2015 - China (Part 1 - Shanghai)

Thursday 22 October
We arrived about 20 minutes late into Shanghai. The immigration and customs formalities were quick given I was one of only a few foreigners on the train. We were collected by Lu, the husband of Hung's niece, and dropped at the hotel on Dingxi Road. From there we went to Hung's brother in law's business to meet everyone and a nice lunch in a Japanese restaurant.

A lazy afternoon.

We had dinner with some friends of Hung who live in New York and were visiting. Always a bit of an issue with not knowing what you are getting for dinner, especially when present you with an eel. Had one piece just to be polite.

Friday 23 October
A lazy morning. Afterwards we met Hung's niece (WeiWei) and we travelled to the old part of Shanghai near the museum. This area has been converted into shops and restaurants and seemed quite popular.

A fountain by the old town.

Hung and Wei Wei.

The guardian outside the Shanghai Museum.

We met my sister and parents outside the museum (they were on a guided trip around China and had just arrived in Shanghai. We slowly walked from the museum down to the Bund which was busy as it was dusk and the lights were on.

The bottle opener over in Pudong.

After failing miserably to get a taxi to take us to the restaurant (too far, too much traffic being the most common excuses) we decided to take the metro. Oh what fun the Shanghai metro at evening rush hour is. Thankfully it was only three stops. The first train arrived and only three of us made it onto the train (myself, Hung and WeiWei). However, my sister is an experienced traveller and knew we had three stops to go. We made it fine and waited anxiously for the next train, hoping that there were three people on it (plus several hundred locals). No problems. My sister is larger than most Chinese people and pushed and shoved our parents onto the train. Dad even got one of the old fart seats to make it more comfortable for his dodgy knees.

Dinner was at a western restaurant in a shopping centre and was quite nice.

The family dinner.

Saturday 24 October
We went down to the Yiyuan markets by the Bund. There are lots of touristy shops (and tourists) selling all manner of stuff.

Yuyuan markets

Us at Yuyuan markets.

Yuyuan markets

Yuyuan markets]

Yuyuan markets]

Yuyuan Markets.

Dinner was Hung's sister's birthday in a very nice restaurant just around the corner from the hotel.

Sunday 25 October
A day trip to Suzhou. See Part 2.

Monday 26 October
A lazy morning and we discovered a shop around the corner was having its grand opening. They had hired a small band and they were playing very loudly just outside the front door. It worked as we went in and bought some food (snacks, nuts etc type shop).

Opening a new shop near Dingxi Road.]

Opening a new shop near Dingxi Road.

From there we caught the bus into the city and walked down Heng Shan Road. This is an upmarket area lined with trees and cafes. At the end of the road is Xujiahui Park, a quite sizable park with trees, a lake, some old buildings, artwork and so on.

Xujiahui Park.

Modern Shanghai.

Tuesday 27 October
Day trip to Zhujiajiao, an old town outside Shanghai. See Part 3.

Wednesday 28 October and Thursday 29 October
Two days in Hangzhou. See Part 4.

Friday 30 October
The last day in Shanghai. We went to the Bund, crossed the river via a very strange and surreal monorail in the tunnel. The Pudong side of the river is a lot more modern and there is not much to look at except modern buildings and shopping centres.

The Huang Pu river in Shanghai.

The Pudong skyline.

The Bund.

The little train under the river to Pudong.

A round about in Pudong.

Looking back across the river to the Bund.

The Oriental Pearl Tower behind the museum.

The weird tunnel under the Huang Pu to Pudong.

The weird tunnel under the Huang Pu to Pudong.

After dinner, we went back to the Bund for a cruise along to HuangPu River. Just about every building along the waterfront is lit up in a spectacular light show, the electricity being paid for by the city government.

Our boat for the cruise.

Shanghai by night.

More buildings lit up.

More buildings lit up.

The Oriental Pearl Tower.

I love Shanghai.

Saturday 31 October
Out to the airport for the flight home, Air NZ once again very good.

In all, a good trip to China and I would like to thank Hung's sister and brother in law (the Xu family), and her niece and husband (the Lu family) for all their hospitality and for running around after us, taxi driving and so on.

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