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Taxi Scam: Don’t take taxi at Longyang Road Metro / Maglev Station

1/24/2017

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Pictureprivate taxi in maroon
Caution! Longyang Road Station is now haunted by taxi hustlers who solicit on foreigners only. But even many seasoned travelers who found its own way to the lineup still ended up in a trap. Obviously, it was the dereliction of duty of the transportation-inspecting authority that was to be blamed. I heard many such stories from my own customers and read complaints and warnings filed by other victims on the internet for years on end since the operation of Maglev line from 2003. It’s such a blemish to the image of the city and especially to the people of Shanghai or even China while it all happens right beneath the face project via which thousands of foreigners expect to get a fond first impression upon initial arrival.
There are some tips to avoid the scam that I hope would be useful to you. Good luck!

1, Don’t go for car plate with letter “X”. A car plate with letter x indicates independent taxi driver. Since these drivers are not constrained by the regulations of big taxi companies, some of them are utterly unscrupulous and prone to capitalize on foreigners by all means.

2, Stay away from dark-red (maroon) or dark-blue taxi.. The taxis of major operating companies in Shanghai are in yellow, green, white, red and blue. As I know, most privatized taxis (with letter x in car plate, as was said) are in either dark-blue or dark-red. However, there are clone taxis as well which are, of course, illegal and can be any color. picture

3, Never follow any approaching person offering taxi service to you. There are numerous ardent local people willing to help and the odds to meet a fine one at the Longyang Road Station is nil.

4, Meter device is not the indicator of the legality. The illegal taxis are equipped with the rigged meters which run much faster occasionally only when there is first-time-here outlander.

5, Trickster would give you a receipt but a useless one with no substantial subject on it to merely muddle you through because you can’t read a Chinese word. A formal receipt has itemized information including car plate number, driver’s license number, time and distance, etc. Picture of a formal receipt underneath.

6, Don’t suppose that the official lineup be absolutely reliable because you can’t recognize whether the lineup you are taken to is real or not, especially as a first-time visitor knowing not even one Chinese character.

7, When you realize you have been cheated and there would be nothing better to do with it on the spot, other than take a snap shot of the car plate in virtue of downloading the luggage from the trunk or any time before the car has gone beyond a valid reach. However, do it promptly and unheeded yet with composure. A picture of the car plate number coupled with your complaint as a foreigner to police, with some extra assistance from a local or hotel, will definitely pose a deadly blow to the evil.

8, If you do want to try the Maglev out as unique experience, you can do it upon departure at Longyang Road Station which is about 20 - 30 min ride / CNY30 - CNY50 away from downtown area. It’s also accessible as an interchange station of metro to Line 2, Line 7 and Line 15. From there. the maglev train is bound for Pudong International Airport with no stop in the middle. The regular operation time is 6:45 to 21:40 daily with departure once every 15 minutes before 19:00 or every 25 minutes afterwards. The whole ride takes constantly 7 minutes and 20 seconds over the distance of 30 km although the maximum speed is available only in two periods a day, namely

9, Use uber

10, Book an airport pickup service from Harris Gu:
harrisgu@yeah.net :-)))


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700 years of Czech presence in China - Tale of Odoric of Pordenone

