Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Shanghai Treasure Hunt 2 (6/12/2012)

Tuesday, June 12, 2012
A sunny day for a Treasure Hunt! This one is titled "Enjoy a Cultural Crawl Through Hongkou."
The starting point is the Dong Baoxing Lu station of Metro Line 3. Take exit 1, cross Hailan Lu and continue forward along Baoshan Lu. You will pass through a tented tunnel of food vendors:
Take a sharp right on narrow Hengbang Lu, passing fruit and vegetable stalls, and this duck roaster (?):
At the end of Hengbang Lu, turn left on Dong Hengbang Lu and you will arrive at Duolun Lu. Duolun Road , known as Darroch Road in the 1920s and 1930s, was home to Lu Xun and his leftist writer friends. A left turn will bring you to the Xi Zhi Zhong Lou and the Old Film Cafe:
We were to identify the actor (Charlie Chaplin) whose statue waits at the door of the Old Film Cafe:
Duolun Road makes a 90-degree turn at Dong Hengbang Lu, so if you went back as if turning right off Dong Hengbang, you would see the Hong De Tang church:
A Christian church built in 1928 with Chinese architectural features.
Okay, now turn around again and follow Duolun Lu back past the Old Film Cafe.
Posing as leftist writers?
Continue to the antiques store at Nos. 179-181. Looking up you will see several "waving" Maos:
 You must stroll through the antiques store!
Take a left at Lane 201 and zigzag back to a large neo-Classical style building at no. 2:
Shanghai Daily
Here was the site of the inaugural meeting of the League of Leftist Writers. We were to find out what this building has become (the "Memorial of the Meeting Site of the Establishment of China Leftwing Authors alliance").
Another zig along Lane 201 to find Guo Moruo's former residence. We were to look for the plaque at No. 1269, but you needed to look for Lane 201 No. 89:
 A youngster repairs his door with cement:
Back out on Duolun Lu, I headed down a lane on the right to see a villa we had missed the last time we were here. The lane is actually off Sichan Bei Lu. This is the plaque at Lane 2023 No. 35:
The former residence of Tang Enbo, a Kuomintang general:
Continuing along Duolon Lu, to the Moroccan-inspired former residence of Kong Xiangxi:
Apparently Adolph Hitler once visited here.
After you pass through a decorative arch, turn right on Sichuan Bei Lu. Cross the street when you see the ICBC Bank at No. 2050:
This was the former site of the Neishan bookstore owned by the Japanese Uchiyama, another cohort of Lu Xun. Enter the bank, and go to take the stairs to the left. There is a small msueum (in Chinese) of the writers who often met at the bookstore.
We were to see how many calligraphy tools (3) were displayed in a central glass cabinet:
When you exit the bank, stay left to follow Shanyin Lu to Lane 57:
Sida Li was built in 1900:
Shanyin Lu Lane 69 is Hengfang Li, built in 1905:
On the left on Shanyin Lu, at No. 9 Continental Terrace, is the last residence of Lu Xun:
It was being renovated the last time we were here.
Continue along Shanyin Lu to Lane 274, a market lane that will bring you to Tian Ai Lu. Take a right and look for the entrance to Lu Xun Park on your left. As you enter the park, the white-washed Lu Xun Memorial Hall will be up on the right. look to the left for a bust. We were to name the Hungarian rebel-revolutionary and poet (Petofi Sandor):
The Lu Xun Memorial Hall:
Turning right and take a path to the right through the greenery to see the 1929 drinking fountain:
Continuing on, you were supposed to see old folks fishing and playing instruments. I didn't see them in the usual places:
Wandering through the park, I did see an artist at work:
The artist's grandson is also at work:
If you have seen the movie "Raise the Red Lantern," this will sound familiar:
Foot (or knee) massage.
The China-Japan Friendship Memorial Clock:
Where is that music coming from?
The bridge to an islet:
We were to count the concrete steps (12) to the viewing platform on the islet:
The "sweeping" view:
It is suggested to visit the Plum Garden, seen here across the lake:
This has a separate admission fee of 15 RMB.
The dedication rock, also in Korean:
Living bonsai with a Lu Xun Park bridge in the background:
Korean-style hall:
Shady creek:
Bonsai patio:
Living bonsai hill:
Bonsai nursery?
Roses blocking the path:
The garden was built as a memorial to Korean Yin Feng Ji, who assassinated seven Japanese military leaders who were celebrating in the park in 1932.
You were also encouraged to visit the Lu Xun Tomb, but it was surrounded by striped tarps:
The groups of singers and dancers were not in attendance today, maybe because of the tree trimming in their plaza:
Exit at the Hongkou Football Stadium:
There is a station for Metro lines 3 and 8.

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