Shanghai is where I grew up and became an adult. With all my emotions, it is a city with a history of thousands of years. After experiencing turbulent times, there are still many old buildings and roads left behind. When I have free time, I like to stroll around these old buildings and experience the charm of old Shanghai. Shanghai is also a futuristic and globally renowned metropolis, filled with modern buildings, art museums, and small shops that exude a strong sense of design. Exquisite and fashionable Shanghainese effortlessly shuttle through the CBD steel forest, buying shops, hot and painful restaurants, and the streets and alleys of the city. In this city where they were born and loved, they lived a small life with emotions and harmony. The new and old in Shanghai are separated by a wall, a mixture of Chinese and Western cultures. It is the combination of the old and the new that gives Shanghai its unique contradictory yet charming flavor. This time, I am driving the popular small SUV Guangqi Honda Binzhi in China, exploring the unique charm of Shanghai, an international metropolis, with me.

Ten mile ocean field, dazzling rainy night on the Bund

The Bund on Zhongshan East Road is the most representative silhouette of Shanghai. On one side is a century old European style architectural complex, where warm yellow lights illuminate like an introverted, steady, and luxurious elderly person, reading the footsteps of the times. On the other side, across the river, there are skyscrapers in Lujiazui, with modern and vibrant lights. When the bell of the Bund rings, a century old painting flashes before your eyes like a revolving lantern, as if in a different world. You will think of time, but gradually forget it.

On the Bund, there is never a shortage of spectators. Regardless of spring, summer, autumn, or winter, the people who flock to appreciate it every day have changed wave after wave. On the straight road from People's Square and Nanjing East Road, people are not afraid of crowds and come all the way to see the scenery of the Bund. The Bund, which combines both internal and external cultivation and is gentle and calm, always holds an open and welcoming attitude towards tourists from all over China and the world, with a sense of "having friends come from afar is a pleasure", welcoming everyone who comes to visit it with an attitude of embracing all rivers.

Like the unique charm of Shanghai, the Binzhi, as a global model created by Honda, has the strength to lead the world trend from a global perspective. Visually, the Binzhi is full of avant-garde style and is surrounded by an aggressive SPORT style. The huge U-shaped grille on the front face is wild and domineering. The grille is equipped with a delicate black grille inside, and some silver chrome strips are added around it, enhancing the overall sense of fashion and design.

Driver Binzhi passed by the entrance of Dianchi Road, where various wedding photography and famous landmarks were photographed by internet celebrities. There is also a historic hotel on this road - the famous Peace Hotel. The Peace Hotel is familiar to locals in Shanghai and is the most prestigious luxury hotel in old Shanghai. It was once a paradise for celebrities and adventurers.

Stepping into the Peace Hotel is like seeing the prosperity of old Shanghai, elegant and not exaggerated. Jazz music started playing, and I couldn't help but hum the melody of 'Rose, Rose, I love you'.

The octagonal colored glass ceiling allows natural sunlight to shine brilliantly.

The protruding terrace of the 9th floor Huamao Hotel can be called a holy land for dating and marriage proposals. Looking at the Bund and Pudong from dusk to night, as the night falls, the lights of the Bund gradually shine. With all the lights on, it is another brilliant and magnificent night scene. In June, Shanghai experienced continuous rain and drizzle. The drizzling drizzle deterred tourists from visiting the Bund, but it was rare to find a peaceful atmosphere, especially on this rainy night. On a rainy night, driving on the Bund, every brick and stone is stained with the traces of time. The rain soaked the road, and under the reflection of neon lights, it emitted a glassy luster. In the darkness of the night, coupled with the tranquility of the river, overlooking the bright lights and flickering screens of the buildings across from, there is a unique charm. Occasionally, the words' I love SH 'will appear on the big screen.

Living in Shanghai, looking at the Bund for decades, in this night rain, it is still beautiful. The skyscrapers across the Huangpu River are misty and rainy, and the magnificent buildings of the world in Puxi are brilliant. This is the romanticism of Shanghai.

