Shanghai Has Changed Forever Since The Lockdown ( 

Join me on this little walk down memory lane..

Tommy, as a person who's too old to travel these days, your videos on China and other worldly adventures brings me much joy and a look into the historical aspects of those countries. I'm looking forward to more of your adventures into China and elsewhere. Stay safe my friend.

Thanks for sharing. Lived in Shanghai for 12 years, had the time of my life. Felt a bit nostalgic watching your video.

Years ago, I also lived in Shanghai in my early 20s for school and work. I like your presentation. It was respectful, honest and well balanced.

I can tell how emotional and nostalgic you are going to your past haunts. I have no doubt I’ll feel something similar when I go to Beijing for the first time in 8 years this autumn. Thanks for these videos 🙏

Man, I found myself shedding tears multiple times while watching this video. The emotions are so overwhelming, and it’s hard to put them into words. There were moments when my tears flowed without me even realizing. I originally came from ShanghaiI and spent over a decade living in Canadian cities and Shanghai. However, due to the pandemic, I hadn’t returned to Shanghai for more than three years. Half a year ago, I finally made it back and discovered that many things had irrevocably changed. For instance, the vibrant pubs, clubs, and bars that once lined Hengshan Rd were now all closed. My heart holds both Canada and China as my homes, and I deeply miss the openness and beauty that Shanghai once embodied. But luckily, during my stay in Shanghai, I found a job in a Canadian company, which assigned me to work in Shanghai. Now, I find myself fortunate to live in both cities, experiencing and appreciating two distinct cultures simultaneously.

I discovered your videos recently and I admire the big bullocks you have to be traveling anywhere in the world alone and are willing to talk to complete strangers in hopes of a genuine connection. Keep it coming man, your channel deserves a lot of success

Beautiful work Tommy! This is why I subbed to you when you just started out. There are no ridiculous '10 cent street barber' videos that everyone is copying nowadays from Bald or Harald. Just real authentic travel, history and culture! A plethora of emotion. Beautiful man

Visited Beijing, Shanghai, Urumqi, Great Wall, taught english in a port city called Lianyangang in Jiangsu province. My China experience was wild -- was in 2006 -- China was growing like crazy and they were making the transition of bringing farmers into the cities. Thanks for sharing! Nanjing's 1912 Bar district was always a ton of fun! Looking forward to your China videos!

Tommy is an absolute legend... Something about his style, persona just relaxes me when I can't be there myself. My hat off to you sir!

Finally ! A China tour by Sabbatical ! Cant wait to watch the series !

I’ve watch you travel for a handful of months; but this video (and the previous one) explains a lot about your background and history. It all makes sense now. Plus, you showed me more of Shanghai than I’ve seen in my own China travels. I can’t wait to watch your future journeys. Ni hao.

really really really appreciate your videos, I first started watching your video about Hong Kong, and I was really shocked about how much you knew about the situation of my home. I hope for your success on RU-vid as your experiences are very relatable and interesting.

Changed a lot since 2010 when I lived there I used to smoke chunghwa cigarettes and liqun ciggs. I acually loved it there and your so right about never having to worry about someone robbing you it was so safe and no drug addicts on the streets.

When the cop thought he said "shit shack" and then said "toilet?"..... gold.

Tommy! My son was a student who was allowed into Shanghai during early Covid even before diplomats. He spent about 3 months in quarantine. He loved it there. He spent a lot of time skateboarding.

After watching these videos I really want to visit Shanghai. Big support from Macedonia my friend.

I was an expat in Shanghai from 2014-2017, I worked in entertainment/acting/film world and was very active in a lot of different expat social scenes. I lived in the French Concession and drove a scooter every day. I loved Shanghai very much, I believed that I would be living in Shanghai for a long time. 2017 was a very interesting year, there was a noticeable sea change / mood swing in the whole city. There was a bitter sweet sensation of seeing the city at its best whilst knowing it was going to probably go inward/ anti-outside /anti-global direction. I think about Shanghai all the time, it was an amazing time in my life. Thanks for your video!

