Tunnel of fun
(The tourism tunnel: Shanghai, China)
There are some aspects of China that I hope never to understand. This might seem to be a rash statement, perhaps even closed minded, but this image is testament to the bizarre decision making that goes on from the tourism council (or similar organisation).
The tunnel has a use – it takes you from the Bund and underneath the river Pu to Pudong. Once we paid our way into the confusing maze of subterranean amusements and knick knack shops, we handed our tickets over and descended into the tunnel itself. Far from being the miraculous and thrilling ride we were promised, it was in fact a short underground monorail effort. A girl looking so bored that I feared she would become nauseas with inactivity herded us into the rail car. As we began our trundle under the Pu, a rumbling voiceover began reciting “fossils”, “nascent magma”, “deepest oceans” and other seemingly random words and phrases coupled with various lighting effects and unfathomably confusing projections. The highlight was the three inflatable figures that we ran into in the rail car, the last one’s head bonking off the front windscreen, to the delight of the two children accompanying their parents. We emerged disoriented and laughing, wondering what possessed the organizers to create such a Willy Wonka inspired ride of such proportions.
The only explanations we invented for the tourism tunnel are as follows:
- A lighting company sponsored the tunnel drilling.
- The executives were in a karaoke bar one night, inebriated, and the suggestion led to another and they signed contracts of drunken genius.
- They wanted to stain it with a veneer of educational ‘facts’ and felt the effects would trick us into learning the word ‘nascent’*.
- The execs panicked when they saw how dull the tunnel would be and did a rushed one day job decorating it on a budget that severely underestimated the traffic using it.
- They needed to justify the 40 RMB (about £3.70) four minute single fare along the tunnel with some snazzy effects.
Any more? Have you experienced the sheer ecstasy of a ride on this pleasurable tunnel? In comparison to the free fireworks shows put on here very weekend, it makes little sense why the tunnel would be so much less diverting. Perhaps I am being unfair, our expectations were quite high and we were disappointed, but amused by the tourism tunnel; a Shanghai sight not to be missed! But at least we didn’t buy a return ticket like our friends…
*I am proud to say although it was pronounced ‘nassent’ by the American voiceover, I did recognise this word. It made me feel smart in a magical tunnel under a river in China.