Driving Binzhi across the Garden Bridge of Shanghai, Lujiazui Iron in the distance reflects the blue light of the iron bridge. It has a somewhat 'cyberpunk' charm. The Binzhi is equipped with the new "Earth Dream Technology" 220 TURBO power system, which can be regarded as a leader in the same displacement. The 0-100 km/h acceleration time is less than 9 seconds, fully allowing me to experience the strength of the "little cannon". Combined with the excellent smoothness of the CVT gearbox, it performs particularly well in densely populated urban traffic conditions, making it easy to follow and overtake.

The road was slippery in the rain, and the vehicle was driving on the elevated Yan'an West Road. At this point, the 2020 Binzhi is equipped with the Honda SENSING safety sensing system, which demonstrates its extraordinary strength: the LKAS lane keeping assist system. Assist drivers in correcting the steering wheel to ensure safe driving of the entire vehicle.

The LDW lane departure warning function will promptly remind the driver to correct the steering wheel when the vehicle unintentionally deviates from the lane. At the same time, the CMBS collision mitigation braking system can also help us slow down or even brake in advance, thereby preventing the possibility of rear end collisions.

The night is still late, and today's self driving has come to an end. In the night, the classic fiber optic LED combination taillights of Binzhi are exquisitely designed and have excellent lighting effects.

In the 1920s, Japanese writer Shigeru Muramatsu published the bestselling novel "Magic City" based on the actual situation inside and outside the Shanghai Concession. Since then, "Magic City" has become another name for Shanghai. In recent decades, when people mention Shanghai, there is still no other word that can describe this "incredible" city more accurately than the word "Magic City". The Harbin Building on the North Bund, which used to be a place where gangsters and Ah Fei were wandering around, has now been transformed into a cultural and creative park that tourists love, reflecting the magic of Shanghai. In the early 1940s, Harbin Building and its surrounding areas were the border between the Concession and the Chinese Concession, and also one of the most complex areas in the Shanghai Public Concession. Today, cultural and creative industries, bookstores, music, art industries, cafes, and the "reformed" North Bund have transformed into a new landmark for literati, and Hongkou has since gained another "good white" place.

Harbin Road seems to be a forgotten road, not long and with few pedestrians. This small road full of British style is proudly called "Xintiandi of Hongkou" by the people of Hongkou. Harbin Road seems to be a forgotten road, not long and with few pedestrians. This small road full of British style is proudly called "Xintiandi of Hongkou" by the people of Hongkou. Standing on the No. 2 Bridge of Harbin Road, you can not only see Lujiazui's landmark "four piece set" - the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai center, Jinmao Building and the World Financial Center, but also see the chimneys, old western-style houses, old alleys and residential communities built in the 1950s and 1990s. I really like this FRANKS STORE on this road. It's an American retro shop, with a coffee shop on the first floor and cinema style reliable seats. The vintage furniture adds a touch of nostalgia, and I ordered an iced latte with a good taste. The second floor is a vintage clothing buyer's shop, which is decorated with American retro casual style clothing. Most of the clothing is from niche retro brands in Japan, Europe, and the United States, with a strong sense of retro design, mainly focusing on men's clothing.

The owner of this retro shop is Frank, who returned from studying abroad in Japan and has built his own Amekaji here, which means American leisure in Japanese, from his hobbies to traveling around the world. It is precisely because of such pioneers who brought different cultural trends from abroad to Shanghai that Shanghai's Shanghai style culture and inclusiveness were created.

Driving past Changshou Road, I remembered a very interesting antique shop I visited here a long time ago, Xiaofangting. This is a famous restaurant in Shanghai, and next to it is Xiaofangting Antique Shop. I didn't open the door a few times before, but now I can finally visit it!

Entering an antique shop, the entire room is filled with a dazzling array of antiques from around the world. The owner's grandfather warmly greets you, and the old man patiently tells you how to use this antique, sharing the history and story behind it. These are all things he picked up from all over the world.

You can see Edison phonographs and music boxes from over a hundred years ago, antique ceramics from Italy, various cute sculptures and antique dolls, and out of print antique pianos, making you feel as if you are in an ancient mansion in Europe.

I feel like the old man's life has fulfilled my dream: to travel around the world, collect various vintage items, and open a second-hand grocery store when I get old, spending the rest of my life.

Neil Gaiman wrote in "American Gods": "What I say is, a town isn't a town without a bookstore. It may call itself a town, but never it's got a bookstore, it knows it's not footolin'a soul." In this era where print media is gradually marginalized, a good bookstore in a city should be cherished.