11/25/2016

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A Franciscan missionary of a Czech family named Mattiussi, born at Villanova near Pordenone, Friuli, Italy, about 1286; died at Udine, 14 Jan., 1331. About 1300 he entered the Franciscan Order at Udine. Towards the middle of the thirteenth century the Franciscans were commissioned by the Holy See to undertake missionary work in the interior of Asia. Among the missionaries sent there were John Piano Carpini, William Rubruquis, and John of Montecorvino. Odoric was called to follow them, and in April, 1318, started from Padua, crossed the Black Sea to Trebizond, went through Persia by way of the Tauris, Sultaniah, where in 1318 John XXII had erected an archbishopric, Kasham, Yezd, and Persepolis; he also visited Farsistan, Khuzistan, and Chaldea, and then went back to the Persian Gull. From Hormuz he went to Tana on the Island of Salsette, north of Bombay. Here he gathered the remains of Thomas of Tolentino, Jacopo of Padua, Pietro of Siena, and Demetrius of Tiflis, Franciscans who, a short time before, had suffered martyrdom, and took them with him so as to bury them in China. From Salsette he went to Malabar, Fondaraina (Flandrina) that lies north of Calicut, then to Cranganore that is south of Calicut, along the Coromandel Coast, then to Meliapur (Madras) and Ceylon. He then passed the Nicobar Islands on his way to Lamori, a kingdom of Sumoltra (Sumatra); he also visited Java, Banjarmasin on the southern coast of Borneo, and Tsiompa (Champa) in the southern part of Cochin China, and finally reached Canton in China. From Canton he travelled to Zaitoum, the largest Chinese seaport in the Middle Ages, and Che-kiang, and went overland by way of Fu-cheu, the capital of the province of Fokien, to Quinsay (Hangcheufu), celebrated by Marco Polo. He remained in China and went to Nanking, Yangchufu, and finally travelled by the great canal and the Hwangho River to Khan-balig or Peking, the capital of the Great Khan. At that time the aged Montecorvino was still archbishop in Peking, where Odoric remained three years. On his return journey he went overland by way of Chan-si through Tibet, from there apparently by way of Badachschan to the Tauris and Armenia, reaching home in 1330.A Franciscan missionary of a Czech family named Mattiussi, born at Villanova near Pordenone, Friuli, Italy, about 1286; died at Udine, 14 Jan., 1331. About 1300 he entered the Franciscan Order at Udine. Towards the middle of the thirteenth century the Franciscans were commissioned by the Holy See to undertake missionary work in the interior of Asia. Among the missionaries sent there were John Piano Carpini, William Rubruquis, and John of Montecorvino. Odoric was called to follow them, and in April, 1318, started from Padua, crossed the Black Sea to Trebizond, went through Persia by way of the Tauris, Sultaniah, where in 1318 John XXII had erected an archbishopric, Kasham, Yezd, and Persepolis; he also visited Farsistan, Khuzistan, and Chaldea, and then went back to the Persian Gull. From Hormuz he went to Tana on the Island of Salsette, north of Bombay. Here he gathered the remains of Thomas of Tolentino, Jacopo of Padua, Pietro of Siena, and Demetrius of Tiflis, Franciscans who, a short time before, had suffered martyrdom, and took them with him so as to bury them in China. From Salsette he went to Malabar, Fondaraina (Flandrina) that lies north of Calicut, then to Cranganore that is south of Calicut, along the Coromandel Coast, then to Meliapur (Madras) and Ceylon. He then passed the Nicobar Islands on his way to Lamori, a kingdom of Sumoltra (Sumatra); he also visited Java, Banjarmasin on the southern coast of Borneo, and Tsiompa (Champa) in the southern part of Cochin China, and finally reached Canton (Guangdong) in China. From Canton he travelled to Zaitoum (Quanzhou), the largest Chinese seaport in the Middle Ages, and Che-kiang (Zhejiang), and went overland by way of Fu-cheu (Fuzhou), the capital of the province of Fokien (Fujian), to Quinsay (Hangcheufu), celebrated by Marco Polo. He remained in China and went to Nanking, Yangchufu, and finally travelled by the great canal and the Hwangho River to Khan-balig or Peking, the capital of the Great Khan. At that time the aged Montecorvino was still archbishop in Peking, where Odoric remained three years. On his return journey he went overland by way of Chan-si through Tibet, from there apparently by way of Badachschan to the Tauris and Armenia, reaching home in 1330.

