Yangtze and Shanghai

My final days in China were spent on the Yangtze and then in Shanghai.

A quick cruise along the Yangtze begins in Chongquin, a city of 30+million inhabitants. While the city does not have much in the way of tourist sites, departing from the city at night takes you under a lovely lighted bridge.

The first part of the cruise is a little depressing.  The river is polluted and there are large factories right along the banks.

Our first stop was a small town which was newly built after the government opened the dam and flooded the areas close to the old river banks.  There is an interesting museum and underwater viewing area in the town, but the best site was the VEGETADLE MARKET.

Inside there were plenty of vegetadles, and some other interesting things…(sorry Lynn – look away)

While our group was interested in the market, the locals were interested in us.  Our guide told us that they don’t see tourists very often.  Seems the whole town wanted to see us on to the bus.  We felt a bit like space aliens returning to the ship.

We continued down river toward the Three Gorges Area, an area of impressive natural beauty.

The best part of the Three Gorges area visit for me was the trip on the little boats.  The oarsmen paddle with the guests on the boats along one of the tributaries of the Yangtze.

We also had lunch in a small village and got to see the inside of a typical home.  Don’t ever say you hate your kitchen again.

At the end of our river cruise we took a quick flight to Shanghai.

Shanghai was once known as the Pearl of the Orient.  Well, now it’s a diamond!  What a great city!  Glitz and glam with a sedate side too.

I don’t know if Shanghai is the world capital of sky scrapers, but it’s got to be close!  The tall one is the second tallest in the world.

It’ not all cement and glass.  There is some green space, too.  Yu Gardens is a lovely oasis in the middle of town.

Despite the green, the skyscrapers beckon.  I had to go up to the top.  Before I could, I had to get to the other side of the river.

There are no bridges in the center of town, so to cross the river you have to go through a tunnel.  Pedestrians have their own tunnel, which is actually a little funicular rail and a psychedelic tunnel, for a short strange trip.

You exit the tunnel in a space-age land of tall shiny buildings.  Shanghai Tower, the second tallest building in the world, is not really finished yet.  The only things open are the observation tower on the top and the shopping mall on the bottom.   I think the cost of the visit is helping to fund the completion of the middle floors!

The view from the top is pretty impressive.

Even with all of these wonderful vistas, it is at night when Shanghai really shines…literally shines.  It’s like Vegas on steroids, but with a bit more class.

China has been an amazing experience.  I have only just scratched the surface of the county, however.  I can say that I have had an introduction to the country, but there is so much more to China than the places I have been.  Maybe some day…

I have a stop in Hong Kong and then it’s on to Vietnam.