Shanghai and Hong Kong Disneyland March 17 – Day 7 Complete in Hong Kong Proper; 12/04

[CaliKris]

I just stumbled upon your Trip Report as my husband and I are going to China in June. Your photos are amazing and I am enjoying reading about your travels. Your adventure in Suzhou would have put me out of my comfort zone, but I think those kind of spontaneous days end up being the best part of travel. I will definitely book ahead if we decide to go there. I look forward to your adventures in Disney.

 

[PrincessInOz]

My pleasure! We had some down time and you know how I love reading your TRs! We're having a good time but we feel shattered with so many early starts and long days. We really enjoyed our days at Shanghai Disney.

Glad you're having a great time.

Yes....early starts and long days do end up with that shattered feeling. Hope you get to recover soon.

We should definitely go together! Just think of the all the photos that I don't have to take anymore if you're around!!!

Actually.....I was thinking that YOU could take pictures and I wouldn't have to take that many! LOL

We (DH & I) are headed to Beijing first, then train down to Shanghai. In Shanghai we are doing a night food tour, a 20km bike ride tour through the city, a day out in Zhujiajiao (on our own), Bund and Yuyuan. Not sure what else we'll add in. I'm looking forward to your post on the gardens.

Sounds like a great trip! Hope you're planning on doing a TR!

Thank you for the idea of checking out before heading to Yuyuan and storing our bags. That day is transition to Disney (no tickets), our plan will be to see Toy Story & Disneyland hotel, Wishing Star Park and Disneytown before we spend a couple days dedicated to the park. Depending on how the gardens look in your upcoming post, we might try to dedicate more time there and spend the morning before heading over to Disney just wandering around taking last minute pictures.

Good idea to check out the resorts and Wishing Star Park!
You could also see the fireworks from the Disneyland Hotel, if that fits in with your plans. You won't be able to see the projections, but you can do that when you get into the park. I personally think the fireworks were worth catching from hotel side.

 

[PrincessInOz]

I just stumbled upon your Trip Report as my husband and I are going to China in June. Your photos are amazing and I am enjoying reading about your travels. Your adventure in Suzhou would have put me out of my comfort zone, but I think those kind of spontaneous days end up being the best part of travel. I will definitely book ahead if we decide to go there. I look forward to your adventures in Disney.

Thank you for stopping by! And I hope the TR helps with your planning.

How long are you going for and where are you planning on going?

 

[PrincessInOz]

In Search Of…...Peace and Health



We had made our way to the Huxinting Teahouse in the Yu Bazaar. It’s also known as the Pavilion in Lake Center Tea House and it is the oldest teahouse in Shanghai. Sadly, we didn’t have time to explore the teahouse other than admire it from the other side of the water. Believe it or not, this teahouse used to be part of the Yu Gardens, which is where we were heading to.







The entrance to the Yu Gardens can be found around this part of the teahouse, kinda behind me where this picture was taken. There is a small window to the side of the entrance where you pay your money and get your entry ticket. I think it cost 40 Yuan each to enter.






The Yuyuan Gardens was originally built as a private garden during the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644). It was finished in 1577 by a government officer named Pan Yunduan. He built it for his parents to enjoy in their old age. I don’t know if he ever got parental acknowledgement or approval for building this garden because it did ultimately lead to the loss of the Pan family fortune….but I loved this garden.






It is called "Yuyuan"; and "Yu" in Chinese means "Peace and Health".





In the 400 years of existence, Yuyuan Garden had undergone many changes. During the late Ming Dynasty, it became very dilapidated with the decline of Pan's family. In 1760, some rich merchants bought it and spent more than 20 years reconstructing the buildings. During the Opium War of the 19th century, it was severely damaged. The garden you see today is the result of a five-year restoration project which began in 1956. It was open to the public in September, 1961. The Chinese Government declared it a National Monument in 1982. I guess that makes it one of those must-do’s in Shanghai.

