Day 16 Shanghai

We stayed in the historic Peace Hotel (Fairmont) in Shanghai that had been built in the 1920's.  It has maintained its historic feel while being a modern luxury hotel.  It is located on the street facing the waterway in older Shanghai in a long row of historic buildings most of which were banks.  It is in the middle of the Bund where thousands of people stroll along the river and up and down the streets leading to the river. 

Old Shanghai

Our first activity in Shanghai was a trip to the Old Shanghai Gardens.  It is a traditional Chinese garden area.  We were told that there were four required elements:  water, rocks, trees, and  a wall.  The garden was a respite from the surrounding shopping area.  Both the shopping area and the garden were crowded with people, and even though we were there in the morning, it was hot and humid.  The garden was beautiful with bridges and walkways that wound through it.  One bridge had right-angle turns about every 20 feet (we were told that the purpose for the turns in the bridge was to force those walking through to see the garden from different angles).  The water had lotus flowers and large goldfish.  The plantings were carefully trimmed to maintain the appropriate size, but there were still large trees that shaded the area.  We emerged from the garden into the shopping area and had free time to browse through stores where one could purchase any about anything (with expected bargaining). 

Our next stop was a Chinese lunch in a restaurant that was set in an "Embroidery Museum."  Hundreds of elaborate embroidery "pictures" were displayed on the walls.  The detail in the "pictures" was phenomenal -- they looked like paintings.  Many were for sale at very high prices.  We had a lecture on the history of embroidery in China.  We had a traditional Chinese dinner.

Next we went to the Shanghai Museum.  There we saw an extensive collection of artifacts representing China's history and culture.  We saw jade, bronze, wood, and stone items that had been elaborately carved or decorated.  There were also painting, calligraphy, and stamp (used historically to make a person's stamp or signature) collections.

In the evening, we had another traditional Chinese dinner at a different restaurant.  All of the Chinese dinners had some foods in common, but most had completely different dishes for us.  Over the course of 16 days, we have sampled a large variety of Chinese foods.

Following the dinner, we went to the Chinese Acrobat Show.  This was in a very modern theatre (with no Chinese decorations at all).  The show was fantastic, with the acrobats demonstrating an amazing range of agility, balance, and strength.  There were tumbling acts, tower building, magic acts, and vaudeville type comedy routines.  The show was quite enjoyable with beautiful costumes, drama with tension, and comedic relief.

That was the end of a long day, and we made our way through the heavy traffic (both automobile and pedestrian) to our hotel.  We had to pack for an early morning departure.  

Pictures:  Judy and Dwight sitting on a throne, Old Shanghai, Old Shanghai Garden, Old Shanghai Market (2), Embroidery Museum and Restaurant, Shanghai Museum (2), Chinese Acrobats (2).