Last day in China - Shanghai

Shanghai at night

So we only had one full day in Shanghai but we meant to get the most out of it.  Our itinerary for the day was follows:

• Visit silk factory
• Visit royal park
• Visit local market
• Have lunch
• Visit Shanghai museum
• Climb to top of one of the landmark skyscrapers
• Have final supper
• Enjoy chines acrobatic show
• Visit Bund at night to see lights.

spinning silk cocoons

Obviously this meant another early start. We were down from breakfast at 7.30am and on the coach by 8.15am.  Both Mike and I liked Shanghai.  It captured how we had imagined China to be: a mix of the anciaent and modern. It was obvious to see that there was wealth in Shanghi from the flower adorned streets to the well kept colonial style buildings as well as the huge investments in the financial area. 

Making a silk duvet

Our first visit was to a silk factory.  Here I relived an earlier school experience where we were shown the silk moth caterpillars living on the  mulberry leaves and their stages of development until becoming pupae with a silk cocoon. The machinery that was used to spin the thread looked ancient and I wondered whether this was for our benefit or whether this is still the main method used. It still appears to be very much driven by manual labour.  The demonstration included showing us the twin pupae. Here the cocoons are much larger and the threads are more tangled. They use these to make silk duvets. I was hooked when I saw these – they were so light and yet so warm. I bought one and then thought I may as well go the whole hog and bought 6 pillows. Being anti allergenic I thought these would make excellent presents for Louise and Richard. The problem then was how to get them home. Various people in our group offered me luggage space as I had only brought a small suitcase but  hey presto outside the shop was a vendor selling large holdalls that expanded to comfortably fit my suitcase and allow me to pack around it so yet another purchase!  But I did resist the silk pyjamas and other lovely silk items that were on sale.

Our second visit took us back to a more traditional China.  We walked through commercial streets where vendors sold directly onto the street before we reached our park destination.  This was of a typical southern chinese style with wooden buildings with low eaves, stone formations, flower gardens and water features.  We had left the rain behind us and it was a bright sunny day although much cooler. It was very relaxing to spend an hour walking around the garden, sitting in the sun and watching the Chinese photo themselves where each shot was so carefully posed.

From here we walked into the very busy market place. It was easy to get lost in the numerous passageways but as it was our last day we had to get some final bits: presents for Mike’s grandsons and postcards for the family.  Unlike any other holiday it had not been easy to find postcards and now was our last opportunity. This was not an easy task with our language constraints but eventually we made it back to our meeting place having completed our objectives and having bought pretty Chinese postal stamps.

We were then taken to a restaurant for an early light lunch.  Due to us needing to get to the theatre for 7pm it had been agreed we would have an early lunch but there was nothing light about it. Again we must have had about 8 courses of meat, fish, vegetables and rice.

Shanghai museum

Our next stop was the museum. We were told that due to the holiday we should expect large crowds and that we would have to queue but then our guide found a way around this. With over 50% of the group being over 70 we were all allowed priority access. One of the advantages of travelling with an older group.  Again we had about an hour to spend here so Mike and I concentrated on the paintings and ceramics.  I love the simple lines of the Chinese brush strokes that are used to create paintings of chinese mountains and country scenes and I bought a small print as a reminder of this.  We also managed to fit in a quick visit to the café where Mike had his normal latte and I had oolong tea.

As I said earlier we were extremely lucky with the weather which was still very bright and clear so perfect to go up to the 100^th floor of the skyscraper known locally as the 'bottle opener' due the shape of its final storey.  Again we had been warned of queues but whether it was because it was later in the day or whether it was the cost, which at 300 yuan must been expensive for many Chinese people we were quickly into the lift which then took us up at a rate of 8 metres per second to the 95^th floor. From here there was an escalator to the 97^th floor and then a final small elevator to the 100^th floor.  The views were breath taking. You could see all the way out to the East China sea but more impressive was the cityscape built around the Yangtze immediately beneath us.  It was an excellent visit and once again where many of us were stars of the show for the local Chinese who seem to love being photographed with us.

Preparing Peking Duck

Mo and Norman

Mike and Lisa

And so onto the coach for a short drive to the restaurant for our final dinner. David had ordered peking duck for us to start and with two whole ducks per table there was plenty to eat along with all the other dishes that were provided. The meal ended with a cake and celebration of Mo and Norman's 40^th wedding anniversary. Everyone has been so impressed with Mo who had such a nasty accident to her leg on the trikes we took out at the Hutong in Beijing. Mo has battled her way through the trip, using a wheelchair where possible to see most of the sights that made up this trip and with a smile throughout. We were all pleased to celebrate with them both. But time was still ticking on and we had to be at the theatre for a 7.30 start of the acrobatic show. We made it by 7.20pm.  

