Saturday, September 20, 2008

Zhouzhuang, Suzhou, and more Shanghai

September 20, 2008, Shanghai, Saturday

Several days for which to account...

The 18th, Thursday, we took Line 1 to People's Park, then transferred to Line 2 to get to Fuxong Park and the French Concession. Fuxong Park was a hoot--hundreds of oldsters (and others) dancing, doing tai chai, playing badmitton, singing, playing traditional instrumental music, and so on. Something we have seen in several parks but always a treat. Also the Marx/Engels monument. We crossed over the park and commenced our walking tour of the tree-lined and now very fashionable French Concession. Highlights included the Sun Yat-Sen house, the Cathay Theatre (first talkies in China), the Okura Garden Hotel (grand ballroom; more wedding photos), the 1928 (name?) high-rise that was the first such structure here. We had lunch at very nice Chinese restaurant, no English name noted, and shared steamed dumplings, mushroom/pork dish, rice, and tea. After this we repaired back to the hotel to rest up for the acrobats show at the Shanghai Center Theatre. This is not something I generally go in for, but it was most entertaining, daring feats, but also some humor. Delays in catching a taxi almost got us there late. The Ritz Carlton complex where the theatre was located also contained a Tony Roma's, where we had a post-acrobatic snack.

The 19th, Friday, we booked ourselves onto a tour of the water village, Zhouzhuang, and Suzhou. The tour bus carried six people: driver, tour guide, a retiree from Vail, a kindergarten teacher from Finland, and us. The guide, Frances, an international relations student, was great, doing all the history and culture but also a good bit of manners and customs. Zhouzhuang was interesting--sort of a miniature Venice; lots of lakes about (he- and she- crab production) and a very high water table--but not worth the 25 minute hike (and back) in searing heat. The bus drove us on to Suzhou.

In the travel videos of Hangzhou and Sushou you get the impression of walled-in old cities, lots of ancient stone, water features, gardens. In reality, Suzhou is about the same size or larger than Shanghai, in area, with about 8 million people. Imagine all the research and high-tech parks you have ever seen, put them all in one county, throw in a few thousand (!) 20-30 story high-rises, supporting commerce, and a sprinkling of World Heritage destination sites, and there you have Suzhou. (I suppose I'll get over the massive thing soon).

We stopped first first at Choyers' Suzhou #1 Silk Mill and had a decent family-style meal there, 6 or 8 dishes for the 4 of us. Then a tour of the silk mill, which was both historical and technical in nature. Started with mulberry leaves and silkworm larvae, chewinbg their way through them. Proceeded to sorting and boiling of cocoons, threading, weaving, etc. Actually, it was very interesting, looking at both the newer automatic looms and the historical models. I've always been curious how the cocoons became thread. Then to the massive showroom, of course, where Vicki bought 2 beautiful (light-weight) scarves.

Our next stop was the real highlight for me: the Grand Canal. It was dug in the 6th and 7th centuries, and runs from Hangzhou to Beijing, more than 1000 kilometers. At Suzhouz it is wide enough for barge traffic, crossed by beauitful old bridges.

Last, we visited the Lingering Garden in Suzhou, a garden estate that dates from Ming times and is among the World Heritage sites. Chinese gardens, I gather, are more about rock and water than plants, and especially about the re-creation of larger scenes. The variety of halls, courtyards, and so on, were impressive. Traffic delayed our return to Shanghai until 6 PM. We got off at the river and took a Huangpu River cruise, an hour-long cruise past the Bund on the western shore and Pudong--new Shanghai--on the east.


Today, Saturday, we had a change of plans. We had originally intended to ride the train to Hangzhou and spend the day there. But the train was sold out, and so we got to see more of Shanghai...a walk on the Bund, Gushong Park, and then old Shanghai, the markets, and then lunch at a restraurant our tour guide had recommended at "most Shanghainese," Lu Balong. I had dim sum, Vicki had lemon chicken. The heat was incredible, the humidity worse. Early in the morning the humidity haze was so thick you could hardly see across the river.















In Suzhou, a bridge over the Grand Canal















In the Lingering Garden in Suzhou















High-rise housing on the road from Shanghai to Suzhou, mile after mile of these



















Shanghai acrobats




















Ditto



















Knife-throwing at Shanghai acrobats, and a volunteer from the audience...





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