Shanghai-ed!

Xiujiahui Intersection - French Concession

Some say that New York was so good that it was named twice. Shanghai was apparently so bad that it became a verb. The term to ‘Shanghai’, or ‘render insensible by drugs, and ship on a vessel wanting hands’, dates from the habit of press-ganging sailors. Men, found in opiated states, were forced onto ships, which then set sail, leaving the comatose sailors no choice but to make up the deficient crew when they sobered up.

While becoming a crew member of an errant ship is unlikely these days, modern day Shanghai is anything but bad and certainly lives up to its ‘verb’age. From the incessant blaring of horns, the clickety-click of Mah Jong tiles, dazzling neon, shocking humidity, to the china five spice laced dumplings, Shanghai uniquely captivates all of your senses.