China Spring 2016 Part 15 and Final

Shanghai: Our last stop on this trip was Shanghai. Wiki-travel says Shanghai is a fascinating mix of East and West. It has historic shikumen (石库门）houses that blend the styles of Chinese houses with European design flair, and it has one of the richest collections of Art Deco buildings in the world. As there were so many concessions (designated districts) to Western powers during the turn of the 20th century, in many places the city has a cosmopolitan feel. There is everything from classic Parisian style to Tudor style buildings that give an English flair to 1930s buildings reminiscent of New York or Chicago. There is a saying that goes, "Shanghai is heaven for the rich, hell for the poor." People from all over China flock to Shanghai — everyone from farmers seeking jobs in manual labor to university graduates seeking to start a career or wanting to live in a cool up-tempo city. Even well-off people, though, complain that buying a home is becoming impossible; prices have skyrocketed in the last few years.

Our final hotel was one of the nicest we encountered. The lobby had lavish displays of real orchids like this one.
There was a wonderful buffet for our breakfasts and there was a lobby area on our floor where some of us gathered
on the last night to drink up and eat up everything we had bought and didn't want to take home as we visited for
the last time and bid each other a fond farewell since everyone was taking different flights back to Canada.

Our view from our room at night.

The same view in the daytime

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We essentially had one very full day in Shanghai visiting a fascinating museum, 

Shanghai Cultural Museum

Fanciful figures outside the museum

Ancient carved jade funeral mask

An extensive display of traditional costumes highlighted the
incredible diversity of people and climatic needs in this huge country.

Artifacts in the museum include bronze pieces from 12,000 BCE

seeing a silk factory, 

These are the tiny looms where one cocoon is meticulously spun into single silk threads.

Silk thread

We all had a chance to "pull" the flat tight pad out to the size of this table. Many layers of the
delicate piece are placed atop each other to form the fill for a duvet or quilt.

and walking on Bund Ave. which runs along the Huangpu River. There you can see the skyscrapers of modern Shanghai. Walking on the Bund is very popular among residents and tourists. 

Old river signal tower along The Bund.

The very modern skyscrapers across the river from The Bund.

Older, more traditional buildings on the side of The Bund.

Shopping near Nanjing Road

No bundle is too large for the mighty scooters.

We also spent time shopping on Nanjing Road. You could find about anything you wanted there but we spent far more time there than we wanted; we would have been much happier with more time at the Museum. In the evening we went to see the famous Shanghai acrobats. Unfortunately, we couldn't take any pictures there but it was a nice way to end our trip. We left China the next day, flying direct from Shanghai to Toronto on Canadian Air and then on to Detroit, where our car was waiting for us and we drove home. It had truly been the trip of a lifetime and all at a very reasonable rate. 

Old Town Shanghai is a labyrinth of alleys and passageways. It was easy to
imagine some young man being drugged. kidnapped, and pressed into service--Shanghaied--
in these dark places long ago. Modern lighting and busy shopkeepers have transformed the area. 

It was always important to remember to Look Up for some of the
best and most interesting features in the cities we visited.

Modern skyscrapers in Shanghai at night

China Spring 2016 Part 14

Afternoon of Day 11: After visiting the Garden, we had time to visit the local market in Suzhou and the shopping district which are adjacent to a main canal. Suzhou was the capital of the kingdom of Wu from the 12th to 4th centuries BC. Historically, it was the center of Wu culture, and the Suzhou dialect of the Wu language is still considered the standard dialect even though the language is now often called "Shanghainese".
Today, Suzhou has become a core city of China's Yangtze River Delta economic zone, given its high GDP contribution to China. More recently, it has been a center of the silk trade and a place of gardens and canals. Suzhou has long been a haven for scholars, artists, and skilled craftsmen, and this is still the case today. We had the opportunity to walk through a crowded market and also the main shopping area of the city. A real contrast between the two areas. On the day we were there, there were many couples having their wedding photos taken. The market was really crowded and noisy with voices and the sounds of chickens cackling and then suddenly silent as they met their fate on the butcher block, but you got a good sense of the local life.

Fish stand, with live eels

Poultry stand

This vendor was cutting up the pungent smelling durian fruit and offering tastes.
It's actually quite delicious once you get it past your nose.

Canals through the city market and shopping districts

Traditional wedding photos

This outdoor tailor's smile was utterly captivating.
Note the foot pedaled treadle machine.

I turned the tables on the paradigm of the Chinese seeking photos with Americans.

Peeking down the alleyways was a different view in the shopping district

Marv was fascinated by the many, many battery operated scooters.

Buick LaCrosses made in China like this one were everywhere, as were
the big billboards advertising them. Geoff told us you can buy a car fairly
easily but then wait 3-5 years to be able to buy the $20,000 license, which are
only awarded by lottery. Note the English on the left and Chinese characters on the right.

Bridges on the river next to the restaurant where we ate lunch.

 

China Spring 2016 Part 13

On the morning of Day 11, we visited the Lingering Garden. Occupying an area of 5.8 acres (about 23,300 square meters), the Lingering Garden is located outside Changmen Gate in Suzhou. Originally a classical private garden, it is one of the four most famous gardens in China. Possessing typical Qing style, it is well-known for the exquisite beauty of its magnificent halls, and the various sizes, shapes, and colors of the buildings. In 1997, it was recorded on the list of the world heritage by UNESCO.

With a history of more than 400 years, the Lingering Garden has changed hands several times. Each owner did his best to perfect it. The garden was first built in 1593 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) by a retired official named Xu Tai. During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it was bought by Liu Shu. As a calligraphy lover, he carved masterpieces on both sides of the corridors of the buildings. He had also collected unusually-shaped stones in the garden. The succeeding owners followed his model when doing restoration work. Almost demolished in the 1930s, the garden was repaired sponsored by the government and then opened to the public.

While I'm posting a lot of pictures of the gardens, there are many more great pictures that I didn't include. This home and garden is truly spectacular and should be on everyone's bucket list who visits China. I can imagine how this home and garden must have been as close to heaven as the owners could have gotten. 

This small interior courtyard was used to welcome visitors and
begin their transition from the outside world.

There are many intricate stone windows featuring glimpses of the garden.

The pathways throughout the garden were detailed with
stonework in intricate patterns that were an artwork of their own. 

The garden has many levels each offering a different view of the ponds and plantings.

An area in the garden home for Suzhou Story Telling and Ballad Singing.

Unusual rock formations were featured throughout the gardens.

I had a very hard time escaping from these women, who were friendly and very
eager to take pictures with me of their group and singly. The dour looking
woman on my right slapped away anyone who tried to take her place!

Such a tranquil setting!

Just like in the USA, EVERYONE had their phone in hand.

One entire area of the garden was devoted to bonsai trees displayed on bench-like tables. 

There was an area devoted to rose bushes and camellias in full bloom.

The Bonsai section

Another section had miniature "landscapes" like the one above that
contained tiny bonsai trees within them. They were so enchanting!

Despite being in the middle of an urban area, and being very crowded with
families and tourists, it was always possible to find quiet secluded nooks like this.