Neon and Eaves: 72 Hours in the Magic City

In front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Crowne Plaza Shanghai Dahua Jinxiu, the moment the smart curtains slid open silently, the city seemed to have been fast-forwarded - this was the beginning of my adventure in the Magic City.
The first day at Disneyland is a carnival that never ends. When the blue light track of TRON Lightcycle Power Run cuts through the sky, the screams have not yet landed, and the fairy tale world of the float parade has already spread out under your feet. When the fireworks bloomed in the castle, couples around were kissing in the light and shadow, and children were riding on their fathers' shoulders and waving fairy wands. In this moment soaked in magic, even the air was filled with the sweet scent of cotton candy.
The moonlight of the Ming and Qing dynasties swayed in the reflection of the Nine-Curve Bridge of the City God Temple. In the steam of the Nanxiang Xiaolongbao with Eighteen Folds, I suddenly caught a glimpse of the glass curtain wall of the Lujiazui three-piece set. At the Bund Observation Deck, I used my phone to take photos of the cruise ship on the river and the neon lights of the International Architecture Expo. In this cyberpunk viewfinder, the century-old whistle was resonating with the blockchain code.
The night of Hongqiao was lit up by Wu Xuanyi's concert. The sea of ​​cheering lights surged in the live house. I look forward to seeing her again next year.
When the scene moves to the Air China Hongqiao Airport Boyue Hotel, a high-tech time and space transformation is taking place. While checking in for my boarding pass in the executive lounge, I held my coffee and watched the planes take off and land outside the window, as if I had entered the transportation hub of a future city in advance. The fast track the next morning shortened the journey from check-in to the boarding gate to a light jazz piece.
The night before leaving Shanghai, I was shaking a "Shanghai Mule" cocktail at the Cloud Bar on the 54th floor of the Park Hyatt Hotel. Looking down at the city, the clotheslines in the alleys are still drying today's sunset, and tomorrow, behind the floor-to-ceiling windows of an office building, new dreams will be generated on circuit boards. This is probably the magic of Shanghai - it allows every fragment of time and space to find a place to rest in the veins of the sycamore leaves.

Post by Max Martinez 123 | Feb 3, 2025