• ILLUSTRATIONS
  • WALL ART
  • WORKSHOPS
  • About
  • TRAVELOG
ruchi shah
  • ILLUSTRATIONS
  • WALL ART
  • WORKSHOPS
  • About
  • TRAVELOG

SHANGHAI - A SHOWPIECE OF CHINA'S BOOMING ECONOMY

I was traveling to China for the first time and it was a challenge owing to the fact that neither my number, network, Whatsapp or Facebook would work in China. It is one of the most restricted countries in the world in terms of internet. But being technologically smarter and businessmen by nature - they have created a variety of their own social media platforms which are popular but work only in Chinese languages! The first place I saw was Shanghai - as the Maersk event was held here. The name Shanghai is derived from shàng/zan, "upon and  hǎi/hae, "sea", together meaning "Upon the Sea". It is easily one of the largest port cities which is second largest in population. All around you'll see well made roads, lit up skylines, slick salesmen, amidst a muggy climates, dirty smelling water bodies, strange food smells and great infrastructure - it boasts of some of the tallest buildings in the world ... and then again more buildings, and ghost towns, the sheer number of people moving around can be overwhelming. In spite of trees and gardens one can see that urbanization has taken over most of the land here. According to me Shanghai did not look very different from any other metro in India. I was used to the crowds, the bargaining, figuring out the public transport and so on. The challenge was when things were written only in Chinese with no translation in English. And occasionally the food. Being a vegetarian is difficult while traveling in other parts of Asia but cosmopolitan places like Shanghai & Beijing are far more easier to travel in than other parts of China.  

​​​​​​​

Read more

tags: Shanghai, Rock and Wood Hostel, The Bund, Cityscapes, Maglev, Magnetic trains, Festest train, Fastest train, Airports, Shanghai Museum, Chinese Calligraphy, Porcelain, Pottery, Ming, Song, Qing, Stone drum script, Wu Changshuo, Jiangxi, Qianlong Blue, Pudong Area, Shanghai Trans Rapid, Financial capital, Travel Asia, Exploring Shanghai, Asian cities, Populated cities, Bullet trains, Skyline, Buildings, Development, Developing countries
categories: Architecture, Art, Chronicling Textures, Community, Exploring Asia, Exploring China, Homestays, Patterns, Soul Journeys, Travel, Traveling Artist, Traveling Locally, Visual Documentations
Sunday 07.03.22
Posted by Ruchi Shah
 

QIBAO - WANDERING AROUND A WATER TOWN

I was invited to be a Graphic Facilitator for a project with Maersk (China) - one of the worlds largest shipping corporations. They had an event and workshop which comprised of members from most teams across South East Asia - they came coming to brainstorm on different ideas. I had to play the role of the person who can give this idea a form, identify a story around it and make the data look meaningful. Also since it was too many numbers/data a happier, brighter hand-drawn presentation was preferable. After the project was completed and while we were in Shanghai - we visited Qibao  It is an ancient water town that was established during the Song dynasty; it is a must-see place, which is easily accessible from Shanghai via the metro line. Qibao in Chinese means ‘seven treasures'. There are different myths behind this name - One theory states the name was due to the steady financial growth of the town, another one talks about seven mysteriously appearing treasures - Buddha, bell, lotus scriptures, sacred trees, a gold chicken, a jade axe and jade chopsticks. It is said that originally there were eight treasures, but apparently one was stolen. So, the town was named as Seven Treasures! While walking through the streets I felt that Quibao is like a small quaint town, almost like an organic niche within (or rather close to...) a modern urban bustling Shanghai. Qibao has a canal running through it - dotted with some old architecture and buildings which house numerous shops, galleries and street food cafes. There are winding lanes and small alleys with artists selling local crafts and handmade wares. Tiny bridges and hidden temples too, if you venture for a long walk through it. Some pockets are almost 'chawl' system like. A classic case of where traditionally richer architecture is lined up next to drab, dull matchbox houses. 

Read more

tags: Cantonese, Mandarin, Chinese Script, Calligraphy, Water colours, Water colour art, Art Galleries, Qibao, Shanghai, China, Travel, Travel Asia, Exploring Asia, South East Asia, Solo Travel, Wanderlust, Visual Ethnography, Visual documentation, Textures, Patterns, Culture, Cities, Rituals, Traditions, Architecture, Buildings, Monuments, Art, Souvenirs, Beliefs, Lanes, Roads, Developing countries, Developing cities, Pockets, Water Town, River Town, Canal Town, Puhei River, Bridges, Qibao Old Street, Artists, CalligraphyCafe, Cafes, Street Food, Temples, Seven Treasures, Bell Tower, Box houses, Cramped spaces, Population, Hot, Humid climate
categories: Art, Chronicling Textures, Community, Divine Art, Exploring Local Food, Homestays, Inspirations, Patterns, Sacred Art, Soul Journeys, Travel, Traveling Artist, Traveling Locally, Visual Documentations, Exploring China, Qibao Water towns, Architecture
Sunday 07.03.22
Posted by Ruchi Shah