China Art Museum and Pudong Route

When I didn't want to 4 kilometers to Garden Bridge, I usually went on line 8 to the China Art Museum. It is seven stops from my previous home. I walked along the Pudong Part of the route.

The Pudong part is more beautiful and better constructed. There are air-conditioned little houses facing the river to rest every kilometer. Southward of China Art Museum is Lupu Bridge. Many parks are connected together. On sunny days many children with their parents go have a picnic there. I didn't find any teenager like me, though.

Qiantan Park and Beyond

On rainy days or at night there ate fewer people. I walked along, only occasionally seeing cyclers or joggers passing me. Qiantan park is good, there are little ponds and many tall trees. I can always see far on my way left, and during the night it feels like looking into the world at a distance. I felt as if I am separated and alone.

Continue going to the south and I came across the Chuanyang River. The small river is straight and runs straight to the sea. Then I knew I came to Sanlin. Go across the bridge, and there is Oriental Sports Center, where I could take line 8 back home.

It is far lonelier at Qiantan, where there isn't a person in sight. When I went there at night, the whole world was quiet and peaceful. I went there by myself and kept looking at Puxi to see how much distance I had covered. Xupu Bridge is 5 kilometers from Oriental Sports Center. After that is Manlizui green space.

Xupu Bridge Area

Don't try to stop at Xupu Bridge without calling a taxi beforehand, or you get to walk a long way before finding the subway station. Problem is, the road is under the highway and many trucks, motorcycles roam past. Some parts of the pavement were under construction so when I was there I needed to walk in the middle of the road. Sometimes there are people arguing there. The place is really barren and I had a bad time there. It is even better turning back than walking out at Xupu Bridge.

Xidu Adventure

One summer day two years ago I was eager for an adventure, and I got on line 5 and traveled to Xidu station to see Huangpu River there. That experience wasn't pleasant. What I saw, instead of Huangpu River, are many factories and villages on both sides of the river and there are no paths along the river to walk comfortably.

Lujiazui Area

On the Pudong side, there is a lot to see between Nanpu Bridge and Qichangzhan Ferry. The river travels around the Lujiazui Area, and you may find yourself circling around the tallest towers in Pudong if you walk Northward from Nanpu Bridge. The place is shaped like a mouth.

There is a tower near Nanpu Bridge on the Puxi side that shows you the temperature. It is tall and I could even see it on my balcony in my previous home. It is about 8 kilometers from my previous home to the temperature building.

There are many tall buildings on the way, including Citigroup and Shangrila Hotel. There are sculptures of different kinds of animals. There is also another sculpture showing many little men walking on a plank and trying to balance themselves. On the left side, there are boating clubs. There are many expensive restaurants along the way. The Pudong side of the route ends at Yangpu Bridge.

Day vs Night Walks

Walking in the daytime is really fine. You can see the beautiful scenery more closely. It is always joyous to walk in the sunshine. It is also safer for you won't get lost or trip over something too dark to see. But night has its own charms. Andrew Webber said, "nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation." Though this is a song in an opera, it is proved. When you walk along the river at night, everything is more still. In the daytime there are many things to observe, there are just too much light and sound, filling your ears and eyes. In the night there are no more lights than distant street lamps, no more sound to hear, and one's ears gave way to a lot of different, interesting sounds. There is much more to be discovered along the river.

I used to have a hard time walking around Zhongxing Road. It was so har
to be alone, there are people everywhere. The street is full of motorcycles even at 10 or 11 pm.

Reflections on Wandering

Now I live in Zhangjiang High Technology park, and I always walk to the suburban if I go wandering around. It was deserted even at 9 pm. There are few buses and taxis, and stores are shut down. It is so hard to get back. I couldn't walk to wherever I want because there are chances I couldn't get back quickly. There are few lights and people in the streets at night.

I like always like wandering around just for fun. It is one of my hobbies now. Sometimes I want to be like Strider, but there is a big difference between what you want to do for fun and your occupation. And anyway, walking in those deserted, dangerous place on a dark night is not pleasant and there are always chances for one to get injured anywhere along the way.