There are over 5 acres of space in the Garden of Peace and Health. It is completely jam-packed in here with things to see. Just like the Lion Forest Garden in Suzhou, the Yuyuan Garden is steeped in all the symbolic elements you would expect in a classical Chinese garden.


We started in a pretty elaborate pavilion. I think this is the inside of the Sansui Hall, which would be the principal pavilion in this garden. There were a number of rooms to this hall and I gather it was used when guests came to visit.





It's filled with beautiful rosewood furniture and there was some intricate decorative carvings which served as windows.





We were to find delectable passageways throughout the garden. This was the passageway between Sansui Hall and Yanshan Hall.





Don’t be fooled by the lack of people in these pictures. I waited AGES for it to clear….on both sides!






I think this is Yanshan Hall. Don’t get me wrong, I’m usually taking pictures of the names of the buildings to jog my memory. However, there were very few signs in English in this part of the garden....or at least none that I easily spotted.






I expect it was Yanshan Hall because it looks out on to the amazing rockery area.






A pond or lake is the central element of a classical Chinese garden.





Water represents lightness and communication, and carried the food of life on its journey through the valleys and plains. Water also is the complement to the mountain, the other central element of the garden, and represents dreams and the infinity of spaces.








The classical garden is usually surrounded by a wall, usually painted white, which served as a pure backdrop for the flowers and trees. Well….it was a backdrop for us….and about a quarter of the tourists in Shanghai!





We kept meandering along. All the while, I kept my eye out for the little details.





Whether this is genuine old or fake old, I don’t know. But I liked how they had these sorts of paving details around the garden.





In fact, I loved the paving in this place.






I also liked the rockery in here. The rock garden is an integral element of Chinese classical gardens, a symbol of stability and endurance.






The passageway took us into another building. Anyone else getting the feeling that there was a lot to see here?





This was too good a photo opp to pass up on.






It’s 2 out of 2 for this element in the Classical Gardens we’ve seen. The stone boat gives a different view of the water. It adds to the ‘borrowed’ scenery concept of a Chinese garden.





This is totally random….but for the Old Fogies reading along (and you know who you are), this is a Gingko Biloba tree. It’s over 300 years old.





The buildings here were rather interesting.





But it really was the roof tiles that caught my attention.




This was the Martial Sing Stage.




We walked past the famed Dragon walls. Each area in this garden is separated from the others by "dragon walls" with undulating gray tiled ridges, each terminating in a dragon's head.







(Continued in Next Post)

 

[PrincessInOz]

(Continued from Previous Post)



We moved into the Waterside Pavilion section.






We stopped to enjoy the garden here.





Sadly, modern life is encroaching on this garden. I wish I could have seen this garden without having to power lines or tall buildings in the landscape. But that's just me personally.





I think this was where the Great Rockery area is. With a height of 14 meters (about 50 feet), it is the largest as well as the oldest rockery in the southern region of the Yangtze River.







I did spend some time capturing the statues on the roof!






The roof apex of large halls are usually topped with a ridge of tiles and statues for both decorative purposes as well as to weigh down the layers of roofing tiles for stability.















We found turtles in the pond.









As well as koi.











More Dragon Walls.






We moved into another section of the garden.






This was the main stage.





The Ancient Stage is the first of its kind in a garden in the region south of the Yangtze River.




Built in 1888, this stage is known for it’s grand ceiling of 22 rings joined by 20 curving lines. The dome was designed to provide acoustics for the surrounding area and from all accounts, it was perfectly done.





The Dress Circle building at the back is where the VIPs would sit to enjoy the performance. That’s a long way for sound to be projected!





I think we spent close on 2 hours in here and there were way too many details for us to take in and capture in the one visit.


















By this stage, we all agreed it was time to move on. The crowds were starting to gather inside the garden.







(Continued in Next Post)

 

[PrincessInOz]

In Search Of......Food Porn



Without a doubt, when we got outside, there were tantalising smells in the air. The Yuyuan Bazaar was in full swing and aside from the tourist trinket shops, there were heaps of food options.






