Although most everyone headed back to the US today - and will try to recover enough to go to work on Monday - three of us stayed in Shanghai for one extra day. Pat and I are leaving tomorrow, Monday, and Tricia is leaving on Tuesday. This morning before breakfast, I heard some calm, soothing music coming from outside and went out to Nanjing street to see tai chi being practiced. It was most interesting! There were several groups, each with their own leader. Some were slow and deliberate, some were more athletic, and yet others were quite artistic. This tai chi exercise was taking place on Nanjing Street which is a pedestrian only shopping street. Here is a picture of it during the daytime - but it is really quite amazing at night with LOTS of neon lights; it rivals Times Square in NYC. By the way, that tall building in the background, with the flying saucer-like object at the top, is the bar that I mentioned in the post for last night.
Our hotel is only one block from Nanjing Street. Along with great shopping and quick access to 
the Bund, Nanjing offered some familiar food for those of our travellers craving KFC ("ken de ji" in Chinese) and Pizza Hut. That's a picture of our hotel to the right.
the Bund, Nanjing offered some familiar food for those of our travellers craving KFC ("ken de ji" in Chinese) and Pizza Hut. That's a picture of our hotel to the right.After breakfast Tricia and I headed out for a day trip to the Venice of the Orient - the 900 year old water town of Zhouzhuang in the province of Suzhou. Zhouzhuang is typical of what Shanghai was like 300 years ago. This is considered the most beautiful of China's water towns and is visited by many Chinese tourists, but not as many foreign tourists. Tricia and I would urge you to go if you have the chance. It was great to get out of the big city and see a different side of China. Earlier in the week someone mentioned their surprise at seeing so many signs in both Mandarin and English. Well, when we got out to Zhouzhuang we saw very little English - very little. But, it was great. It was a charming town as you'll see in the pictures below. Our trip started out at 9:00 am and we got back at 5:00 pm. While it took us only about an hour to get there in the morning, it took us 2 hours to get back in the afternoon. We got a good taste of Shanghai rush hour traffic!
Built during the Northern Song dynasty in the 11th century and with a history of more than 900
years, Zhouzhuang showcases the architecture of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. The many different styles are reflected in its ancient mansions and houses built on both sides of rivers, bridges, canals, and narrow streets which are actually more like alleys. This 
small town of 22,000 inhabitants (in both the newer and ancient sections) is situatiated in the city of Kunshan between Shanghai and Suzhou and surrounded by five lakes which makes boats the most important means of transportation. The town (name means Zhou's village) is named for Zhou Digong a devoted Buddist who donated 200 acres of land to the Quanfu Buddist Temple.
years, Zhouzhuang showcases the architecture of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. The many different styles are reflected in its ancient mansions and houses built on both sides of rivers, bridges, canals, and narrow streets which are actually more like alleys. This 
small town of 22,000 inhabitants (in both the newer and ancient sections) is situatiated in the city of Kunshan between Shanghai and Suzhou and surrounded by five lakes which makes boats the most important means of transportation. The town (name means Zhou's village) is named for Zhou Digong a devoted Buddist who donated 200 acres of land to the Quanfu Buddist Temple.
The town was a modest fishing village until the 1400's when it was transformed into a bustling trade hub, creating many rich and famous merchants along the way, most notably Shen Wansan. Mr. Shen was the first millionaire south of the Yangtze River. He made his fortune by trading good such as silk, silk embroidery, rice, and find China within China and then expanding his trade area to most of South Asia. His 200 sq. metere home, with 100 rooms is a major site to visit in the town. His home contains many of the treasures he collected during his travels as well as showcasing what life was like for the "Bill Gates" of the time. One of the interesting sights was the kitchen with its beautiful painted cabinetry.
Zhouzhuang is particularly known for its waterways - thus the 
name "Venice of the Orient" - and its many bridges. The town is built in the shape of the Chinese character # which means water well and befittingly it is adorned with many bridges - 14 in all - connecting the narrow streets and residents. Each bridge is personalized with names such as Taiping (Peaceful), Fu'an(Wealth and Security) - built in 1355, but the most distinct ones are the Twin Bridges build in the Wanli reign during the Ming Dynasty.Source: Zhouzhuang tourist brouchure
Tricia and I also enjoyed the Quanfu Buddhist Temple and the Chenxu Taoist Temple. Our 
guide, Nick, explained gave us a very quick understanding of the two religions. I will attempt to present you with the simplified version he presented us with, but any errors or omissions are mine alone. Nick told us that one of the key Taoist philosophies is "let it go" and one of the key Buddhist philosophies is "control your desires". Both temples were very peaceful and Tricia lit candles and burned incense at the Taoist temple.
guide, Nick, explained gave us a very quick understanding of the two religions. I will attempt to present you with the simplified version he presented us with, but any errors or omissions are mine alone. Nick told us that one of the key Taoist philosophies is "let it go" and one of the key Buddhist philosophies is "control your desires". Both temples were very peaceful and Tricia lit candles and burned incense at the Taoist temple. Zhouzhuang has some very nice shopping for "small things" as Nick called them. The town is 
particularly known for its identifiable blue fabric with a white pattern. We had a good time exercising our bargaining skills and came away with some very fine purchases. One of the first 
shops we purchased goods wrapped our items in a Chinese newspaper with a picture of Obama on the front page. The Chinese all seemed very interested in the election of Obama, noting that he is an excellent example of the best of America - one can rise to be even the president, no matter your background. One other interesting thing we saw on our walk was portraits of Chairman Mao posted in several restaurants.
particularly known for its identifiable blue fabric with a white pattern. We had a good time exercising our bargaining skills and came away with some very fine purchases. One of the first 
shops we purchased goods wrapped our items in a Chinese newspaper with a picture of Obama on the front page. The Chinese all seemed very interested in the election of Obama, noting that he is an excellent example of the best of America - one can rise to be even the president, no matter your background. One other interesting thing we saw on our walk was portraits of Chairman Mao posted in several restaurants. After a lovely long walk through the town we were more than ready for lunch. Nick took us to a restaurant "upstairs" at which we had a table with a great view of the canal and all its activities. He helped us order and then headed out for a some local snacks - particularly chicken feet. Our meal was somewhat more tame. We had delicious sauted greens, a braised fish with a GREAT sauce, and tofu with clams. It was a very relaxing lunch and a great view.
After our lunch we continued our walk and then headed for home. On the way back to the hotel we stopped by the main lake in the area for a view of one of the local delicacies - hairy crabs. Hairy crabs? Yes, hairy! Take a look at the picture below. It shows a male hairy crab. Take a look at the big pinchers - see how they look furry? The famales are not adorned with the fur. SO interesting!Tomorrow we will go see the Shanghai Museum which Tricia says is on the list of 1000 Places to See Before You Die.
No comments:
Post a Comment