Today we visited one of the busiest shopping areas in Shanghai, Nanjin Road. It took about half an hour to walk to the entire length of the road. Along the way a trolley carrying people from one end to another passed and peddlers bombarded us with knock off products. The crowds at the World Expo were expected, but the crowds here were beyond expectations. I stayed on Nanjin Road in the spring of 2010 but because of the current vacation season I have seen more people on the road then I did then. Nanjin Road consists of an abundance of department stores with an obvious Western influence. It was surprising to find many famous name brand stores in a place with such heavy traffic. I began to think about how many Chinese people come to visit and gather opinions about Western life strictly from this street. It seemed as if every other building was a KFC, Subway or McDonald’s and even in the food court there were Dairy Queen’s and Cold Stone Creamery’s.
In America our noted fashion areas contain American style restaurants. I began to imagine if they were filled with popular Chinese restaurants instead. All in all, this portion of the trip was an eye-opener for me because it allowed me to really get a grasp on what influence the Western world has on Chinese society.
-Alicia Montague-Keels
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