We wandered in through a food court. I asked if I could take pictures at the stations and everyone said yes!





Tofu. I don’t think it was the smelly special.





Dim sums.






More dim sum offerings.





Sticky rice.





Red bean sweet soup; and lotus bean sweet soup.






We did have a brief discussion about eating here. We were peckish but still full from the breakfast buffets at the respective hotels. Besides….there wasn’t a spare table in the house.





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[PrincessInOz]

In Search Of......A Place Far from the Madding Crowds



We headed back out into the alleys of the Yuyuan Bazaar. There were even MORE people out here than before.





It wasn’t too bad; but it would have been nice to have a bit more personal space.






Wendy had obviously done a bit more research than me about Old Shanghai and she knew where we should head to. Always happy to follow a leader!

With a history of nearly 600 years, City God Temple of Shanghai is the most significant Taoist temple in Shanghai. It costs 10 Yuan (or $2 in my money) to enter.





The city god (Chenghuangshen) is a tutelary deity or deities in Chinese folk religion who is believed to protect the people and the affairs of the particular village, town or city of great dimension, and the corresponding afterlife location. An equivalent to St. Peter in the Christian religion, this deity weighs the moral character of the deceased and decides what kind of afterlife is in store. People come from everywhere to show worship to him or her and ask for specific favors such as safeness, health, marriage, longevity and so on. The most common favor requested in these prayers is good health.


In this particular temple, there are three town gods: Huoguang a famous general of Western Han Dynasty (202 BC – -9 AD), Qin Yubo, a celebrity of Yuan Dynasty (1271– 1368), also known as a dutiful son. It is said that he constructed a palace that imitated the style of the emperor’s throne room, which his mother desired to see. When the emperor learned about this, he sent an officer to investigate, so Qin Yubo transformed the palace into a temple to escape punishment. After his death, he appeared in a war leader’s dream and warned him to give up a massacre, so the people of this city were saved. The third is Chen Huacheng, sacrificed in the First Opium War (1839 – 1842). Your guess is as good as mine as to which is which.





The temple consists of 9 halls where various statues of immortals that are believed to be in charge of certain aspect of human life receive endless worship. Believe it or not….they didn’t ban photography in the temple but there were a number of halls where the musicians (they were playing Chinese instruments) were telling me via sign language not to take pictures. Always happy to comply.


One of the Halls contain a LOT of statues. (And yes, I did ask about photography in here. No one said no. Plus everyone else around was also taking pictures with their phone cameras.)





I can only assume they are of the different deities.




In any event, it gives you an idea of what Arhat Hall was like at the Xiyuan Temple in Suzhou.



I understand that the City God Temple in Shanghai was restored around 2005. Seems like the restoration activities are still going on.





It’s going to look amazing when all that gilding is completed.





Another hall where photography seemed to be permitted.





There was also a hall where I think you could buy one of these memorial tassels, write the name of your ancestor and hang it up on the wall or from the ceiling.





We all had a good look around the City God Temple. Whilst it was busy, it wasn’t anywhere near as busy as outside in the Bazaar. A place away from the madding crowd; and a great pick by Aussie Wendy!

 

[dolphingirl47]

It’s also known as the Pavilion in Lake Center Tea House and it is the oldest teahouse in Shanghai. Sadly, we didn’t have time to explore the teahouse other than admire it from the other side of the water.

What a shame that you did not have time to explore. This looks stunning.

In the 400 years of existence, Yuyuan Garden had undergone many changes. During the late Ming Dynasty, it became very dilapidated with the decline of Pan's family. In 1760, some rich merchants bought it and spent more than 20 years reconstructing the buildings. During the Opium War of the 19th century, it was severely damaged. The garden you see today is the result of a five-year restoration project which began in 1956. It was open to the public in September, 1961. The Chinese Government declared it a National Monument in 1982. I guess that makes it one of those must-do’s in Shanghai.

