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We met our Shanghai guide Lily at 9.30 this morning.
The Jade Buddha Temple
First stop was The Jade Buddha Temple. Whilst very similar to the other buddhist temples we have visited over the last couple of weeks, it seemed more compact with lots squeezed in to a relatively small area. We were lucky enough to see a group of Buddhist monks praying with a family who most have recently lost an important relative. Apparently it is very expensive to have the monks take part in a prayer service so the family must be well off. I thought that part of being Buddhist was to give up all your material goods and worldly possessions?
There were lots of really fabulous wood carvings at this temple and the detail on them was just exceptional. I also find out something else new today. I already knew that when I went in I was not supposed to stand on the large brass covered door plinths at the base of the openings to the temples, but had just been told it was bad luck to do so. I was told today that it is bad luck because when you do that, you are standing on the Buddhas shoulders. I also found out that the oldest Buddha made a mistake and because of that he was made to live inside a bell for 20,000 years! At the end of the temple we came across a pond with Koi in so we spent a little time watching them get fed by hand from domestic tourists who were buying little packets of food at mega prices! I knew that the Chinese consider fish as items of great wealth but I also found out today that different types of Koi represent different things like health and longevity. Over the past few weeks, I've noticed lots of attention is paid to both of these, especially longevity. It gives me the impression that the Chinese must be quite scared of death!
Lunch
We had lunch very close to our next stop in a famous and very special dumpling restaurant. We had to wait for a table for about 20 minutes because it was so busy, but it was well worth it. They were gorgeous!
The Yu Garden
After the temple and lunch we went to a hidden garden in the centre of 'china town' in Shanghai. This was similar to the gardens we saw in Suzhou but there was much more water throughout. We also saw terrapins swimming in the pond in this garden, which was a first for us. When Confucius visited this garden, he is alleged to have commented "The fish are very happy here". When asked "how do you know that the fish are happy here?" he is said to have replied, "you are only a man, how do you know that I have not spoken to the fish?"
Knowing now about how the windows and moon gates work in Chinese gardens, (in essence to frame a living picture), it is easier to appreciate how the garden designer was thinking when deciding where both plants and buildings should be situated in the garden. I also found it interesting that sometimes the picture was very simple, with a window framing just one plant, tree or building view only.
I also liked the zig zag bridges across the water standing on natural pedestals and the curved roof tiles that are used on all the garden buildings, similar to the old buildings in the forbidden city. More Qing and some Ming furniture was housed in the garden buildings. They must be worth a fortune so once again surprised to see them open to the elements to some extent. The buildings were as grand here as any of the other gardens we have visited.
The Bund
This is the area that sits on the side of the rivet in the centre of town. On one side of the river, the buildings date back to the 20's and 30's and have a definite London feel about them. On the other side, the buildings are modern and immensely tall. Two of the worlds largest buildings are sited here, the Wirld Financial Centre and The Jinmao Tower. To look across the Bund at these sky scrapers us quite breathtaking. They dominate the sky line and are an icon to global business, wealth and capitalism, at it's highest pinnacle!
The Jinmao Tower
Talking of height, we decided to go up The Jinmao Tower - 400 floors in 45 seconds - wow.
Until a few years ago, this was the tallwst buulding in the world. At the top, we could walk all the way round the 360 degree glass observation deck. Shanghai is SO developed! For as far as my eye could see, in every direction, there are skyscrapers. Some business, some residential. Yup, generally speaking, even the people live in huge skyscrapers.
The most expensive of these are the residential buildings closest to the tower I am looking out of. For as far as I can see, there are no gardens and no fields in sight, other than a couple of city parks. Whilst looking out of the tower at all of the skyscrapers and in the distance the factories, I got to thinking "so this is what it costs to become a super economy in the 21st century!"
Shanhai Acrobatics Show
After the tower we went back to the Hotel where we had a cuppa and relaxed for about 90 minutes before meeting Lily again to go to an acrobatic show at the Shanghai exhibition centre. I guess that the majority of the performers in this show are between 13 and 18. To be honest, it's not the sort of thing I'd choose to go and see normally but both if us said how glad we were that we went. These kids are amazing gymnastic athletes! Every move executed with precision. I've never seen anything quite like it and at points my lower jaw was resting on the floor. Apparently, the kids are orphans that have been training since they were toddlers - it showed! This team tour worldwide and even if this isn't your sort of thing normally, if you get chance to go and see it it's worthwhile. An amazing show of human agility and balance spiced up with some intervals of humorous 70's style magic and plate spinning. A great night out, thx Shanghai :)
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