Great video, sorry I don't know your past with the city, as I only came across your channel today, and there aren't videos from before 2020, I completely understand why you are disappointed after what happened to you during the height of the pandemic. I guess the pandemic served as a great sieve for us all, especially in the case of Shanghai... To segregate thoes who value development, prosperity and stability over a almost wild state of nature and negative notions of freedom. As someone who was born in Shanghai, and grew up in Canada and the UK, my perspective of the world changed a lot through the years, the contrast between the two worlds grew apart in the last few years, especially during the panademic, as someone who exiperenced lock downs first hand in London and Shanghai. I thoroughly enjoyed my time during the lockdown in Shanghai and was very much disappointied in how the government caved in and terminated the zero-covid policy. I figured, I probably changed quite a bit too, and the rate of which was accerlated during covid. I think I overcame my more primal needs and wants that drove me to live in the west when I was younger, and now understand what is more important for me, through this great sieve, I have choosen my pass, to come back, and to be with my country, my city, heading into this tumultuous time ahead, across the globe. This is why you see the city change so much, to suit the transforming needs of its people. Bars and restaurants closing to be replaced by boutique stores and café like Aesop and Pain Chaud(they are sooo good, highly recommended). The Shanghai Conservatory Of Music(one of the best in China)expanded and got a gorgeous new open campus down the road where the bars were(tbf, the bars shouldn't have been here anyways, the Shanghai Conservatory of Music have its own elementary and secondary schools right next to it, and it was just not appropriate for the bars to be such proximity to kids like that anyways). In my eyes, you are right, shanghai is changed forever, but it's for the better.

I can't wait for this adventure across China! Take care man, I was looking forward to these vlogs the most.

Thanks for all of your videos. Really interesting to see all parts of every country. Thanks again and keep them coming.

your china videos are my favorite i can sense how much this country means to you cheers tommy

Sabbatical has been a group of travel vlogger/bloggers I watch. I really like how you give us viewers a brief history lesson as you film. Enjoyable 👍✌

It looks a lot less lively and energetic now. When i was there in 2021 before the pandemic it was so vibrant and the city was thriving even during the pandemic. It is so sad the government had to overact to the pandemic because China was so amazing before that. I can relate to you because we lived in Nanjing and felt more at home and with a thriving life then ever. We lost our good friends, way of life and our really nice lifestyle. it is sad but most of the expats we knew left as well. I am not sure if it will ever be the same again because I think most expats have a bad taste of China now but if things go smoothly for another few years, I could see it getting full again. There is simply just not another country where you can live as luxuriously on a budget as in China. I might move back there because even the pandemic wasn’t really that bad, only I hadn’t seen my family in over three years. It annoys me when I tell my friends and family how amazing China is and they do not believe me. I even had one person tell me I was secretly paid by the ccp. I had to tell them I was not lying. We live in Japan now, and while it is better life quality it is just not the same. I do not get as high of a lifestyle here but living standards are much better. Still I find it boring compared to the adventures and good times in China. I can relate to your video and thanks for sharing.

Very heartfelt and moving, I miss living in Guangzhou- my home for nearly 10 years. Those that were there remember those halcyon days.

I miss the city too. So much has changed, and some things can never go back to what they were before

I can see your sentimental feelings towards Shanghai. Felt like a tour with a local... because it basically was! :D

Actually when I went back to my hometown, a small city in Hunan, I’d been shocked by all the new buildings and wider roads which are totally different from what I remembered. It’s a new city for me even it’s a place I grown up from. I’s standing in the street, thinking maybe nowhere should be supposed to wait for my returning, people in there also move on with their life. Good thing was when I met one of my best friends and her family, the home feeling came back to me. I guess, the bond between people is tighter than a bond of a past memory.❤

Thankyou Tommy if ever visited China I may would have only done big cities. Like previous videos Africa, Suriname you are opening eyes and world of possibilities not just me sure other people feel this from your vids. Stay safe & enjoy the journey

Thank you let me know my hometown . I didn’t go back last 5yrs… and now I scare that lock door not only lock down. There’s no more my childhood’s Shanghai. You’re right. I luv my SH since I was born till 2008 still in my dream now

Damn love seeing how many subs you have since I started watching your channel!! Great job!! Looking forward to your future growth and success.

