On the Way to Zhouzhuang
On the way to Zhouzhuang, we passed by some large canal houses.
On the Way to Zhouzhuang
On the Way to Zhouzhuang
We passed by some farms. We were in the countryside.
On the Way to Zhouzhuang
On the Way to Zhouzhuang
We also passed by a park with many flags.
On the Way to Zhouzhuang
On the Way to Zhouzhuang
A small pavilion and red balloons.
On the Way to Zhouzhuang
On the Way to Zhouzhuang
We are in Zhouzhuang and started our sightseeing here.
On the Way to Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Spring Festival decorations on our way to Zhouzhuang’s Old (Very Old) Town. We were welcomed with Chinese music. I put the welcoming music on a movie on this website: Go to Movies, Asia, China, “Zhouzhuang Welcome.”
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Spring Festival decorations.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Close–up.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Day 11: Today was a free day or you could take an optional tour to Zhouzhuang, which I did. We drove from Shanghai to Zhouzhuang which is between Shanghai and Suzhou, where we were yesterday. Zhouzhuang is an ancient water town on the Jinghang Canal linking Suzhou and Shanghai. Most of its buildings were built between 1368 and 1911. I thought this was one of best places that we had visited in China as you felt that you were living in a different time just being here.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Farther along.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
A pagoda.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang is known for its Wanshan–style roasted pig hoof. That’s a giant pig hoove in the photo.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Close–up.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Pig hooves for sale.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Close–up.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Two sets of dancers in native costumes were about to perform. The dances were part of the Spring Festival events in Zhouzhuang. You won’t see them here at other times of the year. I took a video of their dance and it is on this website. Go to Movies, Asia, China, “Spring Festival Dancers–1, Zhouzhuang.”
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Another photo of the dancers.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
And one more.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Members of the second dance troupe. I also took a video of them dancing and it is on this website: Go to My Movies, page 34, “Spring Festival Dancers–2, Zhouzhuang.”
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Father along, the Country Cottage.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
This bicycle carry–all would give any town or city an old look.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
One for hauling cardboard.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
And another. What is amazing is that their owners just leave them on the sidewalk. They must not be worried that someone would pedal off on them.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Farther along: Pretty advertisement for the 2010 Shanghai Expo.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
When we crossed this bridge, we were in Zhouzhuang’s Old Town.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Our first stop was to see Chinese opera singers, a Spring Festival event.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
The opera singers performing. I took a video of them and it is on this website: Go to Movies, Asia, China, “Chinese Opera Singers, Zhouzhuang.”
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Close–up of one of the opera singers.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Close–up of another one.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
And of the lead singer.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Through a gate and on to our next stop.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
We next visited what I think is the Zhang House, built in 1436–1449 during the Ming Dynasty. Now, the richest man in Zhouzhuang owns it and he welcomes tourists to view some of its bottom floor. His family lives on its upper floor. I can’t imagine such a thing happening in the United States.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Inside the Zhang House.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Inside the Zhang House.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Inside the Zhang House.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
In a courtyard between parts of the house.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Gate leading to another part of the house.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Inside another part of the Zhang House.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Inside the Zhang House.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
You can buy designs like this one to put on a window. They are for good luck.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
A family member is looking at us from upstairs.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Decorated for Spring Festival, in a courtyard.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
A view.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
An embroidery.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
The kitchen.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
The stove.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
It took us awhile to realize that these women were cooking up batches of sticky rice to sell to the tourists.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Leng bought some and offered me a piece of it. It was sweet and very tasty. (Not a great photo.)
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
We were given time to walk around this fascinating village. I have put my photos of the buildings and of scenes of Zhouzhuang’s Old Town and also of the gondola ride we took here on a slide show on this website. Go to Slide Shows, Asia, China, “Zhouzhuang: Walk & Gondola Cruise.”
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
While we were walking around, this boat passed us. I took a video of it and it is on this website: Go to Movies, Asia, China, “Spring Festival Boat, Zhouzhuang.”