In May, 1330, at the request of his superior, Guidotto, Odoric dictated an account of his travels to Brother William of Solagna while at the monastery of St. Anthony at Padua. According to another version Henry of Glatz, who was at that time staying at the papal court at Avignon, made notes of the accounts given by Odoric's travelling companions and wrote them out at Prague in 1340. Unfortunately Odoric accepted many fabulous stories and for a long period it was doubted whether he had really seen all the places and regions he described. His narrative, though, is veracious, and he is the first European traveller from whom are learned many peculiarities of the Chinese people and country which Marco Polo did not mention, because he had grown accustomed to them. It is to be regretted that he does not give a more detailed account of Tibet and Lhasa, the capital of the Dalai-Lama, which he was the first European to enter. The account of his travels was widely spread by Mandeville's plagiarisms from them, Mandeville's work being exceedingly popular in the later Middle Ages and much used as a manual by geographers of that period. Numerous manuscripts of Odoric's travels were current in Italy, France, Germany, and England.

In May, 1330, at the request of his superior, Guidotto, Odoric dictated an account of his travels to Brother William of Solagna while at the monastery of St. Anthony at Padua. According to another version Henry of Glatz, who was at that time staying at the papal court at Avignon, made notes of the accounts given by Odoric's travelling companions and wrote them out at Prague in 1340. Unfortunately Odoric accepted many fabulous stories and for a long period it was doubted whether he had really seen all the places and regions he described. His narrative, though, is veracious, and he is the first European traveller from whom are learned many peculiarities of the Chinese people and country which Marco Polo did not mention, because he had grown accustomed to them. It is to be regretted that he does not give a more detailed account of Tibet and Lhasa, the capital of the Dalai-Lama, which he was the first European to enter. The account of his travels was widely spread by Mandeville's plagiarisms from them, Mandeville's work being exceedingly popular in the later Middle Ages and much used as a manual by geographers of that period. Numerous manuscripts of Odoric's travels were current in Italy, France, Germany, and England. They were first printed at Pesaro. A Latin version appeared in Marcellino da Civezza's "Storia universale delle missioni Francescane", III (Rome, 1859), 739-81; an English translation was made by Yule in his work "Cathay and the Way Thither", I (London, 1866), 1-162; a French version with very good notes was made by Henri Cordier "Les voyages en Asie au XIVe siècle du bienheureux frère Odoric de Pordenone" (Paris, 1891).


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Fear prevents young people from marrying

11/22/2015

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click the link here to original article from ChinaDaily
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Traditional festivel offerings represent modern tastes

11/22/2015

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link to original article from ChinaDaily
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Top 10 highest-paid white-collar jobs in China

11/21/2015

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click the link here to the full article from China.org.cn
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              JOBS              Monthly Salary
1. Senior Management; CNY13,555
2. IT Management & Project Coordination; CNY9,450
3. Securities, Futures & Investment Management and Services; CNY8,085
4. Sales Management; CNY7,579
5. Software, Internet Development & System Integration; CNY7,331
6. Real Estate Development, Brokerage & Intermediary; CNY6,951
7. Project Management & Coordination; CNY6,882
8. Trust, Guarantee, Aution & Pawning; CNY6,804
9. Insurance; CNY6,479
10. Hardware Development; CNY6,455
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New Ban on Smokers

11/21/2015

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Beijing Slaps a New Ban on Smokers:
link to source from Shanghai Daily
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China Megacities

8/27/2014

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Starred are 6 cities with ten million population above; Small circles are major, provincial cities with one million popluation above; Encircled are three key economy regions
# According to statistics released by UN, there are 28 megacities (cities with more than ten million population) in the world by 2014. Six Chinese cities are in the list: Chongqing, Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Guangzhou & Shenzhen. Among them, Chongqing, Shanghai and Beijing have over twenty million population.

