On the way home

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Today we are flying back to the States. In Tai'an we spent a day visiting the Dai Temple complex and traveling to the summent of Mt. Tai, a mountain that has been considered holy for centuries by Taoists, Buddhists, Confucianists and Maoists. This was my favorite part of the trip. We took a cable car to the top and the views were spectacular. Are Tai'an we visited Daming Lake in Ji'nan and traveled over the Yellow River on an overnight train to Suzhou, a city filled with cannels that many refered to as the "Venice of the Orient" We went to a silk spinning factory, the Garden fo the Fishing Net Master and took a cruise down the Grand Canal. We also had a chance to wonder through the town on our own and do a little shopping. After Suzhou it was onto Shanghai for a few days where we saw the Bund, Yu Yuan Garden, Children's Palace, Jade Buddha Temple (which is home to the world's largest Jade Buddha), People's square and acrobatic show. We also took an evening cruise and saw the city all lit up. The buildings were amazing. They all seemed to have their own character and at night with the lights it was really nice. It's definitely a city I'd like to spend more time in.

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