MyPlain

Author: Tami

  • No. 5 The Bund – A Tale of Two Cultures in Stone

    No. 5 The Bund was formerly the Nisshin Building. Its facade is elegantly divided into a tripartite composition, blending Meiji-era Western-style architecture with traditional European classical elements.

    Standing in front of the building, you might notice the stylistic nuance between the bottom and top, which comes from its complex origin.

    Construction began in 1921 and was completed in 1925, commissioned by Nisshin—the largest Japanese shipping enterprise in China at the time. Due to funding shortages during construction, the company entered a joint venture with a Jewish businessman.

    They agreed to a vertical division of labor: the Japanese investors handled the lower three floors and semi-basement, while the Jewish partner financed the upper three floors.

    This collaboration produced a distinctive architectural fusion — the lower section features a clean, minimalist aesthetic, while the upper floors boast elaborate classical columns, ornate window frames, and intricate reliefs. This blend earned the building the colloquial title of “Japanese-Jewish Style” architecture.

    The building’s history mirrors the turbulent 20th century. After the Anti-Japanese War ended in 1945, it was seized by the Chinese government as enemy property and repurposed as the office building for the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company.

    In the decades that followed, it served variously as the headquarters for the Shanghai Maritime Bureau, earning the local nickname “Maritime Building.”

    A new chapter began at the turn of the millennium. In 1999, an Australian entrepreneur opened M on the Bund on the top floor — the first privately owned Western restaurant on the Bund. With its sweeping views of the Huangpu River, it quickly became a favorite spot for dining and socializing, and helped bring new life to the Bund’s restaurant scene.

    Today, No. 5 The Bund is still a popular spot for international dining and leisure. But if you look up at its facade, you can still see the story it carries — the clean lines below, the ornate details above, and a history that refuses to be simplified.

  • The Chinese Characters Next to the Zodiac Animals

    Last week, I came across a foreign girl in a Chinese tea ware shop. She knew some Chinese but not much, so I helped her communicate with the shop owner, an elderly gentleman.

    She knew her zodiac sign but was confused by the Chinese characters next to the zodiac animals on the little cups.

    Well, that’s a bit complicated because it involves the system of 天干地支 (tiān gān dì zhī) — Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. It was used in ancient Chinese astronomy and calendars to mark years, months, days, and hours. It was also widely used in divination, counting, and naming.

    Now, back to the Chinese zodiac: the twelve zodiac animals repeat every twelve years. So, if two different years are 12 years apart (e.g., 2014 and 2026), are they exactly the same?

    The answer is no.

    The reason lies in the combination of the ten Heavenly Stems and the twelve Earthly Branches. When you combine them sequentially—matching the first stem with the first branch, the second with the second, and so on—it takes sixty years for the same combination to reappear. This is known as the sexagenary cycle, or a full “甲子 (jiǎ zǐ)” cycle.

    I know the math might be a little confusing. Why is it 60 years instead of 120?

    Well, there’s a traditional rule: Yin pairs with Yin, and Yang pairs with Yang. In mathematical terms, it simply means odd numbers pair with odd numbers, and even numbers pair with even numbers.

    Take a look at the ten Heavenly Stems (甲 jiǎ, 乙 yǐ, 丙 bǐng, 丁 dīng, 戊 wù, 己 jǐ, 庚 gēng, 辛 xīn, 壬 rén, 癸 guǐ) and the twelve Earthly Branches (子 zǐ, 丑 chǒu, 寅 yín, 卯 mǎo, 辰 chén, 巳 sì, 午 wǔ, 未 wèi, 申 shēn, 酉 yǒu, 戌 xū, 亥 hài). According to this rule, we have years like Jiǎ Zǐ and Yǐ Chǒu, but we never have Jiǎ Chǒu or Yǐ Zǐ. Does that make sense?

    So, here’s a quick test for you: if this year is the year of the Bǐng Wǔ Horse, do you know what next year will be?

  • The Original Story of Fangsheng Bridge

    If you’ve been to the famous water town, Zhujiajiao, you might never forget the amazing Fangsheng Bridge.

    It’s the town’s most iconic landmark. This five-arch stone bridge is the largest of its kind in the Shanghai region, measuring 70.8 meters long and 7.4 meters high. The current bridge was built in 1812, but its story begins much earlier.

    Legend has it that in 1571, a Buddhist monk named Xingchao from a nearby Temple called Cimen raised funds to build the first bridge at this site.

    Before the bridge, people had to cross the river by a small wooden ferry. One stormy day, strong winds turned over the ferry. Xingchao’s pregnant mother was pulled from the water and gave birth on the shore—but she did not survive. Xingchao was left an orphan. He was raised by the villagers and eventually became a monk.

