The Pearl of the Orient or Paris of the East – whatever your slant on it, this is an unblemished and beautiful city on the east coast of China where the Yangtze River meets the East China Sea.

From the impressive Pudong skyline of The Bund (barely 30 years young) to the Lover’s Wall shielding the Huangpu River, a museum of international architecture and never ending high rises, Shanghai flexes it’s densely populated muscles with construction piercing the congested blue skies for days, dwarfing any other mega city the western world dare compare it to…

But as it turns out, we were here to watch a football match. So, scarves down a sec – first, we explore!

Staying at the Portman Ritz Carlton on West Nanjing Road was something like the Champs Elysees of Shanghai. It’s elegance, affluence and pristine footpaths lead a divine path to every designer boutique under the sun. And while some 24 million people live in this sparkling city, we never felt crowded…

Perhaps because 12 million of them were traversing underground via the intricate subway system, and the other 12 million rode electric motorbikes scaling curbs and rewriting the Chinese road rules.

Where our neighbour for the week was the Jing’an Temple, standing in gilded and intricate contrast to the flashy downtown landscape. So, throw a coin into the urn and make a wish we did…

And further afield on foot to the Old Town, somewhat a mini Venice of alleys and boutiques to the exceptional Shanghai Tower (over 113 floors high) and then below ground to some heated bargaining for a “Breitling” (if you get my drift).

And game day brought a new level of excitement. Not just because we bumped into the hierarchy of Port Adelaide executives, players and parents in the foyer of The Portman, or being witness to the grand unveiling of Gav’s artwork, or the ride in the elevator with Trav on the morning of, but because history was being made.

Black, white and teal flooded the subway to Jiangwan Stadium – hard to believe but we stood out – en route to a derelict driving range come footy field some 40 minutes from the centre of the city.

Aussie crowds flocked, the Chinese were just curious – but it was worth a snap on WeChat anyway. The national anthem played (also known as the PAFC club song for a split second) and I guarantee not a dry Aussie eye in the place.

The game was played out as PAFC dreamed it would – and the dream shall continue for 5 years, they say.

Will we be back? You bet.

Xie xie (pronounced shi shi, or thankyou) Shanghai!

Bring on Beijing…