That is some really interesting history.

We were to find delectable passageways throughout the garden. This was the passageway between Sansui Hall and Yanshan Hall.

This is absolutely stunning. Your patience definitely paid off.

I never knew that there are blue koi.

Dim sums.

I could eat some of those right now. Fortunately it is lunch time here.

That perspective is amazing.

What a wonderful morning. I could have commented on each photo how much I love it.

Corinna

 

[darrenf67]

(Continued from Previous Post)



We moved into the Waterside Pavilion section.






We stopped to enjoy the garden here.





Sadly, modern life is encroaching on this garden. I wish I could have seen this garden without having to power lines or tall buildings in the landscape. But that's just me personally.





I think this was where the Great Rockery area is. With a height of 14 meters (about 50 feet), it is the largest as well as the oldest rockery in the southern region of the Yangtze River.







I did spend some time capturing the statues on the roof!






The roof apex of large halls are usually topped with a ridge of tiles and statues for both decorative purposes as well as to weigh down the layers of roofing tiles for stability.















We found turtles in the pond.









As well as koi.











More Dragon Walls.






We moved into another section of the garden.






This was the main stage.





The Ancient Stage is the first of its kind in a garden in the region south of the Yangtze River.




Built in 1888, this stage is known for it’s grand ceiling of 22 rings joined by 20 curving lines. The dome was designed to provide acoustics for the surrounding area and from all accounts, it was perfectly done.





The Dress Circle building at the back is where the VIPs would sit to enjoy the performance. That’s a long way for sound to be projected!





I think we spent close on 2 hours in here and there were way too many details for us to take in and capture in the one visit.


















By this stage, we all agreed it was time to move on. The crowds were starting to gather inside the garden.







(Continued in Next Post)

we visited these gardens as well and loved them - so beautiful and quite peaceful to walk through. The ponds were beautiful.

 

[CaliKris]

Thank you for stopping by! And I hope the TR helps with your planning.

How long are you going for and where are you planning on going?

We are taking the Adventure by Disney trip which goes to Hong Kong, Beijing, Chengdu, Xian, Guilin and Shanghai. We will be there just over two weeks. We have extra pre-days in Hong Kong and post-days in Shanghai, so I am trying to plan those days myself. I am really enjoying your TR and photos!!

 

[RodBelding]

Joining. Your pictures are absolutely incredible!

 

[PrincessInOz]

What a shame that you did not have time to explore. This looks stunning.

There's always next time.

This is absolutely stunning. Your patience definitely paid off.

Thanks. I was glad to have made the effort to wait.

I never knew that there are blue koi.

I think they come in a variety of colours. Orange is the most common.

What a wonderful morning. I could have commented on each photo how much I love it.

It was a great day all round.

 

[PrincessInOz]

we visited these gardens as well and loved them - so beautiful and quite peaceful to walk through. The ponds were beautiful.

I think if/when I'm in Shanghai again, this garden may be on the re-do list; especially if my DH goes with me. I think he'll like this garden. Did you visit the gardens mid-week and was it busy? We went on the Saturday and I expect we may have had a bigger crowd than mid-week.

We are taking the Adventure by Disney trip which goes to Hong Kong, Beijing, Chengdu, Xian, Guilin and Shanghai. We will be there just over two weeks. We have extra pre-days in Hong Kong and post-days in Shanghai, so I am trying to plan those days myself. I am really enjoying your TR and photos!!

Nice! I hope you enjoy the ABD. Sounds like a great tour.
And with the extra days in HK and Shanghai, your vacay sounds like it will be perfect! Have fun with the planning and if any of us can help answer questions, feel free to ask!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Joining. Your pictures are absolutely incredible!

Hey Paul! Nice to see you here.
Thanks for joining. Glad you enjoy the pics. Hopefully, the Disney ones will be up to scratch as well.

