The Bund
So I explored The Bund which is Asia’s financial center and the skyscrapers to prove it! Looking across the Huangpu River you see the explosion of Shanghai and China’s economic dominance. China’s megacities have an incredible efficiency built into them as Shanghai must move about 27 million people around its areas on a daily basis. The metro has been the fastest and easiest I’ve ever rode.
I also visited Houtan Park. This is an installation as part of the 2010 World Expo along the Huangpu River. The park is a natural wastewater treatment plant which takes water from the river through ebb and flow processes to clean the polluted river water through landscaping and beautification planting. Floating walkways allow tranquil exploration of the park and lots of wedding parties were using this wastewater treatment facility for the backdrop to their lifelong memories.
Houtan Park
Another example of water capture and utilization is seen in the picture below as farther down river the expo building and stage were surrounded by water ways that captured and restricted water movements while doubling as scenic beauty for visitors.
World Expo Water Systems
…. and outside the megacity we see the original aquaponics systems!
Rice paddies are an important farming technique the Chinese have been using for centuries. These fields are the original aquaponics systems. These are natural systems that grow fish and plants together. Some farming techniques within the paddy fields are growing turtles, fish, crabs and other aquatic animals with rice paddies. The farmers use natural ecological systems replication to make the farming production as efficient as possible. They have honed their skills to a point where it looks fairly easy to the outside tourists. Touring rice paddy fields was an awesome experience for someone like me who likes to get dirty!