China, the Shanghai Post

[przed]

This is the second last main post for the China pictures, and is the last big city we visited, Shanghai. I'd always wanted to go to Shanghai, and even though we only had a couple of days there and the weather was a bit dodgy, it did not disappoint.

Our first full day in Shanghai was rainy, but that didn't stop us from visiting the Bund. Here we are standing on the river shore, with the financial district behind us.


Here are some of the more recognizable buildings in Shanghai, their television tower and convention centre.


We visited the top of the tallest building in Shanghai, the World Financial Centre. When we first got up to the 100th floor, we were enveloped in clouds and couldn't see anything, but then the clouds started drifting in and out. It was eerily fascinating being up there with the view appearing and disappearing around us.


We next visited the Yuyuan commercial district and Yuyuan gardens. It's a very touristy area, but the architecture is stunning. It also gave Ros a chance to go shopping, which she was desperate to do.
Our guide: What would you like to do?
Ros: Go shopping!
Our guide: What do you want to buy?
Ros: Shoes!
We're in such trouble.


Another one of the buildings in the district.


The Yuyuan gardens are a gorgeous classical garden built by a well-placed official and maintained by various individuals and organizations over the years. This is the main rockery in the garden. (Rockeries are the most important part of most Chinese gardens, and this one was stunning.)


Ros climbing the entrance to one of the areas in the gardens. She's always very quick to point out that daddy wasn't holding her at all here.


This is the dragon wall separating different areas of the garden. Dragons were supposed to be reserved for use by the emperor alone, but the owner of the garden bribed the official sent to report back on whether there was a dragon wall here and he got away with it.


The Sweetie and Ros on the other side of a double pathway. It was designed so women could walk on one side, and men on the other.


Chinese gardens are designed so that windows and doorways act as frames, turning the landscape into a simulated picture. There are some really stunning examples of this in this garden.


Another framed view.


And another one.


One of the many pairs of lions found throughout the garden.


Ros posing with the lions. I had to take this shot quickly to get it with no one else in the frame. It was quite a crowded place, in spite of the rainy weather.

Comments

[przed.livejournal.com]

I love the framing. If we didn't have a minuscule yard, I'd work something like that into our garden.

That building is probably not for you. There's a glass floor in part of the top floor that made me a bit queasy.