What a show!  There were definitely parts where I really worried for the future health of these gymnasts who seemed to be able to bend themselves into all sorts of inhuman positions. But the skills and mastery had to be admired.  I particularly liked an elegant display where a couple performed an acrobatic display held by ribbons suspended from the ceiling and I know Mike loved the motorcycles which culminated in 7 bikes roaring around the inside of a relatively small cage. 

I was really pleased that we manged to squeeze this in but it did mean a very hasty exit so that we complete our day on the Bund before 10pm.  It turned out that we had about 20 minutes to wander along the river front to admire and take photos of all the elegant ( and not so elegant skyscrapers).  I would like to say an excellent end to a very busy day in Shanghai but we still had to return to the Hotel and repack our cases to accommodate all the bedding I had bought.  We both eventually fell into bed around 1am with alarms set for 5.30 and 5.45 as we had to get luggage outside by 6am and leave the hotel for the airport  at 7am.  What a trip!

The Three Gorges Dam and the Bullet train to Shanghai

The Three Gorges Dam

Lift from jetty to port

The Lock

With luggage out by 6.30am, breakfast over by 7.30am we were ready to leave the ship to visit the site of Three Gorges dam.  We were currently in the middle of a short Chinese holiday and after the rains of yesterday the place was absolutely heaving.  We have still not got used to the number of people in China.  We were given so many facts and figures about the Dam that it is impossible to remember them all. There are 32 electricity generating turbines although the maximum number can only be used for a few months of the year when water levels allow this. The dam, despite its colossal size only generates 2% of China’s electricity. The majority still comes from coal powered stations with some nuclear and alternative technologies. 

I think that the figure of 2% generated from this dam is more of an illustration of the need within China for electricity rather than any limitations of the dam.  As I said yesterday one of the way reasons for the creation of the dam was to improve navigation. The Yangtze as the third largest river in the world is a major route for transportation of all sorts of things. At one edge of the dam is a huge ships lock that takes multiple ships up to the higher levels. Using the old lock system this transfer used to take 3.5 hours but now it can be traversed in minutes.

We were allowed plenty of time to view this impressive sight which is now a major tourist attraction raising funds in addition to the taxes that are imposed for the building of this facility.

Leaving the dam we transferred to a different coach where another local guide Gary gave us more information on the negative effects of the dam but even he had to admit to the better accommodation that local people had received moving from homes of less than 40 square metres without bathrooms etc to those of 100 m2. 

Gary took us to a hotel where we went upstairs to private dining rooms for a quick lunch. It was a shame we has such little time as the food and facilities were excellent. But we had a bullet train to catch.

There are many things in China that astonish you and the rail system for the bullet train is one of them.  In a fairly mediocre town we were taken to the railway station. It was huge. A modern building hosting over 12 platforms with bullet trains waiting to take you far and wide.  Our trip to Shanghai was going to be over 9 hours and Mike was very excited about it. We had originally been going to fly to Shanghai but changes to flight times would have meant we were going to be stranded for a few hours in a small town with nothing to do and so the decision was made to use the train.  

This was a great idea because as we tore across the country we were able to see the changes in the landscapes, local farmers working in the fields and so much more.

We eventually arrived in Shanghai around 9.30pm where we were met by our last local guide Helen.  Helen escorted us through the huge Shaghai train station to the coach which then took 40 minutes to reach the hotel.  It was still Chinese holiday time so even at this time the roads were busy but Helen used this time usefully giving us the backround of people living in Shanghai. We had to drive through the Bund to reach our hotel and whilst it was too late to see most of the skyscrapers lit up it was enough to appreciate the cityscape that we would be able to   tomorrow. To top this wonderful day we were then told we had all been upgraded to business class rooms so we were all able to relax slightly in luxury before falling asleep.

view

Yangtze cruise - Three Gorges

And so begins three days on the Yangtze - the third largest river in the World.

Our cabin

Cabin bedroom

Despite being told that we would have a relaxing time on the cruise we still had an early start.  Mike wanted to take advantage of the Tai Chi class that started at 6.45am.   It wasn’t a great success as only 5 people turned up and the teacher assumed an understanding of the moves so Mike had to follow 24 moves that was difficult for a novice.

