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.

Flying Home