We stepped into the cool of Shanghai at 9PM (12) in mid April and were glad to locate our pre-arranged Taxi driver holding a placard.Once I picked him out from the throng our communication was by means of gestures,vigorous shaking of the head in all directions and so on.He was courteous and took hold of our baggage trolley and wheeled it up to the parking lot and to a gleaming Volkswagen.As we commenced our journey he pointed out the bottles of drinking water that was kept for our consumption.He also took out an audio CD and gestured in my direction and I nodded.Soon we were listening to Hindi and Tamil movie songs!
We traveled the next 45 minutes,some of it through 6 lane H'way that was smooth as silk.Many tall rises which were lit tastefully could be seen on the way and we wondered whether Mumbai was at 1 to Shanghai's 7 or 8 at first peek.
The driver showed the same courtesy while we alighted at the Hotel by bringing our luggage up to the check-in counter.
Taxis in China expect the payment to be made as soon as the destination is reached and when they present you with the receipt.It is wrong etiquette to get out of the car and look for your luggage etc before payment.
Day 1 Shanghai
We were up early,got ready quickly,completed our B.F.,packed our bag for Beijing and I was in the lobby awaiting our train tickets.It was 08:15.Frank,the English speaking guide, entered first and after a few words with the concierge approached me and asked whether I was Ganesh J and have I signed up for the Shanghai day trip.
Just then another guy showed up and mumbled Ganesh and I said yes? and Oh! Sunny... and he quickly pushed a couple of tickets in my hand and entered on his Cell the amount of Yuan I had to pay him.He counted the cash I gave him nodded curtly and left.I looked at Frank and said happily that we were ready to go with him.Sumee was done with the check-out and both of us boarded the Van.It was 08:30.
The van threaded its way through the dense traffic,all proceeding towards the centre of Shanghai.Speaking of traffic and cars in particular the streets were full of American,European,Japanese and South Korean cars.Mind you,there are a dozen local companies manufacturing cars in China but their total market share is at 25-30%,I understand from The Economist
Our first stop was the famous Shanghai Museum at People's square
Built in the shape of ancient cooking vessel the Museum houses master pieces of Chinese Art that date back as far as the Neolithic. It walks you through more than 6000 years of artwork in different media-Bronzes,Ceramics,Sculpture, Painting,Calligraphy,seals,numismatics and furniture and you don't need Mandarin to help you with the exhibits as everywhere English labels are used along with Chinese
Having spent considerable time here,Frank,the guide, stopped next at a Pearl factory... he had three female guests to contend with as against one of me
Jade in ancient China was both decoration and a symbol of wealth and power.In feng shui, jade has been used for centuries for its abilities to create a serene feeling of harmony and balance. Jade is also used as a protection and good luck feng shui stone. Jade jewellery is a popular feng shui application
The temple was founded in 1882 with two jade Buddha statues imported to Shanghai from Burma.
We were now hungry and were pestering Frank who gladly announced that our next stop will be for Lunch.Speaking of which I must let you into a small secret for success in China for vegetarians.Translate "No Meat" into Chinese
" 无肉 " and show it at any eatery or at a store if you are buying packaged noodles and bingo they will announce whether a dish contains meat or not. Rest is left to their perception of what constitutes meat.Good Luck!
Lunch consisted of Lots of Chinese tea,tomato soup,green vegetables, rice and an Egg dish other than Beef and Pork.The location was in the Bund and so after lunch we went for a stroll there by the side of the Huangpu river which is the last significant tributary of the Yangtze before it empties into the East China Sea.
It is regarded as the symbol of Shanghai for hundreds of years. It is on the west bank of Huangpu River and runs for about a mile in length. The famous and attractive sights on this side are the various buildings of different architectural styles that line the avenue.