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
There were many things to buy here: both snacks and goods. Some of the stores were workshops. I put these photos on a slide show on this website: Go to My Slide Shows, page 20, “Zhouzhuang: Food & Goods for Sale.”
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
We next went to eat at the restaurant with this board.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Close–up of the menu: wild shrimps, steamed eels, pig hooves, and barbel.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
Also, steamed fish, steamed tortoise, three–taste soup, and lotus roots.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
And whitebait & fry egg and rural chicken. Quite a menu.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
A large photo of Mao greeted us inside the restaurant.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
We walked upstairs to this little room to have our meal. Definitely not fancy but the food was very good. We were served a Wanshan–style roasted pig hoof––actually, it was delicious. I also tried the lotus roots. They were very tasty.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang
After lunch, we took a gondola cruise on the Jinghang Canal. I already told you where the photos I took of cruise are located (My Slide Shows, Asia, China, “Zhouzhuang: Walk & Cruise”), but I also took a video during the cruise: Go to Movies, Asia, China, “Chinese Gondola Ride, Zhouzhuang.”
Zhouzhuang
Shanghai
After our gondola cruise, we drove back to Shanghai. Since today’s tour was optional, no dinner was included this day. I decided to have “Afternoon Tea at the Flow” in our hotel’s restaurant for my dinner: 88 yuan or about $13.20. I thought that having afternoon tea in Shanghai gave a nice touch to my trip.
Shanghai
Shanghai
Afternoon tea was served in the hotel’s lounge. Not only did you get tea, you also had free wifi in the lounge. I got on a network on my i–Pod Touch, but I couldn’t get on the Internet. Maybe I needed to sit closer to the router (or whatever produces wifi). I think i–Pods need a stronger signal than do computers to get Internet access. Anyway, the hotel gave us free computer time in their business center.
Shanghai
Shanghai
Sandwiches and cake were served on plates rather than on a lazy Susan––I guess this is Swiss–style.
Shanghai
Shanghai
The cakes. So many I couldn’t eat them all. I thought I might be running out of yuans and I didn’t want to convert more U.S. dollars to yuan, so I asked to put it on my charge card. I gave my card to the waitress and then she asked me for my secret number––What secret number? I don’t have a secret number––Did she mean pin number? I don’t have one for my card charge and if I did I wouldn’t tell anyone what it was. I asked her to put the charge through without a secret number and it worked. I told all this to Kathy. She said that when you get a charge card through a Chinese bank, you call them up and give them a secret number that you have made up. When you use this card it China, it won’t work without the secret number. It prevents other people from using your charge card if it is stolen. Interesting. We also had the opportunity of seeing the Chinese acrobats this evening. I went and greatly enjoyed it but no photos were allowed. This Chinese acrobat show in Shanghai is supposed to be the best one in China.
Shanghai
Shanghai
Day 12: Today, five of our tour group were flying home to the U.S., but we had free time to 1 p.m. Leng, Saieu, and I took a walk along the famous Nanjing Lu Pedestrian Shopping Street. I have put my photos of the street on a slide show on this website: Go to My Slide Shows, Asia, China, “Shanghai: Nanjing Lu Pedestrian Shopping Street.”
Shanghai
Flying Home
We flew first from Shanghai to Beijing (about 2 hours) and then from Beijing to Los Angeles (about 14 hours), all on Air China. I didn’t care for the food on our return and filled up with cookies Leng brought from the U.S. One food choice was between a rice dish and a noodle dish. I chose the rice dish but it was too spicy for me to eat. Leng told me later that if you have a choice choose the noodles. I was glad to be back in the United States––I was tired. Ritz tours gave us a really great tour and I am glad that I got to see a bit of China. What I liked best about China––every day there were surprises––things you didn’t expect to see: the snow; the Christmas decorations; the amount of fireworks; the Spring Festival decorations and events; etc., along with new food, the extent of commericalism, and the contrast between the old and new China. Photo: The Good Luck Tree in our hotel lobby.