The bookstore I visited this time is called ZiWU Zhiwu. To enter, you need to scan the QR code to purchase a ticket, which costs 50 yuan. You can exchange it for a cup of coffee or soft drink next door. The overall design of the bookstore is a square geometric shape, without too many curved surfaces, very exquisite. Except for a walking staircase up and down the stairs, most of what you can see are bookshelves and books. The first floor is mainly used for photography and magazines, and there are also sofas in the lobby for resting. Behind the sofas is an old singing area with a fashionable black tone.

There are many types of books on the second floor, and there are benches where you can sit and read. Next to the bookstore is a caf é, which has a lot of art museum style, decorated with many design works. Admission includes drinks, as well as other alcoholic beverages. The third floor is not open and is a work area. There are also some areas on the second floor that are inconvenient to disturb. The entire bookstore is very quiet and there are very few people on weekdays.

Just like the refined lifestyle concept presented to us by urban libraries, Binzhi has always attracted young consumers with a refined artistic lifestyle. Whether it's the pioneering "avant-garde art marketing" in the industry in 2014, or the customized "industry person marketing" launched by New Binzhi to capture the hearts of "personality filled, avant-garde and cutting-edge" industry people, or the "refined life design marketing" proposed by the 2020 New Binzhi, Binzhi uses different trendy marketing methods to accurately communicate with young people and showcase the ideal urban lifestyle to the fullest.

Park the car in front of the graffiti wall near the bookstore and take a closer look: 17 inch wheels paired with highly recognizable wing shaped LED headlights. The headlights on both sides have widened the visual effect of the grille, forming Honda's iconic "flying wing" design.

The roof extends downwards from the B-pillar to form a sloping back shape; The C-pillar position cleverly integrates the rear door handle, and the "hidden" design makes the rear door look more streamlined. The hidden rear door handle design not only enhances the overall integrity of the vehicle, but also combines the high-tech "petal shaped" wheels and smooth body lines, giving the Binzhi a sense of performance like a small cannon.

The pragmatic interior design continues, with reasonable arrangement of various functional areas and commonly used function buttons still within reach. The interior design of Binzhi is not particularly avant-garde, but it is particularly easy to use, and this relatively traditional design also looks very familiar.

Following Honda's original "MM" concept, designers are required to provide consumers with a more comfortable and spacious riding experience within a limited space. The rear magic seats adopt a unique 4/6 split design, and the backrest angle is not only adjustable in 2 levels, but also can be freely adjusted according to the number of luggage items in the rear space.

Shanghai not only has a prosperous side, but also a long history. It can be traced back to Guangfulin, which has a history of four thousand years. Baoshan Temple was first built during the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty. This time, driving Binzhi through time and space, we arrived at Baoshan Temple, which has a history of five hundred years. It is also the largest temple in Shanghai, located on the banks of the Lianqi River in Luodian Town, Baoshan.

Walking into Baoshan Temple, I was shocked by the architectural style of the late Tang Dynasty palace. It was constructed with pure wood mortise and tenon joints, following the traditional layout of the Jialan vertical axis. The structure was rigorous step by step, and the buildings were towering. The layout of the entire building complex was natural and integrated with heaven and earth, reflecting the profound and subtle ideas of Buddhism. Strolling through it, marvel at the magnificence of the architecture.

At this moment, heavy rain is pouring down, and the visitors to Baoshan Temple have dispersed, leaving only the sound of falling rain echoing with the whispers of a hundred years.

Light a fragrance, drink a pot of tea, and the time will become longer. Listening to the bell, rain, scriptures, and whispers of blessings in the temple, one's heart becomes calm and one becomes clean. The temple is truly a magical treasure trove

Address: 518 Luoxi Road, Luodian Town (next to Lianqi River) is relatively far from the city center. It is recommended not to depart too late and close early. Ticket: 10 yuan, you need to buy a ten yuan fragrant flower voucher at the entrance, which can only be used in cash.

The rain is getting heavier and heavier, so I parked Binzhi on the roadside. In the reflection of the ground, I saw the outline of a temple lying quietly in the rain, solemn and peaceful, and my heart was filled with piety.

