Off-Campus Study in Shanghai and Hangzhou

November 26th:

In the afternoon, I stood in the sunshine, gazing at Shanghai’s skyline: the Shanghai World Financial Center, the Jinmao Tower, and the Shanghai Tower. Looking down from the Jinmao Tower, the street view felt almost unreal—it resembled a scene straight out of a city promotional video, with neatly arranged cars gliding past flower beds lining the roads.

Next, I made my way to the Bund, a place I had seen countless times in online vlogs. The scenery was familiar, and while the architecture was undeniably spectacular, it didn’t surprise me as much as I had anticipated. As expected, Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street was bustling with tourists, but surprisingly few locals.

The last spot of that day was Yu Garden. To be honest, the traditional food of intangible cultural heritage was not as tasty as I expected. But the salesclerk did astonish me as he could speak four languages, that is Mandarin, Shanghai dialect, Japanese, Korean.

November 27th: Happiness in Disney

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words.

That day, the resort was packed with over 30,000 visitors. Even though I felt crowded in the park, it wasn’t even peak season yet.

I wouldn’t recommend Soaring Over the Horizon. I spent a full two hours in line, only to discover that the ride wasn’t a roller coaster but a 4D movie experience. On the other hand, TRON Lightcycle Power Run is a must-try. What makes it thrilling is the high speed and the track built in an open-air setting.

As for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Zootopia: Hot Pursuit, both surprised me in different ways. Unlike typical thrill rides that rely on speed, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train captivates visitors with its clever track design—combining sudden pauses, shaking, sharp turns, and alternating uphill and downhill acceleration.

Meanwhile, Zootopia: Hot Pursuit stands out for its immersive queue area, which is designed like a storytelling space. I didn’t feel bored waiting at all. Once aboard the ride vehicle, you travel through different scenes inspired by the movie. While it also uses 3D films, the real highlight is how the track and motion are perfectly synchronized—the car rotates and shakes in time with the on-screen action, making the experience incredibly realistic.

Although the sparkling fireworks in the sky were inspiring every visitor, the display didn't meet my expectations. I had envisioned the fireworks from both sides of the castle merging to recreate the iconic Disney movie logo, but they fizzled out before successfully converging above the castle's center.

At the exit of the Disney land, I saw a Donald Duck with a horrible face.

November 28th: From the Shanghai Volkswagen to the Museum and the West Lake in Hangzhou

I had initially assumed the Volkswagen production line would be fully automated, but that turned out to be incorrect. During my visit, I observed that over 20% of the processes still require manual labor.

In the afternoon, I observed the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal seamlessly integrated into Hangzhou's daily traffic network. What struck me most were the canal's guardians - mythical creatures depicted in such a relaxed, casual manner that they stood out among all the traditional carvings I've seen.

After arriving in Hangzhou at dusk, I followed a scheduled hiking route. The Leifeng Pagoda's dim lights only produced a slightly blurred photo in the dark.

That evening, a 30-minute walk through Hefang Street reinforced my initial impression: while situated in a bustling tourist district, it remains a conventional pedestrian shopping street. The commodified historical atmosphere and retail offerings create a somewhat artificial experience that feels disconnected from authentic local culture.

November 29th: Explore the SJTU

I was genuinely surprised to find that both tour guides were actually SJTU graduate students. Their explanations stood out for being both logically organized and thorough. What's more, I discovered they had connections with students from top universities like PKU and THU.