Our last Tai Chi at the outdoor Mall and then we're off to Yu Garden. The Garden was first built during the Ming Dynasty, 400 years ago, by a Sichuan Minister of Finance named Pan Yunduan. It is a typical Classical Chinese Garden.
First a walk through old town bazaar to get to the garden.
Then into the garden.
You can turn anywhere and find wonderful surprises.
statuary...
dragons...
receiving halls...
wonderful rock structures...
and beautiful ponds
with graceful bridges...
and roof lines...
pointing to the heavens...
magnificent doorways to intriguing places...
reflecting ponds...
with beautiful fish...
more dragons...
intricate carvings...
and jovial figures watching over you...
and wonderful rocks...
all an invitation to enjoy the quiet tranquility of the garden.
A magical place.
After a wonderful wander through the garden we again headed through the bazaar area with a little free time there to pick up any last minute souvenirs. Then back on the bus and a trip to the Bund.
The Bund is on the west bank of the Huangpu River and winds .93 miles in length. It's one of the most recognized sights in Shanghai with it's 26 of different
architectural style buildings including Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, Classicism
and Renaissance designs.
Along the river is a 1,700-meters long flood-control
wall, known as 'the lovers' wall', located on the west side of Huangpu River
from Huangpu Park to Xinkai River and was once the most romantic corner
in Shanghai. This section had pots inserted into the wall creating this wonderful living wall.
With the recent renovation came open fencing with tremendous views of the "new Shanghai" across the river. Just ten years ago that area across the river was all farmland The Bund has been called a 'museum of international architecture'. Here were located
the banks, hotels, exclusive clubs, press organizations and
headquarters of international concerns. The twenty-six major structures,
of various heights have changed little externally since the 1930s. After the establishment
of the People's Republic of China in 1949 the old Foreign Concession tenants were gone. Many of the
structures were subdivided into government offices, department stores or
storage areas. In the late 1970s and early 80s, with the thawing of economic policy in the People's Republic of China, buildings on the Bund were gradually returned to their former uses.
Government institutions were moved out in favor of financial
institutions, while hotels returned and the 10 meter embankment was built to help control flooding. Subsequent improvements included the removal of the ferry docks to another location and major road changes which removed the elevated expressway and allowed the building of the new tunnel under the river. The new wider landscaped promenade opened in 2010.
Dramatic statues still grace the area.
We had a visit inside one of the magnificent old banks and it was filled with mosaics on the ceilings and wonderful paintings on the walls. Unfortunately, no pictures allowed. After some wander time along the promanade, the bus picked us up and we headed to the Longhua Temple. Our first stop was at a restaurant across the street from the temple where we had a delicious vegetarian lunch prepared under the supervision of Monks from the Temple. We then crossed the street for a visit to the Temple.
Lion with a ball statue...
and wonderful carved windows in
each of the five buildings.
The octagonal 7-story Longhua Pagoda is best well-known of the 16 historic pagodas that
still stand within the Shanghai municipality. The pagoda consists of a hollow, tube-like brick core surrounded by
a wooden staircase. On the outside, it is decorated with balconies,
banisters, and upturned eaves. These outer decorations have been
reconstructed in keeping with the original style. Although previous pagodas existed on the same site, the current brick base and body of the pagoda was built in 977, with continuous renovations of its more fragile
wooden components on the exterior.
Nice way to finish off our Shanghai tour.
The bus dropped us off at the hotel and we had free time to get packed, go shopping or just wander around. We already had most of our stuff together and aren't leaving until afternoon so we checked emails and while we were downstairs, Luann came back and said she had found the shuttlecocks we were looking for so we headed over to the grocery store - level 2 and found exactly what we wanted. Turns out it was actually a Walmart...wouldn't you know!
Before we knew it we were off to a very nice hotel and our "Farewell Banquet". What a grand time we have had and how well our diverse group has gotten along! With the guidance of our incredible Mei and our other regional guides, we have all had an outstanding experience! Lots of good conversation and toasting during our last dinner together. Then back to the hotel and off to bed...the first group leaves for the airport at 8 am sharp.
