EXPLORATIONS FURTHER AFIELD

Our first day’s explorations helped us re-orient to both new and previously explored areas nearby. We passed fragrant jasmine bushes in bloom, lively corner markets, young people flirting by the side of Suzou creek as well as grandmothers smiling proudly as they attempted to keep up with a grandchild. We were pleased to discover that we were within a short walking distance of M50- an old ‘slub (cotton) mill’ that had been renovated into an arts and art studio complex.  We are also fairly close to the Huxi Mosque, which we visited last time during Ramadan (and booked marked as a place to which we want to return this trip). Exhausted by our exertions,  we returned to crash/sleep. (Did I mention it was a long flight???)

1933 building- slaughter house to arts venue

The next day,  we had more energy and wandered further afield. We emerged from our hotel to discover a small ‘pop-up market’ outside our hotel as we figured out how to get to the metro station. We were headed for a renovated slaughter house, call the 1933 Building (once the largest in Shanghai). We walked along a small creek with small two story homes and neighborhoods before reaching our destination: a multi-story ornate cement complex that was being renovated as another arts complex. Inside it resembled a 3-dimensional Escher drawing with a circular central area surrounded by shops, and stairs going in mysterious directions. It even had a small magical garden on the top level. We enjoyed the flowers, and scented plants as we watched people of all ages, mainly women or couples, snap photos of themselves posing against the abstract concrete shapes of the building. 

Nanging Walking Street 

Next we took the Metro (they have great public transportation here) to walk up the now familiar Nanjing Walking street. It was spring and a holiday, so the green leafy trees provided shelter to families and couples eating and having fun being out with lots of other people.  We made our way to the top of People’s Park, intending to go to the Museum of Modern Art. However, we got waylaid by lots of other things along the way. Weekend park visits in Shanghai are amazing opportunities to see people gathering to make art together- dancing, music, and water brush paintings can be found in any space where a few people can gather. 

Dancing in People's Park

We came across a group of costumed people dancing a type of ethnic dance to live percussion and recorded music (evidently one of China's official 50+ national minorities). I am not sure about the origins of the dances, but they appeared to be somewhat central Asian or middle eastern…perhaps from one of the ‘stan’ nations.  Couples swirled to compelling rhythms; the men, several in boots and embroidered vests, stamped proudly and gestured enticingly to women dressed in vests and swirling red skirts and caps. The women’s arms were outstretched or coyly covering their faces or chests, with hands and fingers that created circular designs in the space around their bodies.

Of course, I could not help but be pulled in. First a nearby woman helped me learn the various foot patterns and arm movements as other observers gave us thumbs up and smiles (I have no idea what they were saying in Mandarin, but it seemed enthusiastic).  At some point, one of the stronger male dancers pulled me into the center of dancers, and we danced together with an energy the resembled Turkish or Arabic dances I have done in the past. Finally, hot and tired, we reluctantly moved on.

Marriage Market in People's Park 

Next stop- (we were still trying to make it to the museum) we passed a group of older men and women, sitting behind umbrellas on the ground with sheets of paper that included a phone number at the bottom (the only thing I could read). We had stumbled on to the weekend marriage market, where families come to find mates for the children (I am assuming probably their daughters, but Bruce wonders if it's the single sons who the parents are worried about, given the relative shortage of marriageable women as a result of the only recently ended "one-child policy" resulting in a serious gender imbalance in the coming of age generation).  There were many sellers lining paths in many direction as other people wandered up and down looking at descriptions, making notes, and holding small conversations.  Who says arranged marriages aren't still a possibility?

Moving on, we came upon more dancing groups, that seemed to be similar types of steps as the first group. This is the first time I have observed this style of dancing, and I wonder if it happens only in People’s Park (and if so why?).  We also saw folks playing music, cards, go, and two women (one dressed in stylish army attire) practicing a more energetic combative couples dance and being observed by a number of older women with beehive hair-dos that would be the envy of girls in the 1950’s.  We got lost and discovered a section of the park for young couples to have intimate conversations and kisses and eventually realized that we were getting tired and decided to not go to the museum after all. 

 

Instead we headed for a small store in the French Concession that specializes in traditional indigo dye fabrics and clothing ("blue and white" cotton cloth). To get to the shop we entered a very nice shikuman courtyard and walked toward the back until we arrived at a large home with an attached shop in the back. While the fabrics and shirts were beautiful, and replicated many of the older historic samples in the small museum upstairs, we opted to not purchase anything… everything was very expensive. But we did take a few photos of the fabric being dried outside the shop. 

OK--all for now.