And how about photos? The Boston GTG sounded and looked great. Thank Bob for the photos of that.

Wow - 200 posts - LYNN, can I get a copy of your trip report?

Shanghainese. The answer is that both hotels were very good. We're really glad we stayed in the two different locations. The French Concession can best be enjoyed when one is staying there. However, the Meridien's location is super for diving into the middle of Shanghai. Both were enjoyed by the pandas. The Rui Jin was nice, but there was construction going on in the middle of the property, so the idyllic setting was somewhat disturbed. The Meridien was more luxurious, but it was a much larger hotel and more anonymous. Also, the great restaurants were gone from the RJ. If we had to pick just one, it would be the Meridien because of its central location. When we return, we will again stay at two hotels, one in the FC and one centrally located.

Craig-I'll be glad to send you a copy, but you forgot your E-mail address as did half the responders to Lynn.

Finally catching up on all the entries post 9-27 in this wonderful report, and went back and paid better attention to the first portion.

You stayed at Rui Jin! I wanted to arrange a special dinner for a few of us at Lan Na Thai in that complex so I went over at lunch time one day in order to scope out the property and make a dinner reservation -- I thought. They had closed down and moved away (although the on-line resources that I consulted ahead of time didn't tip their hand). A new restaurant, Colours, had opened up but even at the peak of lunch time there were no diners in evidence, none. The two hostesses seemed glad of my attention and walked me around at leisure. Alarmed at the lack of any lunch-time trade, I eventually decided to make a reservation elsewhere. Question: Were Lan Na Thai and Face Bar already gone when you were there?

Between us, we covered three Shanghai branches of Din Tai Fung and made a fair dent in China's dumpling inventory but fortunately it's a renewable resource. I was amused to read how much you enjoyed South Beauty's kung pao sauce. Other SB dishes such as "4 treasures of the scholar" were less dazzling but that sauce was a marvel. We had it on both scallops and chicken. We went to the Xintiandi branch of South Beauty but I suspect that the other option was more charming.

I have to chuckle at how familiar some of the sources of confusion are. In Shanghai, the top 3 are probably 1) SHA vs PVG, 2) Shanghai Museum vs. Shanghai Art Museum, and (trickiest of all, I think) Tai Kang Lu vs. Tai Cang Lu.

You had a better visit to the Arts and Crafts Museum than I did and you remind me that I wanted to go to MOCA and Mme Mao's Dowery, among other things.

I'd like to see Shanghai again after all the Expo 2010 sprucing up is done and the guests have come and gone. I miss seeing the Bund in its former splendor.

One more question: I got multiple answers to the question, "What is happening to the Peace Hotel post-renovation?" Do you know the answer?

Thanks for a great report. I am still musing over what the Chinese hotelier's notion of a "heavenly bed" is in an above-board hotel, but I probably shouldn't.

Both restaurants at the Rui Jin were closed when we were there. We were very diappointed. We did not try Colours. It did not look appetising.

We did manage to accomplish all three confusions. No harm, just muddled through. Glad to see we hit the high spots.

Don't know much about the Peace Hotel plans. They were working feverishly, so I guess they were trying to finish ahead of the Expo.

I am really enjoying your report MaryA.

Topping for Kerry.

i thought this report had been removed as objectionable...

Panda: I am finally getting to savor every word. Although the lashings of lasagna in Shanghai do present a troubling picture.

Panda: The Fuyou antiques "market" on Fangbang Lu--is this in the Yu Gardens section of the old town?

Does anyone know if the outdoor market around Dongtai Lu is still ongoing?

Which of these, or other, would be a good place to see the whole range of decent quality "antiques" in one place?

Fangbang Lu and the market are a little south of the Yu Gardens. It is a very short walk. So I guess it is in the Yu Gardens section.

Pandas are way too hip to know anything about antiques.

Wow, Thanks Gpanda! Thoroughly enjoyable! I really loved the witty banter between you and fellow Fodorites! Too many examples to recount but, as a cat owner, those dumpling making cats are what I want! Mine just make stinky messes! If your lot ever have kittens - I want one...badly. Incidentally and off the track, here in Oz (maybe everywhere else?) we say..."Don't have kittens" as the equivalent of Bart Simpson's... "Don't have a cow, man" but your kittens would really be worth having!

Kerry-"Don't have kittens" is used here in the US, but not very often. The Fodorite banter is an essential part of the trip reports. It keeps us on our furry toes. When you write a report, we'll chime in when appropriate.

I look forward to that! I have two trip reports listed on Edinburgh , Brugges and Tokyo and I would love some of your witty banter on them as your posts really have some of the best funny lines on Fodor's! I laughed at your "Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable" motto. I love a good laugh and look forward to more from you. I do appreciate yours and others help on Shanghai.Thanks-Kerry

EK: Decent quality antiques for sale do not exist, Dongtai Lu is as fun as burying your bowls at home in the backyard overnight, dig them out and take them to Dongtai for sale.

Hi S: That is why I put the word antiques in quotes in my post above! I bought some nice things at DongTai Lu area 3 years ago...they were pretty inexpensive and I do not care if they are "real" or not--they certainly look pretty on my shelves. (Not that I need any more "stuff!")

I was just wondering if that area is still a good bet, or if there are any other areas for these old-looking decorative items, ethnic jewelry, ceramics, odds and ends...


I liked the concentration of small shops in the DongTai Lu area.. it was pleasant to wander around and look at everything, even if I did get yelled at by a rather cranky vendor for offering what must have been an insulting low price on the rubber ear with the acupuncture markings that I wanted for my sister.

Like this:



http://www.chinesecultureonline.com/...plies/944.html

sorry, panda--I just had an idea. How could I find a shop selling acupuncture supplies? I bet they would have some interesting gift items..

A sister? How can this be? Did the space module have two occupants? I can just imagine family vacations in their youth. Yikes!

Ek: I don't know of any other place than Dongdai Road (I think it's spelled that way instead of Dongtai) for your finds, if you liked it, ask your hotel desk if it's still open before you go there. I'm not going to Shanghai till October so you beat me.

I don't recall if you visited the Art Alley on Taikang Road, it's a more expensive area but quite pleasant.

Panda: I am reading up on the weekend "antiques"/"ghost" market at 457 Fangbang Lu. My info says that is gets started at 5am. Happily, I will be in Shanghai on the weekend. Question: What day and what time did you go there?

As for the space module: It took you long enough to notice.

We visited the antiques market on Saturday. We got there around 9:30-10:00 and it was in full swing, i.e., all spots taken by vendors. There were many purchasers, but it was not overly crowded. A nice place to start a day of wandering in the old twon section.

In re the space module: I've tried to keep it under wraps, but the alien nature keeps rising to the top, e.g., a proclivity for reviving dead threads.

Please note the use of "i.e." and "e.g." in the same post. A lawyer's dream.