Rosa and Helen - lifeboat drill

getting supplies on board

Breakfast on the boat is served from 7am to 8am, again necessitating an early start. Meals on board are a mix of Chinese and western style food – there was normally something you can find to eat that you enjoy although Chinese meat preparation is not to our tastes as all is very bony.

Very wobbly bridge to the Red Pagoda

Red Pagoda

Once breakfast was out of the way there was time to relax. I read a book most of the day whilst Mike went off to hear about chinese medicine and acupuncture. This led him to book an acupuncture treatment for his wrists for the afternoon.  I accompanied him on this so that I could check hygiene etc. It was an interesting experience. Mike had four needles inserted. 3 along the wrist joint and one further up the arm. These were then electrically stimulated for 15 minutes. The session ended with his wrists being covered in plasters containing the essence of 40 chinese herbs. Mike did feel some benefit but unfortunately this was not long lasting but perhaps enough to make him want to explore further once back in the UK.

In the afternoon the ship moored at around 4pm and we disembarked to visit the Red Pagoda. The original village that surrounded the pagoda was flooded when the Three Gorges dam was built. The locals were relocated into a new town and a wall was built around the base of the hill that the pagoda sat on to protect it - with water levels rising 175m this was very necessary. The locals may have been rehoused but they lost the land they farmed and now their main income comes from selling goods to tourists. We had to walk through various market stalls to reach the pagoda and although the Chinese were obviously anxious that we bought from them we did not feel as pressurised as we have in some other countries.

Day 10

Unfortunately today we woke up to rain.  I say unfortunately as today is the day that we travel through the gorges and the weather is going to affect our visibility. Breakfast on the boat was again served from 7am to 8am so although it is more relaxing being on the boat we were still up early. After breakfast we went to the lounge so that we could take in the river views.  The talk this morning was on the Chinese language. Mike and I have learnt very basic Chinese: Nihao for hallo, ding ding hao for good and Xiexie for thank you. We have also learnt some basic numbers. An additional difficulty with the language, apart from the thousands of written characters is the tonal features for example the word  Ma if pronounced in different ways can mean mother, numb, horse, scold or question. We were warned not to call our mothers a horse!

At about 11.30 we reached the first of the three gorges. Although the creation of the Three Gorges dam has caused the water to rise up to 175m and thus reduce the depth of the gorge the scenery was still stunning.  Due to weather conditions we did not get particularly good pictures but it was very atmospheric seeing the clouds and mists on the mountains.

After lunch on the boat we were ready for our  journey into the next gorge.  It was still raining rather heavily but both Mike and I braved the elements to see the scenery. At this time of the year as the trees emerge into spring everything looked very green – even the water of the Yangtze was an emerald green. Around 2pm we moored up underneath the Goddess mountain and here we transferred onto smaller boats to travel up the ‘lesser gorges’. By now the rain had eased and the mists were clearing from the hill tops. These smaller gorges were much narrower – hence the need for smaller boats and therefore felt much more dramatic.  We were accompanied by a local female guide who gave us local information about the families who had lived in the gorge before the dam was built and since.  Over 1.3 million people were displaced when the gorge was built. With waters rising 175m many villages were flooded and farming livelihoods lost.  The guide spoke of the benefits eg navigation and flood control. 

Many of the people were offered better and larger accommodation but at what price to their local heritage. We later heard from a more outspoken guide that 45% of the funding for the gorge was spent on resettlement but it appears that little of that reached those most affected in the form of compensation with monies going to developers and resettlers.  Life in the gorge is still hard for locals. There are primary schools within the area but for higher levels of education children must walk from their homes to the river to  pick up a boat and travel for 1-2 hours each way to reach their school.  There are basic medical facilities in the gorge but no hospitals. Visiting friends in other villages requires much walking as no other transport is available.  Life still appears very hard here. However the area was really beautiful.  On the way back our guide sang to us.  This was a local love song and was given as an example of how couples courted with each other when living on opposite sides of the gorge.

This was our last night on the boat so once back we got dressed up for our Captain’s leaving dinner.  For this meal we left our former buffet style eating and returned to the Lazy Susan where we were again presented with lots of chinese dishes and as a special treat from our own guide David a large bowl of chips.  Many of our fellow travellers were very pleased with this. After this meal there was entertainment provided by the ships crew.  It appears that all are multi talented but Mike and I ducked out of this as we had to pack for an early start and we were both quite tired.