YT algorithm brought me here, and I picked up the recent China vids first and watched. Greetings from Labuan island off Borneo Malaysia. Thank You for the great contents, Tommy.

I just started watching your videos. I really like your genuine interaction with the locals. Some channels try to have sensational content which feels very fake. I haven't thought about going to China but your videos make it very appealing 👍🏾

In the mid 2000s I did my Historic Preservation graduate school thesis documenting the shikumen: the architecture and lives of the residents. At 3:00, I recognize that area as where I did my research. It breaks my heart to see them in the state they're in now. I remember the lively shophouses and bustling lanes full of people, some having been there all their lives, some newly arrived from the outer provinces. I knew these neighborhoods' existence were precarious, hence an immediate need to try and preserve their memory. Shanghai is a wondrous city, and I am thankful I saw it during a time of boundless enthusiasm and energy, though alas, the relentless march of time and "progress" has taken its toll. Anyway, thanks for this video taking me down memory lane.

I've got to move to Shanghai for about 3 years in a few weeks...In a way I'm kind of happy it's a little bit emptier there now. Less crowds is a plus for me. But it will be a challenge to learn a new language. I'll try to checkout a few of your videos as you travel across the country. I'm also looking forward to exploring different parts of China and Asia while we are living in Shanghai. I'm really looking forward to their metro system! Growing up in a city like Toronto where the transit is such garbage, it is such a pleasure to be in a place where transit is reliable and everywhere.

its like listening to you talk about a long lost love, heartbreaking.

I'm so excited for this journey!

@SabbaticalTommy What you said about Shanghai being your city but not being able to live there again hit close to home. We met a few times at the languages exchanges you organized at My Place. Glad to see that you’ve gone back to the city.

Loving this series already! Looking forward to learning more about the Chinese on your trip!

I lived in The French Quarter in Shanghai from early 2010. I felt that it wasn't really China, so I moved to Chengdu (home of the Panda) and lived/worked there for 6 years. I've now lived in Bangkok, longer than China, I have very fond memories of the amazing people I met there. I'm with you on this journey. Best wishes from Bangkok.

Shanghai is still fine post lockdown, a bit more chill these days, but still plenty going on. Fewer foreigners for sure, but many still here.

this has been for me one of the best videos I have watched on YT on China/Shanghai - please keep your commentary up! look forward to tracking along with you

@11:30 as a NYker and also visited the same place here and other places in China. I totally agree. Never have to put your guards up while walking the streets in China as compare to the States especially in NY. But for American or foreigners who have never traveled outside the US it's hard for them to even imagine the other side of the world is so beautiful (with politics aside).

I can see the raw emotion in you when speaking about Shanghai.. almost like that one lover everyone has that got away

How can this man know so much about Chinese culture, languages and politics? Love your vids plz keep it up! 🙏

Thank you for sharing. You have a clear way of explaining things and showcasing a location with respect. This was really interesting - all in a good way.❤

Thank you for posting this, brings back a lot of memories. Lived in Shanghai 2009-2011 and went back to study my masters 2013-2014. Back then it was Shangheaven, a great city for expats, businessmen and travelers. It changed so much and the pandemic only exacerbated the situation for foreigners residing in China.

I’m so happy I traveled extensively in the early 90s to Asia. Shanghai was like a bicycle town. It was quite amazing back then. All those mopeds lined up were bicycles.