# In China, there are 142 cities with more than one million population. Whereas in 1978, there were only 29 such cities

# The three most important city clusters in eastern China, namely Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, Yangtze Delta Region (where Shanghai is) and Pearl River Delta Region (Guangzhou), home to 18% population (about two hundred million people), constitute 2.8% territory yet contribute to 36% gross domestic production of the whole country


*** population here refers to residential population instead of population with registered permanent residence
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64 Historical Streets That Will Never Be Expanded in Shanghai

8/17/2014

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Distribution of 64 historical streets
1, Hengshan Road (Tianping Road - Taojiang Road)
2, Huaihai Road Middle (Urumqi  Road Middle - Chongqing Road South)
3, Fuxing Road Middle (Huashan Road - Chongqing Road South)
4, Yuqing Road (Huaihai Road Middle - Hengshan Road)
5, Xingguo Road (Huashan Road - Huaihai Road Middle)
6, Huashan Road (Changshu Road - Xingguo Road)
7, Julu Road (Changshu Road - Shannxi Road South)
8, Yongjia Road (Hengshan Road - Shannxi Road South)
9, Hunan Road (Huashan Road - Huaihai Road Middle)
10, Wukang Road (Huashan Road - Huaihai Road Middle)

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Shanghai Hudec

1/2/2014

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- Laszlo Hudec, Shanghai's star architect of the 1930's
- Fleeing his native country in WWI
- Stamping his signature on more than 100 buildings in Shanghai

- Shanghai's Gaudi
  • Laszlo Hudec (1893-1958)
1893.1.8
Born in Besztercebanya (now Banska Bistrica in Slovkia), in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, son of a master builder and the Lutheran minister's daughter

1902-1910
Starting to work at his father's construction sites  when he was 9 years old, during the summer holidays, received a carpenter, a mason and a stonecutter certificate before entering university

1910-1914
Studied in the department of architecture at the Hungarian Royal Joseph Technical University in Budapest

1914-1918
Volunteered to join the army after the outbreak of WWI; captured by Cossack patrols in the frontier in 1916; transferred to the prisoner's camp in Siberia; later escaped (jumped from a train near the Chinese border and made his way to Shanghai)

1918
Arrived in Shanghai through Harbin; employed in the office of the American architect Rowland A.Curry as a draftsman

1920, 1921
Hudec's father died of a heart attack; in order to tackle family affairs, travelled back to Europe for the fisrt time after his arrival in Shanghai

1922
Got married to Gisela Meyer, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy German merchant; starting to build his first residence on Lucerne Road

1925
Opened his own architectural office, in the Building of Yokohama a Specie Bank, starting his independent career

1929
Travelled from New York to San Francisco in USA in order to get acquainted with the lastest developments of high-rise architecture, as he was about to start the project for the Park Hotel

1930
Sold the old residence to build a larger home with a big garden close to the Columbia Circle as his three children arrived one after another

1932
Moved his office to the upper floors of the Gospel Light Building (China Baptist Publication Society Buidling) that he himself had just designed

1937
Sold the residence in Columbia Road, moved with his family into an apartment located on the ground floor of Hubertus Court Building

1942
Was appointed Honorary Consul of Hungary in Shanghai

1947
Left Shanghai hastily with his family for Europe in January

1947
Moved to Switzerland and later participated in the excavation of Saint Peter's tomb underneath the Vatican Basillica in Rome

1948
Settled in Berkeley, University of California in USA; retired from architectural practice and dedicated himself to religious and archeological studies

1958.10.26
Died of a heart attack in his house in Berkeley at age of 65; his wife at his will sent him back to his family's vault in hometown Besztercebanya
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Chinese Poetry - 2

12/29/2013

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Essay of Simple House

The fame of a mountain lies in the presence of immortals but the height, while the spirit of water in the presence of a dragon but its depth.
This is a hut though, the dweller is endowed with fair virtues.
The green lichen carpets the steps, and the verdant grass shines through the curtain.
The erudite scholars make pleasant conversations with laughter, whereas no philistines ever came.
One can play plain zither, read sutra.
There is no disturbing noise, nor wearing office work.
It's like the thatched cottage of Zhuge Liang, and the residence of Yang Ziyun.
Confucius said: How come is it ugly?

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