Across the river on the East side is the new financial and business district which also houses the famous Oriental Pearl TV tower
At the Silk factory our next stop we were taken through the process of silk production from silkworm to finished product.Interesting to see how silk fibre is taken out from the cocoons and converted to thread and finally into exquisite silk quilts.At the end of the show there was a bit of hard sell which we avoided and came out.The Silk Road is the most well-known trading route of ancient Chinese civilization. Trade in silk grew under the Han Dynasty ( 202 BC - AD 220) Caravans from the empire would carry silk to the western edges of the region where Central Asian tribes would attack these caravans and capture the valuable commodity. As a result, the Han Dynasty extended its military defences further into Central Asia in order to protect these caravans and later came up with the idea to expand the silk trade to include these lesser tribes and therefore forge alliances with these nomads. Because of this idea, the Silk Road was born.The route grew with the rise of the Roman Empire because the Chinese initially gave silk to the Roman-Asian governments as gifts.
Yuyuan garden is a place of peace and tranquility in the heart of Shanghai and is very well decked out in the traditional Ming style with Rockeries,ornate bridges and lotus ponds.It was finished in 1577 by a government officer named Yu which means pleasing and satisfying, and this garden was specially built for his parents as a place for them to enjoy a tranquil and happy time in their old age.
We spent an hour here going through the bustling market area with its Ming architecture and then entering the garden at the back.At the end of it we sought the cool of an ice cream at a local shop and also rested our feet for a while.We had seen a lot of Shanghai by now.Due to its cosmopolitan history the city has a rich blend of the traditional culture and the modern.
Because of Shanghai's status as the cultural and economic centre of East Asia for the first half of the twentieth century, it is popularly seen as the birthplace of everything considered modern in China.
The modern city of Shanghai owes much of its current size and status as a major trading-city to the foreign concessions that once made up this town, during the period after the First Opium War in the 1840s, up to the middle of the Second World War, in the 1940s, a period of exactly one hundred years.
The centre of town, made up of the British, Russian, American, German, Japanese and French concessions, became the Shanghai International Settlement,a vast, mostly Western expatriate zone in the middle of Communist China. The "Settlement" as it was called, had its own police force, fire-brigade, driver's licenses, and all manner of other things.
We walked through the French concession with its tree lined avenues,trendy Cafes,Restaurants and shops and were now ready to call it a day!
Our mind was already switched to Beijing where we were heading to taking the over-night train.
We reached Shanghai station and had a cup of coffee at the KFC outlet there which was delicious. Located our train on the electronic board and went up the escalator to our waiting area.The waiting area is akin to the Gate area of a flight out of a modern airport.we sat there admiring the efficiency of modern China.Every now and then a train would be announced and passengers will line up in front of the gate and let in by TC's to go down an escalator to the platform area to board the train.In half an hour from the time of announcement everybody has boarded and the train departs.Our 8 Pm train was announced at 7:35 and we grabbed our bags verified our tickets and went down the escalator to begin the long walk to our coach.It was so easy to roll the strolley into the compartment as the platform and coach are at the same level and there is a hardly a gap.
We entered our soft sleeper compartment which was fitted out to a high standard. Each bunk was equipped with a small reading lamp.It was air-conditioned with temperature controls installed alongside the door. The facilities included a clothes rack, slippers, stainless steel Thermos, a trash can and wall socket.A Pillow,Sheet and blanket was provided.It was clean,very clean!
Long distance trains in China run at high speeds of up to 350 KPH and the magnetic levitation train - Maglev for short speeds up to 430 KPH.
Our D train was averaging at 120 KPH while the faster G,day trains to Beijing would travel at double the speed at twice the cost.
Day2 Beijing
After covering a distance of 1400 Kms our train eased into Beijing south at 07:40 in the morning.Less than 12 Hrs travel time.Walked out of the platform, must have been below 20C, and found a bakery doing brisk business at that hour.We sat for a cup of coffee there and went to the taxi stand.Did not have to wait long before our turn came and I showed the driver the Chinese version of "Please take me to Days Inn Hotel,Forbidden city" with the full address written in Mandarin.He was confused,the big fella, and he kept asking his friends around and it appeared they were giving him the direction.