Thank you for taking the time to make this video, but think that it is really up to the individual who makes a video about anything and anywhere he or she wants to convey a positive or negative view. For example, San Francisco in the US🎉 certainly is no longer a place to visit or take residence. Neither is Vancouver in Canada. Both places are filled with homelessness and drug addicts. There is no place, and nothing is perfect. One has to judge whether or not his or her cup is half full or half empty.

Chanced upon your video. I'm one of those 100k foreigners who stayed and is still in Shanghai. I was locked in my own apartment, separated from my family for a total of 73 days during that infamous Shanghai Lockdown. I was so tempted to leave during that Lockdown period. Thinking back, the whole Covid situation just feels so surreal. And you're right, Shanghai (and the whole of China) has changed a lot during those 3 Covid years, the whole country isn't what it used to be.

So happy about this news about you travelling China !! Can't wait to see what you show us. Always eager to see your episodes.

Our paths have been similar, Tommy. I lived and worked in Shanghai for 6 years and left in February 2020. My place was on the edge of the French Concession, about half a mile from the Camel and I used to go there a lot to watch sport or play pool. So shocked to see it has now gone. I used to love cruising around those pretty streets on my electric scooter at any time of the day or night. Never any fear of being mugged or troubled. Like you, I will probably never go back to live there but I do miss the friendly people and its charm.

I did 18 years in China. It became my home. I saw the country change and moof over those years. I lived in many cities but ended up a Shanghai princess in the end.. I did 78 days of complete lockdown in Shanghai. I “paid my taxes and I loved my country” ( insiders joke) And I still wanted to stay.. This year I return to my home country. My mama is unwell, so I needed to go. I miss it everyday.

amazing vid. i always found it incredible how 1.5bn people can live together mostly in peace while the rest of the countries with fraction of population constantly fight each other. I just wanted to take a moment to say how amazing your video was! I was really impressed with the quality of the footage, the editing, and the overall presentation. You did a great job of explaining the topic in a clear and concise way, and I learned a lot from watching your video.

My friend just came back after living there for 8 years teaching English. I'm curious what type of startup you were running. It's difficult to run a business but even if it doesn't work you learn a lot in the process.

So awesome man 🤙🏼 can’t wait for other episodes 🙏🏼

Same happened to me in Thailand, lived there for two decades until one day late 2019 I wasn't allowed back. We cannot trust these places as home again, but our special love for them never ends.

Tommy, I can feel the pain and passion inside you about China coz I also lived in China for 12 years and returned home in 2022

Well, because the world has changed since 2020, Shanghai changed too. Just checked the percentage vacancies of the retail spaces in San Francisco, Chicago & other major US cities, you will be shocked by these numbers, very scary.

I have lived / worked in Shanghai for 12 years and I am one of the 100,000 who stayed during the pandemic. In fact I caught the last flight from London back to Shanghai before international flights were suspended. Everyone was telling me not to go back, that it was not safe etc but I had absolutely no concerns about returning and it was the right decision. I then lived through the 2 (or was it 3) month Shanghai lockdown and I honestly didn't get stressed by it at all. Yes, sometimes it was a challenge to get food, but it was available. For families with children I think it may have been more of a difficult time and I know many families that did leave. The subsequent almost daily testing after the lockdown ended was annoying but the implementation and use of technology for screening was accepted readily by everyone. I felt safe to travel and we all quickly adapted to using phones / QR codes to board trains, flights, access to buildings etc. I didn't even feel the need to have any vaccinations and then just as quickly as all the testing and screening was implemented it suddenly ended and things returned back to normal. It was like nothing had happened.

Such an intriguing country China is, looking from the west. Can't wait to see the upcoming videos.

great video. Always interesting to hear from the locals instead of a news broadcast. Look forward to your journey.

