Old city and market

One of the thinks I was looking forward to visit was to go and see the old city, so one morning we woke up early as usual and headed towards the old city with the intension to have a look at the old city and visit the Yu Yuan Garden. The city was as I imagined, with old houses and narrow streets, with smell of Chinese food and humanity and curious people starring at you, thinking what can 2 European might look for in their old city. Well, what I was looking for was to experience some old Chinese cities. As it was less than 07:00 o’ clock in the morning, the streets were not so crowded so I could stroll around for an hour without being embarrassed by too much crowd.In the middle of this old Shanghai city, there is Yu Yuan Garden, a classical Chinese Garden with corridors and bridges over ponds and nice vegetations, tea houses. This combination of old Chinese architecture, corridors and bridges, vegetation and the air of ancient times makes the Garden special.Leaving the Garden I had a feeling I had just been part of China’s old history.Heading the Xiang Yiang market which was only 30 minutes walk away, we passed through the old city food market which is difficult for me to exactly describe but I shall mention only the tiny, dirty, crowded and smelly streets that one could hardly breathe the air, with people selling fish, vegetables in the most deplorable conditions I could not imagine it existed in the 3rd millennium and which did not at all reminded me of the modern civilization I had previously encountered in the new city area. Those few minutes spent there were ages to me and I had the feeling I could never find the way out from that area. I felt fear, panic and disgust in the same time. The place was so crowded that at any minute I had the chance someone to touch me and as I was keeping tight my bag I was thinking “ What the hell was I looking there? Why didn’t I mind my business and was so stubborn to visit the place?”…because I did not know it was so unattractive.Finally we got to the Xiang Yiang market and was anxious to shop. Shopping in a market can be an interesting experience.