there are roofs missing slates, so tarpaulin is held over the holes with bricks. This is the first place I’ve been which feels like it shifts from one form to another constantly.
The amazing thing is that surrounding all of this, there are still these ancient beautiful places to enjoy – if you find them! I was astonished to discover this temple sitting in the middle of a wall of skyscrapers. That’s modern China I suppose; holding on to history whilst chasing the future. That sounds quite epic, like a cinema trailer voiceover, but that’s really how it feels. I’m so excited to see China at such a perfect time, on the way up.
beautiful shot! do you have online gallery too, Rosie?
This is my online gallery! I like to put words in too.