China Day Seven and Eight: Shanghai

One of the last days in Shanghai we went to do some shopping in the Yuyuan Garden.

We stopped by the “pearl market” where we learned about how pearls are farmed and the difference between saltwater and freshwater pearls.  Basically salt water pearls come only one per oyster and are perfectly round.  Several fresh water pearls come in each oyster and are often more oblong.  Much more important than that, we learned how to tell real pearls from fake pearls:  You rub two pearls together and if they feel smooth, they are fake; if they feel rough, they are real.

After the Pearl Market, we went to the Silk Market where we shopped for fine silks and got to see and learn about how silk is produced.

That night the whole tour group got together and had dinner followed by drinks in an outdoor Shanghai bar.

The next day we left Shanghai, and to get to the airport we took the “MagLev train” which runs from downtown Shanghai to the Shanghai airport and is the fastest train in the world, reaching speeds of 431 kilometers per hour.  In miles, that converts to… divide by 1.6… carry the 1… really ridiculously fast.

It got up to 145 km/hr in about 10 seconds

Top speed

China Day Five: Wuzhen and Shanghai

After leaving Hangzhou, we took a bus trip on our way to Shanghai.  Around lunch time we stopped in the canal city of Wuzhen.  It’s a small city with not many people, but it was built on the canal that links Hangzhou to Shanghai and is reminiscent of Venice, Italy.

We spent a few hours walking around the narrow streets and admiring the village feel of the place.

There is a distillery here that makes the unique Chinese spirit known as “white liquor”.  We got to taste a little bit and it reminded Chris of grappa.  It is stored in clay jars to age after distillation.

After the distillery, we stopped by a dye factory.  The deep blues are the signature color of the city and the factory.

We also visited a wood carving museum which had many beautiful wooden pieces of art.

Chris found a place selling young coconut juice from a refrigerator and took advantage of the opportunity.

We left Wuzhen and made our way to Shanghai.  We strolled over to the Yangtze River and took spome time to admire the view.

 
That night we took a river boat ride along the Yangtze River which runs through the middle of Shanghai and took in the nighttime views, considered one of the top 5 skylines in the world.

 

China Day Four: Hangzhou

On our fourth day in China, we visited the city of Hangzhou. 

It was here that Marco Polo supposedly visited in the late 13th century.  His book refers to the city as "beyond dispute the finest and the noblest in the world."

Today the city is renowned for its beautiful "West Lake."  It was beautiful and peaceful.  There were a lot of older people there singing karaoke by the lakeside.

A few people in our tour took a boat ride with us around the lake.  It was a great way to cool off, relax and see the lake.

Chris, Kate and Tara

Chris, Silvia, Cam

Kate and Tara

China Day Three: Xi'an

Xi'an is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, having held that position under several of the most important dynasties in Chinese history.  The city is one of the oldest in China, with more than 3,100 years of history.

Today the city is littered with historical monuments and ruins, but its primary draw is the great Terracotta Army. 

The Terracotta Army is a form of funerary art buried with the First Emperor of Qin in 210-209 BC (the same man who built the Great Wall). The Army's purpose was to help rule another empire with Qin Shi Huang in the afterlife. In addition to the warriors, an entire man-made necropolis for the emperor has been excavated. Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there are over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses (all life size), the majority of which are still buried in the pits.

Collectively it is considered the 8th Wonder of the Ancient World.

The area around the necropolis.

Back in Xi'an we went by the famous bell tower.  Built in 1384 during the early Ming Dynasty, it is a symbol of the city of Xi'an and one of the grandest of its kind in China. 

During our dumpling dinner we had a little traditional musical entertainment.

And that night we went to the Tang Palace to watch a dance show.

 

And that night went by the bell tower again.