Twin Cities of Singapore and Shanghai

By Staf Reporter Liu Li

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Twin Cities of Singapore and Shanghai

By Staf Reporter Liu Li

Shanghai and Singapore， both prosperous metropolises， compete to show their beauty and charms. They are the authentic depiction of China and ASEAN in the new era. Prosperity and openness are seeded， and glory and dreams are gathered here.

Today， Tianzifang has become a leisure destination for the young in Shanghai.

Despite different historical background and development modes， Shanghai and Singapore， standing by the sea in East Asia and South Asia respectively， can be compared to pearls inlaid in the Pacifc Ocean and Indian Ocean that link the waterways of West and East Asia to the world. Tanks to growing immigration and integration of multi-ethnic groups， Shanghai and Singapore present the social features with cultural diversity. The fusion between East and West and between historical and modern civilizations enable the twin cities display their charms and vitality from diferent angles.

Almost 50 years ago Harry Lee Kua Yew，Singapore's first prime minister， said in his memoir Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going，“Te future looked bleak”. However， over the past few decades， Singapore has built a prosperous， democratic， incorruptible， civilized and beautiful modern country. Because of that，China has taken the experience of Singapore as an important reference since the beginning of opening up. Tanks to the reform and opening up over the past 30-odd years， Shanghai， a representative of prosperity in China， springs to life just as Singapore does.

Singapore， a tropical island， is famed for its neat streets， good social order and simple folkways. We can absorb the ancient melodies along the heritage trails in Chinatown and Kampong Glam， and wander along the bustling Clarke Quay or Boat Quay. Te unique local cultural traditions can also be found from specialties such as Bak Kut The， Hainanese Chicken Rice and Laksa， that combine tastes of Chinese，Malaysian， Indian and Eurasian cooking. Little India is a special place in Singapore， where the rich smell of Indian curry and spices pervades the air and Indian women with graceful saris roam the streets to do their shopping in the old ways. The architecture and lifestyle here are totally different from the well-regulated high-rises downtown. It is an Indian community， seemingly a microcosm of India. Ablaze with lights， colorful architecture make up a resplendent fairyland.

Many people get to know Shanghai from the novels written by Eileen Chang. Tey even believe that the Shanghai in Chang's novel represented a real world.

As a matter of fact， when Eileen Chang lived in Shanghai， her life was confned to several houses and streets. For that reason， what frequently appeared in her novels are lanes and Shikumen houses （residential quadrangle with stone-ringed door）， while the foreign-style houses were merely a background seen from afar. Tis represents the novelist's recognition of her own identity.

Today， when roaming around Shanghai，the old Western-style architectures in the Bund area stand adjacent to the modern skyscrapers in Pudong district across the river.We can hear hymns sung in the Grace Church，smell the incense in the Jade Buddha Temple，and see seniors playing Mahjong and children romping in the lanes. We can enjoy Shaoxing Opera in the experimental theater， story-telling in Pudong， and symphony and ballet performances in the Grand Theater. We can taste the traditional Shanghai food in traditional restaurants， Cantonese food in John's Shanghai Restaurant， French cuisine，and Fresh Chicken in the Xiaoshaoxing Restaurant. Te tea houses in the old streets and bars in Shikumen intermingle to shine upon each other. Everything can create a sense of nostalgia that takes us to a lifestyle long since passed.

Shanghai charm saturates its lanes， the most typical of which today is Tianzifang. When we walk in the mazy lanes， special shops and art workshops unfold before us. Besides creative shops， galleries and photo exhibitions，the lanes are also home to various kinds of café bars. In an idle afernoon with autumn breeze，bright sunshine and lazy aroma of cofee， it is a good chance to enjoy the atmosphere of lanes of old Shanghai.

Rich culture， strong economic strength and privileged geography combine to help the tourism fourish in Shanghai and Singapore.

The Chongming Island， the “back garden” of Shanghai， is deemed as the “gateway to the Yangtze River and a fairy mountain to the East Sea”. As the third largest island in the country， it has in recent years relied on supportive industries， such as efcient eco-agriculture and marine equipment， and thus gained sustained growth in its comprehensive economic strength. Meanwhile， the island has focused on the eco-tourism to take advantage of the abundant tour resources， one of which is the Dongping National Forest Park， the frst choice for citizens to “return to nature”， being richly endowed with thick forests， crystal-clear lakes， an abundance of birds and a rich rural environment. The other choice is Dongtan Migratory Bird Sanctuary， home to 1 million birds， which represent 265 species， including 34 species under national protection and more than 130 rare species of migratory birds.

Te Xisha National Wetland Park is a tidal fat on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. In spring and summer， the wetland is covered with greenery. Little sand crabs are ofen seen scuttling around. Autumn is a good time to enjoy the endless reed fowers. Te wetland is the best place to see birds， as it is the habitat of a great number of egrets and bar-headed geese. To enjoy the sunrise， the best place is the Dongtan wetland at the east end of the island. For sunset，tourists go to the Xisha wetland at the west end. It is a most beautiful thing to appreciate the sunset gradually into the earth's embrace at the end of the reed sea. Te Chongming Island is trying its best to adapt to the long-term demands for building Shanghai into a modern international metropolis and grow into one of the best regions featuring harmony between humans and nature and coordinated development in economy and society.

Shanghai and Singapore， twin international metropolises， have interacted with each other closely. In the future， they can share more of their experiences in port， industrial area， smart city construction. It is expected that as China continues its Belt and Road construction effort， with Shanghai strengthening its efort in the development of the Pilot Free Trade Zone and “Quadruple Center”， the twin cities will further their all-round cooperation to upgrade the free trade system to lay a solid foundation for China-ASEAN Community of Common Destiny.

Merlion's Park，Singapore