Tracing back 4000 years, the origin of Shanghai was Guangfulin. There is a saying among the people that "there was Songjiang Prefecture first, then Shanghai Beach" and "there was Guangfulin first, then the history of Songjiang". The Guangfulin site was discovered in 1958 and underwent trial excavation in 1961. The official excavation work has continued since 1999, with a total excavation area of over 40000 square meters, making it the largest archaeological project in Shanghai's archaeological history.

I came here specifically for this Cloud Academy, which is said to be the most beautiful bookstore in Shanghai where you can touch the clouds. The academy is located in a well preserved Ming Dynasty high-rise building, blending modern design with ancient architecture. The entire academy is divided into three courtyards and two levels of pavilions. One of the two courtyards is decorated with pine trees, called the Pine Stone Realm.

And the other one is presented as "floating clouds in the sky" and called Shuiyun Township. It is also a new check-in destination, where people take photos and souvenirs one after another. The first floor mainly sells various books and cultural and creative products, and of course, there is also a caf é that provides coffee and tea snacks. There will be some exhibitions on the second floor from time to time. If you want to temporarily escape the hustle and bustle of the city and find a peaceful place to enjoy tea and read books, this hidden academy in the depths of Shanghai is your best choice.

Zhiye Zen Temple was rebuilt to commemorate the good deeds of Zhiye Zen Master, who practiced medicine and saved people in the folk of Songjiang. In the temple, there are gate hall, bell tower, drum tower, ancestral hall, Wufang Manjusri Hall, the Shakya ManiHall, Guanyin Hall, Dizang Hall, Wuguan Hall, Prajna Zhang Room, Neiguan Pavilion and other hall facilities. The layout of the Zen temple is reasonable, quaint and elegant, and the construction is exquisite. It is another unique Buddhist holy land and an important place for studying Buddhism in Songjiang and Shanghai.

Not far from the Zen Temple, you can see the Fulin Pagoda for a long time. Perhaps because they are all imitations of Tang Dynasty architecture, the Fulin Pagoda looks a bit like the wooden pagoda of Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto, with a strong sense of history. There are also red brick and tile walls all around. The sunset leaves mottled marks on the wall, and monks come and go from time to time, which is meaningful.

In the eyes of those who pass by but do not enter the city, the city is one kind of appearance; in the eyes of those who are trapped in the city but do not come out, it is another kind of appearance; when people first arrive, the city is one kind of appearance, and when they are forever separated, it is another kind of appearance... The city does not reveal its past, but only hides it like a fingerprint, written on the corners of the streets, the guardrails of the windows, the handrails of the stairs, the antennas of lightning protection, and the flagpoles... "Calvino described the city in" The Invisible City ". Each one has its own inherent impression and future appearance. As the city develops, it is also changing day by day. The once familiar street scenery is slowly disappearing from people's sight. In those invisible corners, in those street corners, still hidden

The ruins and memories of the past. Depicting the full picture of the city in the past and future. This collision of old and new forms the daily beauty of Shanghai and records the rhythm and changes of the city.

Pudong, this new city, seems like a sealed box that has been sealed for many years, suddenly opened and filled with a new fearless power. The wide and bright streets, well-organized buildings, large green environments, sense of space, order, technology, everything is so youthful, with a sense of courage and vitality to move forward. It invites you to step on the horsepower and gallop forward.

Similar to Pudong New Area, the Binzhi, as Honda's latest global small SUV, has been warmly sought after by young people around the world since its launch. Since 2013, Binzhi has embarked on a global journey and has been selling well in nearly 130 countries across five continents for nearly 8 years. The total global sales have reached 4.5 million units, with an average of one Binzhi series car owner born every 51 seconds. In China, the Binzhi has sold over 10000 units for 14 consecutive months, with a cumulative sales volume of over 900000 units in the past 7 years. Its popularity is unmatched by many models in the same class.

When night falls, Shanghai finally reveals its true appearance, a bit dazed and intoxicated, with a damp southern scent. In the contradiction between the new and the old, so proud and fascinating, perhaps this is my Shanghai complex. Clock in place: Garden Bridge of Shanghai Peace Hotel, Old Bund, Harbin Road, North Bund, Netherlands Style Street, Zhiwu Bookstore, Xiaofangting, Lujiazui, Baoshan Temple, Guangfulin