Last weekend we went to Pudong to celebrate my birthday. I invited some friends to meet me at the Paulaner Biergarten, which seemed like a suitable choice, not only because it was beautiful 28 degrees sunshine, but also because they serve German beer and food.
It was our fist time being in Pudong, so we arrived a good few hours early to wonder around. We were amazed about the elevated footpath bridges on which you can walk through the financial district to get to places faster and which also allow you to have a good view on all the modern skyscrapers, like the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Shanghai World Financial Center Tower. The whole area was very modern, clean and felt almost like a surreal island separated from Shanghai by the Huangpu River.
We made our way through a little park to the Riverside area and really enjoyed the calm atmosphere hearing the waves from the Huangpu River below us, watching ships pass by and just relaxing in the sun with Häagen-Dazs ice cream.
We had a great time at the Paulaner Biergarten sitting in a nice spot by the river on ale-benches – the beer prices are Oktoberfest prices though (80 RMB for 0.5l), but the food was delicious (I had a thin, crispy Wiener Schnitzel). Our afternoon ended with a beautiful sunset over the Bund…
At the end of the day and also the end of my birthday weekend, I persuaded my friends to go to the Flair Rooftop Bar at The Ritz-Carlton Pudong with me. As I have worked at The Ritz-Carlton in the past and also am crazy about luxury hotels, this was a must-see for me. When we arrived on top, on the 59th floor, the view was absolutely breathtaking. It was even better than I imagined!
This felt like the perfect ending to my birthday weekend and I must say I really liked Pudong and will surely be back soon. It is not as cozy and full of character like the Former French Concession, but it feels like a reflection of the face of modern architecture paired with sophisticated taste and lots of opportunities to indulge and relax.
– Her
Jitensha Adventure 