Imperial China Day 4
Imperial China
OAT Day 1-04 - Wednesday, April 9, 2008 - Explore Zhu Jia Jiao Village - Acrobatic Show
It was warm in our room as the air-conditioning was not working last night. I guess it was switched back to the “cold season” mode. We opened our windows and heard the sounds from the city streets seven floors below.
Our biological clocks still seem to be on Colorado time so we woke up early and went down to breakfast at 7 AM. We logged on to our email and answered a few notes. It is great to have access in our hotel room but the cost is very expensive compared to the free internet in hotels in the USA. But we are in China!
We met Matt and Mr. Wang at 9 AM and drove to the Zhu Jia Jiao village. Located southwest of downtown Shanghai, Zhu Jia Jiao is a historic water town known for producing the best rice in southeast China.
On the way through the traffic jams getting out of Shanghai, Matt told us about the governmental structure of the city and the influence of the British period. The fog had lifted and a few rays of sunshine were trying to break through. It was getting warmer, great news for a day of sightseeing.
Along the way we saw that most of the leaves are out on the trees and there are many blossoms as well as beautiful flower beds in the well kept People’s Park. Huge skyscrapers dwarf the ten story Mao style apartment.
Matt also explained the history of the importance of the water village that we visited. It was originally solely agricultural but now the income is only from tourism.
As we drove out of Shanghai, we saw many large nurseries with blooming shrubs and trees as well as all types of bedding plants. In this rural area are many single family farm homes and gardens along the canals that crisscross the landscape.
When we got to the village we walked through the narrow streets and were offered tastes of cookies and other sweets. I bought a package of warm sesame cookies that we shared with the group.
The weather was very pleasant at 66 degrees with 77% humidity. At least it is not pouring down rain like yesterday evening.
Our first stop was the old village post office where we toured the building that housed a historical picture of the Chinese mail service from the original “pony express” to the pre-Mao era.
We left the post office dock on a traditional wooden “You Chuan”, tour boat, and were rowed through the canals to our next adventure, the traditional garden home of Mr. Ma Wenqing.
Our visit to KeZhi Garden, the former private garden of Mr. Ma, a salt merchant during the Ming Dynasty, was spectacular. As we went through the home, Matt explained the historical traditions of these wealthy Chinese families.
The gardens were lovely with sculptured walkways and blossoming trees. We had an hour to explore the opulent life of the merchant class.
Next, it was on to the Setting-Free Bridge, a 400-year old arched stone bridge that is the earliest and longest in southeast China. We continued on to a very small family restaurant where we enjoyed a lunch of vegetables, several types of meats, and of course, the staple - rice.
Gennie had begun to talk with a woman selling “genuine Rolex watches” before we went into the restaurant. When we left an hour later the woman was still waiting. As we all walked back to the bus Gennie was in serious international negotiations and ended up with a purchase.
Gennie reported that the woman wanted $100 US for one watch and ended up selling three watches for 100 Yuan. Now we will see how long they run, but for $14 US, she had a lot of fun!
On the way back to Shanghai Matt told us we could go back to the Bund District as the weather was much better than when we were there yesterday. Mr. Wang let us off at the waterfront and we walked along the promenade along with thousands of other tourists and vendors. These were mostly Chinese who were very happy to see the skyline today.
We decided to walk back to our hotel as it was only about 2 KM - 40 minutes away. As we threaded our way though traffic, I was able to take a few more pictures of this huge city and the congested streets and many inhabitants.
We stopped at an ice cream shop along the way, tucked in among the many high-end department stores. On every block there is a Starbucks and we also saw America’s other fast food chains such as Subway, KFC, McDonalds, and Burger King.
Back at the hotel at 4 PM we took time to freshen up, look at the photos of the day and check our mail. At 6:40 we met our group in the lobby for an optional evening planned by Matt.
Our destination was the Shanghai Circus for an acrobatic performance. We crossed the main avenue to take the #1 Subway Line. Matt showed us how to buy tickets, how to go through the turnstiles with our tickets, and how to make the connections.
We arrived at the Circus, walked right in and five rows from the floor we had spectacular seats. The show was fantastic - the young men and women have such ability and dexterity; it is so impressive.
At the end of the show five of us chose to take the subway back to the hotel on our own. The only real difficulty was in crossing two main avenues as the traffic did not stop - lights were on yellow both directions. We rode the subway, climbed the stairs, and we were within 30 yards of our hotel. It was a great group effort. Gennie and I decided to take some night shots so we did not return to the hotel until a little after 10:30 PM.
Accommodations: Park Hotel - - - Meal: B, L
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Comments
I will live the this trip vicariously through your adventures. Thanks, Anita
Don- Hi! we miss you. Janie is still finding notes, you softie! (hug) I found out I got a G.A. today! Hello to Marvin! and... Thank you Garcia's! xo B
Post a Comment!Hi, Dad! Hope youre having fun! We're looking at the pictures online and reading the journal entries. Love, Stephen
Park Hotel in Shanghai, China
Vic & Gennie in “You Chuan”
Zhu Jia Jiao Water Village
KeZhi Gardens HDR
Pedestrian Street in Shanghai, China
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