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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 14 DECEMBER 2014 38 TRAVEL From early civilisation to metropolis Shanghai and Xian Xian was the heart of China before the decline of the Tang dynasty in the 10th century. The beginning and end of the Silk Road was a swirl of colours, lute music and desert dust where camel caravans unloaded goods from across the Eurasian con- tinent and packed up parts of China to be sent to the rest of the world. Though today, residents have moved to Beijing, Xian is still one of the epi- centres of early Chinese civilization. Shanghai, Hu for short, seems to be the complete opposite, as a renowned international metropolis drawing more and more attention from all over the world. Situated on the estu- ary of Yangtze River, it serves as the most influential economic, financial, international trade, cultural, science and technology center in East China. Also it is a popular destination for visitors to sense the pulsating devel- opment of the country. What to do? Shanghai Visit the Shanghai Museum, which is renowned for its large collections of Chinese ancient artworks. The exhibition building has a round top and a square base, reflecting the old Chinese philosophy "the sky is round and the earth is square" and resem- bling a Ding, a tripod ancient bronze vessel. The Yuyuan Garden, also called Eastern Garden, is a typical classical Chinese garden. The finely struc- tured pavilions, winding cloisters, decorated walls and crystal pond together make the garden a charm- ing and tranquil land in the bustling city. In the Bund area you can cruise down the Huangpu River. Along both banks of the river are scattered many landmark buildings, which reveal the past, present and future of the city. In addition, two suspension bridges, Yangpu Bridge and Nanpu Bridge, look like two dragons crouching across the river. With the Oriental Pearl TV Tower encompassed under their arches, the three form a picture of two dragons playing ball. While in the area take time to explore the Bund, Shanghai's most famous wa- terfront and visit an old street. Xian The Terracotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant ar- cheological excavations of the 20th century. Found at the burial site of the first emperor of China, these life size figures of warriors and horses arranged in battle formations are the star features at the museum. They are replicas of what the imperial guard should look like in those days of pomp and vigour. Xian is one of the few cities in Chi- na where the old city walls are still standing. Built in 1370 during the Ming dynasty, the 12m-high walls are surrounded by a dry moat and form a rectangle with a perimeter of 14km. Most sections have been restored or rebuilt, and it is now possible to walk the entirety of the walls in a lei- surely four hours. You can also cycle from the South Gate, while the truly lazy can be whisked around in a golf cart. The Little Goose Pagoda is in the pleasant grounds of Jianfu Temple. The top of the pagoda was shaken off by an earthquake in the middle of the 16th century, but the rest of the 43m- high structure is intact. Jianfu Temple was originally built in AD 684 to bless the afterlife of the late Emperor Gaozong. The pa- goda, a rather delicate building of 15 progressively smaller tiers, was built from AD 707-709 and housed Bud- dhist scriptures brought back from India by the pilgrim Yi Jing. You can climb the pagoda for a worthy panorama of Xian. Where to stay? Located in the heart of Shanghai, on Nanjing Road, a pedestrian shop- ping street, Sofitel has easy access to nearby attractions such as The Bund, People's Square, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai Grand Theatre, Shanghai Urban Planning Museum, Yu Gar- den, Xintiandi, Former French Con- cession and Jade Buddha Temple. The hotel is also adjacent to the Nanjing Road East Metro Station. The hotel restaurants also provide the perfect setting for relaxing and socialising. The Mao Restaurant specialises in Cantonese specialties and Dim Sum while the Mosaic coffee shop is an all-day dining venue in open kitchen concept and serves international cui- sine. The award-winning Shangri-La is centrally located in the Lujiazui com- mercial and financial district, on the Eastern bank of the Huangpu River, offering unparalleled views of the famous Bund and Shanghai's mag- nificent skyline. The hotel is within close proximity to subways connect- ing Pudong and Puxi. In Xian, stay at the Fu Run Ho- tel, located close to the City Walls, Bell Tower and Drum Tower, where rooms have great views of the city. The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda and the Beilin Museum are just a short walk away. Where to eat? No one has a bad thing to say about the smart expat favourite, 1221, in Shanghai, and rightly so, as it has never let its standards dip over the years. Try the meat dishes including beef and dough strips and the plen- tiful eel, shrimp and squid dishes. Other tempting fare includes the roast duck and braised pork. The pan-fried sticky rice and sweet bean paste (from the dim-sum menu) makes a good dessert. It's also worth ordering the eight-fragrance tea just to watch it served spectacularly out of 60cm-long spouts. Named after a cave at Mao Zedong's birthplace, this Hunan eatery's low- key rustic charms are matched by an invigorating menu. Dishuidong serves Xiāngcài (Hunan) cuisine, all about searing spice, but don't reach for the dry ice yet, dishes are quite tame. The spicy bean curd hits the mark; flesh out the meal with the Stewed Pork in Sauce of Chairman Mao's Style. Once you move on to Xian, try De Fa Chang, where dumplings are the speciality: banquets are a minimum five courses and feature every sort of dumpling shape you could possibly conceive of, from walnuts to flowers to stars and even miniature animals. Bizarre but delicious. At First Noodle Under the Sun the specialty at this busy place is biáng biáng miàn, a giant, 3.8m strip of noodle that comes folded up in a big bowl with two soup side dishes. But all sorts of excellent noodle, meat and vegie dishes are available here. How to get there? Emirates offers daily services be- tween Malta and Shanghai. Flights departing from Malta on 8 January and returning on 22 January were priced at €798.49, including tax, at the time of going to print. Total fly- ing time is approximately 10 hours. The Bund area in Shanghai The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda Terracotta Warriors The Yuyuan Garden