    To honor his mother’s memory and spare future travelers from similar danger, he traveled far and wide to raise money to build the original bridge.

    The name Fangsheng Bridge, literally ‘Setting-Free Bridge’, also reflects the Buddhist practice of releasing captive animals—a ritual that was once held there.

  • No. 1 The Bund – The Asia Building & Shanghai Jiushi International Art Center

    Completed in 1916, No. 1 The Bund sits right at the southern end of the waterfront. It’s widely known as the Asia Building.

    Just a year before it was finished, the Yangjingbang Creek — the waterway that separated the French Concession from the British Settlement — still flowed past its south side. It was filled in to become Avenue Edward VII, which later evolved into today’s East Yan’an Road.

    Architecturally, it’s a masterpiece of Eclecticism. It has the formal symmetry of Neoclassicism, but is adorned with rich Baroque details — like the swirling carvings above the entrance and the grand Ionic columns. Back in the day, it served as the headquarters for the Asiatic Petroleum Company — a subsidiary of Shell and one of the major British oil firms in the region.

    Later, it housed various local institutions, such as the Shanghai Metallurgical Design & Research Institute and the Shanghai Silk Company, before being carefully restored in recent years.

    Today, it has been beautifully transformed into the Jiushi International Art Center — the perfect place to experience the rich layers of Shanghai’s modern history, making it a must-see on any Bund visit.

  • China Travel Guide 101: Understanding the Scale

    I’ve helped several foreign friends adjust their China travel plans. I noticed that most mistakes came from not understanding the country’s real size.

    It’s not their fault.

    The world maps we learned at school were centered on our own country. They distorted the representation of other parts of the world because of how the maps work.

    So I wrote this article to give you a better sense of China’s scale.

    First of all, keep this in mind: China is not just a normal country. It’s basically like an entire continent in terms of scale and diversity.

    It is as big as the entire Europe. To avoid spending all your holiday on trains or planes, please check this simple guide:

    1. A “Province” is NOT a City

    • The Myth: “Is Xinjiang or Sichuan Province just a small place?”
    • The Reality:
      • Xinjiang is as big as 3 France or 4 Japan. Driving 6 to 8 hours between two places is normal. It’s like driving from Paris to Rome.
      • Inner Mongolia is super long. From one end to the other is like going from London to Moscow.
      • Sichuan Province is bigger than Germany.

    2. City Distances (Don’t Trust the Map!)

    Places that look close on a map can be very far.

    RouteDistanceLike Going From…Best Way to Travel
    Beijing ⇋ Shanghai~1,200 kmNew York ⇋ Miami️ Flight (2h) or Train (4.5h)
    Shanghai ⇋ Chongqing~1,600 kmLos Angeles ⇋ Chicago️ Flight is best (3h). Train takes 8-10 hours!
    Chengdu ⇋ Lhasa~2,000 km+San Francisco ⇋ Denver️ Flight is best.
    Guangzhou ⇋ Beijing~2,000 kmSeattle ⇋ Boston️ Flight (3h) or Train (8h)
    Xi’an ⇋ Urumqi~2,500 kmLisbon ⇋ Kyiv️ Flight is a MUST (3.5h)

    3. The “Same Province” Trap

    Even if two places are in the same province, they can be very far apart.

    • The Yunnan Trap:
      • Kunming ⇋ Shangri-La: They are in the same province, but the distance is like Amsterdam ⇋ Milan. It takes hours by train, plus mountain roads.
    • The Sichuan Trap:
      • Chengdu ⇋ Jiuzhaigou: They are in the same province, but it used to take 8-10 hours by bus (like Vancouver to Calgary). Even with the new train, you still need a connecting bus. It is NOT right next door.

    4. 3 Golden Rules for Beginners

    Rule 1: 3 Weeks = Max 3 Places
    If you only have 3 weeks, do not visit too many places.

    • Wrong: Beijing + Shanghai + Xi’an + Chengdu + Guilin + Sanya (Too tired!).
    • Right: Beijing + Xi’an + Shanghai OR Chengdu + Chongqing + Yunnan.

    Rule 2: Travel Days are Busy Days
    When you change cities, you won’t have time to play in the afternoon.

    • Train stations in China are huge. Security and getting on the train take at least 0.5~1 hour.
    • Getting from the station to your hotel might take another hour.
    • Bottom line: When you change cities, plan for a relaxing evening. Don’t do too much.

    Rule 3: Trains are Fast, but Check the Time

    • Example: Shanghai to Chongqing by train takes forever. Take a plane instead.
    • Example: Shanghai to Suzhou takes only around 30 minutes. It’s like taking a subway, so a day trip is easy.

    Hope this helps you avoid a “vacation spent entirely in transit.” Have an amazing trip to China!