 

[darrenf67]

I think if/when I'm in Shanghai again, this garden may be on the re-do list; especially if my DH goes with me. I think he'll like this garden. Did you visit the gardens mid-week and was it busy? We went on the Saturday and I expect we may have had a bigger crowd than mid-week.






Nice! I hope you enjoy the ABD. Sounds like a great tour.
And with the extra days in HK and Shanghai, your vacay sounds like it will be perfect! Have fun with the planning and if any of us can help answer questions, feel free to ask!

we went on a Sunday AND a long weekend holiday and it was packed!!! I would like to redo on a less busy day for sure.

 

[PrincessInOz]

we went on a Sunday AND a long weekend holiday and it was packed!!! I would like to redo on a less busy day for sure.

Oooh! Early April, right? That would mean Ching Ming festival....where they are supposed to 'sweep' and clean the graves of ancestors and pay their respects. Yes, it would have been packed!

 

[OrangeBirdGirl]

Great write up on Yuyuan! Thank you for sharing. I think we're going to add this in on one of our free afternoons so we will not feel rushed (we were initially thinking a couple hours before we headed over to Disney).

 

[zanzibar138]

Wonderful pictures of the gardens and the temple! It was certainly looking very packed by the time you left - glad Aussie Wendy had something a little less crowded up her sleeve.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Great write up on Yuyuan! Thank you for sharing. I think we're going to add this in on one of our free afternoons so we will not feel rushed (we were initially thinking a couple hours before we headed over to Disney).

Good idea not to rush Yuyuan. There was lots to see there and so easy to miss things. Despite the gazillion pictures, I managed to miss the Exquisite Jade Rock, which is supposed to the be the piece that everyone wants to see at Yuyuan. D'oh! Something for next time.

Wonderful pictures of the gardens and the temple! It was certainly looking very packed by the time you left - glad Aussie Wendy had something a little less crowded up her sleeve.

Thanks.
Yes, I was glad that Wendy suggested heading to the Temple after the gardens. It was a little less busy there.

 

[PrincessInOz]

In Search Of…….Shanghai Old Street Food Stalls



Despite it being busy, we headed back into the Yuyuan Bazaar.





We had all seen souvenirs that we wanted in the shops near where we entered in the morning so we braved the crowds and found our way back and picked them up.





So, between the Gardens, the City God Temple and shopping at the Bazaar, the only thing left was to eat at Yuyuan.


It’ll have to wait for another visit.


Today, being a Saturday, the crowds just got bigger by the minute. So, all Yuyuan’d out, we decided to head out in search of food. We made our way out to Shanghai Old Street.





Originally named Fangbang Middle Road, Shanghai Old Street stretches 825 meters and is an ode to the city’s past. There were once many typical banks, jewellery shops, restaurants, theaters, and other venues all along the way. Along the ends of the road, it connected Shanghai City God Temple and Yuyuan Garden. Fake old or genuine old….it made no difference to me. The architecture down this street was just gorgeous. I wished I could have come to this area at night to check out the night lights. As it is, I’m adding it to the re-do/must-do list for next time I’m here in Shanghai.





I remembered researching places to eat in Shanghai and had the vague recollection that Fangbang Middle Road had been in most top 5 lists of places to eat in Shanghai. I think Wendy thought the same.

Silk shop, silk shop, medicine shop, silk shop, medicine shop, silk shop…..





We kept walking down the street.





Yes, we walked on the street….just like the locals.





Ominously, there were no tantalising smells in the air. From one end of the street to the other! Nor could we smell anything down the cross streets.





We got to the end of the street and I think we asked my mother to check with a shopkeeper.





She pointed us in the direction of a shopping center on Henan Road.





Post script.

Since my return, I’ve double-checked Fangbang Middle Road. A google search returns pages of reviews on this street as a foodie street. Only one of the reference has been updated with the following:

We’re sorry to report that the vendors and restaurants at Sipalou Lu and Fangbang Lu have suffered the same fate as those on Wujiang Lu and have been shut down.


I guess it explains why we never found any food options here.




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