China: Shanghai – Shanghai Old City

Moving on to Shanghai. In the city famous for its futuristic glitz and skyscrapers, there is surprisingly an intact and well preserved old town dating back to 11th century. It even used to have defensive walls which have since been demolished. The old city area is now relatively small, preserving old traditional buildings that now house either restaurants or shops. It’s a bit of a human zoo with massive crowds of tourists and locals and lines to even get into the stores and restaurants. Adjacent to old city is Yuyuan Garden, one of the oldest Chinese gardens in the country (next post).