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Published: February 27th 2014
Shanghai was a favorite stop on our tour of China, a beautiful and lively metropolis with accessibly delicious food, good shopping and a much pleasanter population than up north. China's most international city is a wonderful place to rest after experiencing the history-rich but trying cities of Beijing and, to a lesser extent, Xi'an. Of particular interest was the Bund, without which a visit to Shanghai would be incomplete, the Shanghai Museum, perhaps the best in China, and the shops and restaurants in the French Concession and Yuyuan Bazaar. Unlike in many of the cities we visited, it was easy to find great food, including some outstanding Yunnanese cuisine. We should have planned for more time here, but spread ourselves thin visiting other important cities in the area: Nanjing, Suzhou and Hangzhou. These cities we visited as day trips, utilizing the excellent train system and the ever-helpful Helen at China DIY Travel (www.china-diy-travel.com), who managed to reserve all our trains before our trip began - their services are highly recommended. This is one of the premier regions of China: don't listen to your guidebook, give yourselves at least twice the time it recommends, and you won't regret it.
Half of
Mingtown Etour Youth Hostel in Shanghai
Recommended but do your laundry elsewhere. our day in Nanjing was spent at the Memorial Hall of the Nanjing Massacre, a singular and moving museum which helped give context to the atrocities committed by the Japanese during WWII. Other highlights include the magnificent city walls, Xuan Wu Lake and Park and the Ming Xiaoling Tomb and Scenic Area. The city is large and the sights disconnected and spread out, although definitely worthwhile. Pare down your list or plan for a few days here.
In Suzhou, known as the "Venice of the East" and famous for its classical gardens, canals (now mostly paved over), stone bridges and pagodas, we focused on the Humble Administrator's Garden and the Suzhou Museum, before spending some time on the gentrified eight hundred-year-old Pingjiang Street, with good food and interesting, although vastly overpriced, shops. Like every other tourist attraction in China, the gardens must be visited as soon as they open to be enjoyed, and even then it may be too late. Tour groups descend from buses quite early in the day and appreciating the beauty and tranquility of the gardens becomes an exercise in futility.
Hangzhou, famous for centuries for its West Lake and natural beauty, is a city
Mingtown Etour Youth Hostel in Shanghai
Fun bar and restaurant. Service can be slow; get up early or eat breakfast out. also deserving of more time. We spent our limited allotment along the lake, strolling through the various gardens and nearly losing the crowds altogether at points. Relaxing and scenic, an extra day here could also be used to visit Lingyin Temple, one of the largest and wealthiest Buddhist temples in China with numerous pagodas and Buddhist grottoes.
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