Thanks for the video. Very interesting looking from a different perspective. I was born and educated in Shanghai. Moved to US. And visited Shanghai almost every year until pandemic. Waited 3 years, until this year. Finally back visiting in March. I walked down the street like you did and enjoyed people, store, food/snack and traffic. You can get a lot from chat-chating with common people on the street. (I speak Shanghainese like a local. So a lot easier). It is quite amazing how much Shanghai changes constantly every single year. Every year, they have new big thing that amazes me, like new highway, new subway line,... They are building so fast, and so modern. So much energy, yet unfortunately it is hitting road block. This time after 3 years of absence, I saw 3 brand new very modern big shopping malls within walking distance of where I stayed. Unfortunately, very few active shoppers. A lot of old stores are closed. Also, there are fewer people on the street. But people are nice as always. Wish Shanghai can withstand the turbulence and shine again. Looking forward to see your travel in China. Enjoy the trip, and educate the world.

Haven't been to Shanghai in years and I would love to go back one day. Looking forward to more videos of China.

wasn't this their final end game ...no more foreigners, it just came a bit quicker than they had expected.

I love this video. I live in China, but listening to your point of view as another foreigner is refreshing.

I went to Shanghai in summer 2018 for a week, for work. I fell in love with the city. It just blew my mind. I seriously considered moving to Shanghai shortly after since my company had an office there, it would have been easy. For family reasons, I did not. I still don't know if it was the most reasonable decision of my life or the worst one.

I’m thrilled to join you on the cross-China tour. 👍

I am amazed by your language skills. Did you teach yourself to speak so many languages?

Lived in Shanghai for 10 years. Miss all those places you went (Peoples Square metro, Former French Concession streets, Yueyang Lu etc) - not sure if I could go back either.

I sense the emotionality in this journey. I’ve heard Kunming is very nice. You plan on visiting there? Great content!

I am very excited about these videos coming up.

Dude I love your videos and I’m always left impressed by your linguistic skills meanwhile I’ve been trying to learn Portuguese for the past 6 months and I feel no closer to being fluent then I was 7 months ago🤣

That was memory lane for me too…I lived in Shanghai for 7 months, very beautiful city, loved riding bikes around, always felt safe even at night.

Love your approach to travel and exploring other cultures mate....you should explore Australia sometime ;)

Never stop Tommy. We love this. For us that can't just leave and travel all the time. 🤘👌🍻

Absolutely first class video mate. You have a great way of introducing the viewer to the experience and a wonderful way of interacting with the locals. Keep ‘em coming please!

Thanks for the tour, Tommy. I look forward to seeing your journeys into the interior of China. More power to you.

if someone nostalgic left shanghai for years and then come back, i can understand the emotion. for most of the changes, at least physical changes, i would say majority if the people in shanghai welcome them. i know that because i own a home there and i see the changes of the city. there are more parks built, more and more modern and better infrastructures are in place. i don't care so much about the "traditional" but shabby looking buildings. people living there don't either if they can get a good deal to cash out. overall the changes are good and shanghai is very much a great city. the changes in beijing is what scare the heck out of people.

Good work. This is what I found when this video was released. It's picking up again. July 24

Wow Tommy! Thank you. Your story in the opening literally sent chills up my spine, having had very much the same thoughts about opportunities anything being possible in China, when I spent time with friends who were living that dream 20 and more years ago. I very nearly embarked on a similar adventure as to what you did. At 5:50 I saw similar real estate opportunities in Bejing before the turn of he century when Hutong neighborhoods were demolished some bough, some not. Someone I met back then did a statement about what you describe in the form of a popular music video In case anyone is interested in a glimpse back in time, and what was lost in the re-development: 何勇 He Yong 鐘鼓樓 Bell drum tower ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-zRFY0WGtCk4.html I also recall, a friend from South Africa who married a local saw the opportunity and bought beachfront land in Sanya, and a few years later they became very well off as a result.

Even Firefighters block can't put out fire due to lock down!! That sad! Love your Japan trip hope you come back.

