Friday, January 05, 2007

번화한 도시

번화한 도시(繁華都市) is what I would describe Shanghai. 번(繁) means something like complex and sophisticated while 화(華) means radiance and opulence. Taken together, 번화한 도시 means a complex and sophisticated city that looks radiance and opulence. A dictionary translation would give a prosperous, flourishing and bustling city. Though it is quite a right translation, it does not exactly describe my feeling.

The 번화함 of Shanghai has captured the imagination of my father generation. I could not really understand why my father would speak fondly of the city and his desire to visit it. He did visit it after that. But all I need is to be there in the city to understand why. The mesmerising neonlights, the pulsating city beat and the tireless spirit of the old Shanghai. As what the Chinese oldie《夜上海》(Shanghai at Night) rightly put it, Shanghai is a city that never sleep.


3 comments:

  1. 사진 잘 찍으셨네요^^

    밤에 사진 찍으면 잘 나오기 힘든데ㅎㅎ

    와이탄(waitan) 근처라서 더 번화했을 거예요.

    개인적으로 그런 번화한 면이 별로 좋지는 않았어요. 서울의 번화함도 저는 별로 좋아하지 않거든요.

    그러나 어쨌든 많은 사람들이 저 번화함을 좋아하는 것은 사실인 것 같아요.

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  2. 멋진 사진들이에요 *_*
    삼각대에 놓고 찍었나봐요.

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  3. Song and Sue, 고마워요 ^^

    Song, I agree that waitan has more 번화함. I think it is alright to like 번화함 but not fall into it.

    Sue, I did not have a tripod so I used whatever steady platorm there was to place my camera.

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