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Opinion / Liang Hongfu
Charmed by Shanghai on a cool night
By Hong Liang (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-08-28 07:14
It was almost too good to be true. The clear blue sky, floating white
clouds and crisp clean air have combined to make life in Shanghai very
pleasant over the past couple of weeks.
The summer is not over yet, and it still gets pretty hot in the middle of
the afternoon. But the irritating haze and choking smog are in short
supply, giving the people of the nation's top metropolis a rare taste of
what it is like to live in an environment that is relatively free from
pollution.
The effect of this experience is more powerful than any official
directive or scholastic dissertation attempting to put forward the case
for environmental protection. It is also time for us to take our minds,
at least temporarily, off such depressing issues as the unfolding US
credit crisis and rising domestic inflationary pressure and bid adieu to
the languid summer, while welcoming the onset of autumn.
Indeed, autumn arrived a few weeks ago, according to the Chinese lunar
calendar. As if to reaffirm the wisdom of our ancient ancestors to those
Western-educated skeptics among us, the weather in Shanghai promptly took
on a mellower demeanor, befitting the season.
Aside from the occasional storms, there has not yet been a wild westerly
wind to blow away the dead and decayed and free our spirits from the
drudgery of daily life. But the cool breeze in the morning and late
afternoon is both comforting and inspiring nonetheless.
The local media have reported that a change in weather patterns is
bringing a constant stream of fresh ocean air that has cleared away the
dust and smog that for so long held the city in a choking grip. Some news
reports praised the municipal government for its strenuous efforts to
tidy up the environment. Others said the massive migration of low-level
manufacturing concerns to neighboring provinces has helped significantly
cut down on the amount of pollution in the city.
Whatever the reason, this is the time to enjoy Shanghai, especially in
the early morning or late afternoon, when the air is fresh and the
sunlight is mellow.
If you work on Huaihai Zhonglu, as I do, head to Nanchang Lu, near Fuxing
Park, after work. Avoid the park, which is nice, but, like most Shanghai
parks, is over-designed and excessively groomed.
There is nothing artificial on Nanchang. This quaint tree-lined street,
just off the main shopping strip of Huaihai, is usually quiet aside from
a few passing cars heading to the restaurants or the highly popular
karaoke bar on Yandang Lu. The streets are lined with some of the
best-preserved low-rise apartment buildings to have been built when
workmanship mattered, style was appreciated and space was available.
Those houses remind me of my old family home in Hong Kong. We also had a
small front yard where we gathered in the cool evenings after dinner to
talk and play. That evening I spent walking along Nanchang, I could see
children playing and hear them laughing in their front yards.
Some street-level homes have been converted into fashion boutiques and
antique shops. There are also a few picturesque coffee shops and fancy
small restaurants that lend a touch of romance and class to this quiet
residential neighborhood.
By the time you get to Shannxi Nanlu, you will be brought back
immediately to the reality of the metropolis that you sometimes find so
oppressively unbearable - the brightly-lit shops, crowded streets,
charging bicycles and honking cars.
But, of course, you have seen the better part of town, and there is no
better time to do so than now.
E-mail: jamesleung@chinadaily.com.cn
(China Daily 08/28/2007 page10)
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