I actually hate my life, but your channel brings me some joy

i was in zhuhai during the pandemic. it wasnt that bad, an annoyance at worst. people came together, got tested, got vaccinated, and were fine. for the first two years i didnt know one person that caught it. they probably kept the restrictions going for about six months too long, but there was an attitude of lets get through it together. i sure hated teaching via zoom tho

i live in china and did so during the covid lockdowns. i missed my daughters birth because of quarantine rules, i missed months and months of work and you had to live in constant fear of another lockdown. life was not normal it was not normal anywhere in the world. but more so here. while the whole world opened up china stayed closed, i couldn't see my family i missed my grandmas funeral, my mom didn't meet my first child till he was 3. he was born right before covid started, Chinese people would look at foreigners and make way because they were convinced by the gov news that we are the cause of the virus, you walked into an elevator and people would cover there mouths or straight up exit the elevator. still to this day there are people that cover there mouth when they see you. but yea it was not that bad thats why 400,000 foreigners left and "will never come back".

Thanks for taking us on this journey. Shanghai was a nice city but I never went to those old neighborhood.

I hope you make it to Gansu. That's in my top-three provinces - oozing with history that place. Would be cool if you could get down to Guizhou, Guangxi and Yunnan too, but that may be a bit of an ask. I once took a month-long trip by bus from Guangxi to Qinghai (South-West to North-West China). Great trip that. Xi-an and Chengdu are also great cities to visit.

WHERE IS JOSEY? And how is she? 🙏I know I wrote, once, that we "should not put our nose in your private life".. but I really miss her, your videos were so full of energy, laughter and joy, when you tracked the african mountains and forests together!❤

Not sure if Ive ever seen Tommy being so sentimental because of Shanghai. You can tell that this city has or had a special place for Tommy, he lived there for 7 yrs, after all. Thanks for showing those older blocks and houses. Too often people just show those fricken skyscrapers like most of the people would've never seen them. Take care and keep it up (as you always do). Te mando un abrazo! Saludos desde Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. Hasta luego! ❤

Man it kinda reminded me like a less busy version of mexico city. I kinda love it ngl. You're the only channel where i can actually enjoy Chinese content

Dude I lived in Hempstead for a while myself. Great to see you getting out to all these places and the personal casual conversation you do during the video. I’m psyched it’s like a new series just started and yes NYC Subway sucks.

I am STOKED to see your travels in the more remote regions of China! Live while you can.

Thanks for sharing. As a medical student from Kansas City, I spent about 6 months in Shanghai at the 2nd Medical University (now part of Jiatong University) back in 85'. Since those days, I have returned to China every 2-3 years and witnessed the phenomenal progress. I have become deeply troubled by the increasing US-China hostilities. Aside from this, I am eternal optimist for the future. I am planning on returning to Shanghai for several weeks and will avail myself of the bullet train network this October. I look forward to this and reminisce about the old days. Happy travels!

Thank you for lifting the veil and showing us a view of China that we never see in the United States.

Great video as always bro. Me planning to go shanghai for holiday. Take gd care bro. ❤❤

Great video!!! I have been to China 9 times. My wife and I have toured around there, so I look forward to your video's. My favorite city is Guilin. We were in Chengdu and walked around at 3:30AM, never felt unsafe. Can't do that here in the United States that's for sure!!

I was in Shanghai in May 2023. First time I was in China in 7 years. It has changed. The biggest difference is that 90% or more of purchases are done without cash. People pay with their phones. I didn’t know that until I got there but fortunately people accepted my cash. I saw some foreign friends who had been there throughout the pandemic. It was obvious that the city was bouncing back from the pandemic and everywhere I went it was very busy. In fact more busy than when I was there 10 years ago. Things always change everywhere. I hope to go back again because I love China and have a lot of friends there

I was in China from 2020 to 2023 and the lockdowns were insane and intolerable. Having to do daily checks can't leave the city, the racism etc. You would've hated it.

I'm SO EXCITED FOR THIS TRIP. Thank you. ❤

everything‘s gonna be alright. I’m a Shanghainese. During the pandemic lockdown, we are not forced to stay home. We do so because we care about everyone in the city so we would rather stay home