We rolled out of the station and traveled for the next 45 min,which appeared a bit too long to reach our destination.He had certainly taken a longer than necessary route.Every now and then he was glancing at the paper I had given him and taking a swig of tea from his flask.At some point we got desperate and called the local tour operator Wendy to speak to him which she did and said we would reach the hotel soon.
We were blessed to get early check-in at the hotel and settled in and drank some Jasmine tea.We snoozed for a while after a refreshing shower,got ready and went to the Chinese Restaurant nearby and ordered a veg noodle dish as take away.By 2Pm were ready waiting at the lounge when the driver came to pick us up and deliver us to the waiting tour guide;Summer was her name
I have already spoken about Frank,Sunny,Wendy and now Summer.None of them are Christians.They could be atheists,as most Chinese are or Buddhists, Taoists or believers in Confucius.Yet in the Travel/Tourist Industry they believe in keeping a Christian name so that it is easy on the tongue for foreigners/tourists.
Drum Tower
You need to be in a good
condition to climb the stairs,the steps being steep and high and this time I was not out of breath when I climbed it...thanks to Dr.Panda at Asian Heart Inst.After making it to the gallery we enjoyed a performance on the large drums;five people play every hour for about five minutes,there is also a antique water watch and a great view over the city
Bell Tower
The Bell is 7.02 meters high including the pendants, with a weight of 63 tons. It is made of copper, and you can hear its clear sound from far away. The 2 meter long wooden logs hanging sideways are used to ring it. It is said to have been rung every evening until 1924, when a warlord chased Pu Yi, China’s last emperor, from the Forbidden City.
We enjoyed the tea ceremony performed by a volunteer there and we drank Oolong, Jasmine,Fruit and Ginseng tea to our heart's content
The Hutong, a small street or lane between two courtyards, is a unique form of community. If you are fed up with high buildings and wide streets, you can
choose to enter these narrow lanes in Beijing. Here, you will find 'Hutong and Courtyard Culture'. There are thousands of these kinds of lanes in Beijing City.
We took one of these cycle rickshaws which was fun as we went through these lanes admiring the courtyard houses and shops while Summer was on a bicycle behind us.
We went into a courtyard house and spent sometime with the housekeeper ...she paints typical chinese art and puts them up for sale.. She tells us, in good English, all about Hutongs and wonders how long they will survive in the face of fierce modernisation drive the Chinese Govt.is undertaking.Our pleasant afternoon trip culminated at the Hutongs and we were driven back to our Hotel.We got ready to be picked up by someone and delivered to witness the Acrobatic show that evening.
The show was very entertaining,kept you on the edge of your seat and good value for money. It lasts for about an hour and they pack in quite a few different and exciting acts. There were moments when I thought "surely that is not physically possible!" which I think is a good indicator of just how impressive these acrobats are. Its was fun and light hearted and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The motor cycle act at the end was incredible!Good for all ages.
For dinner we had fish curry and lightly fried rice at the Chinese restaurant and called it a day.
Day 3 Beijing
We were visiting the main attraction of China today and were picked up early from the Hotel as we had a drive of 2 Hrs to the north of the city.
The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, and other materials, generally built along an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of China
in part to protect the Chinese Empire
against intrusions by various nomadic groups or military incursions.Several walls were built as early as the 7th century BC; these, later joined together and made bigger, stronger, and unified are now collectively referred to as the Great Wall. 
Badaling Great Wall is located, 70 km north of Beijing city.
In ancient times this section was a very important pass to protect Beijing City on the north.It is the most visited section of the Great Wall partly because it is close to Beijing city and connected by an express way.
Watchtowers
Watchtowers are usually a rectangular two storied structure built on the top of the wall. The ground floor of a watchtower was the storeroom of weapons and has a number of small windows for archers. The upper floor contains battlements, peep-holes for archers as well as beacon facilities for signalling.
Badaling Great Wall was regarded the strongest section of the Ming Great Wall. You can see a watchtower every few hundred meters. This portion of the Great Wall is max 7.8 meters high and max 5 meters wide.
We enjoyed climbing the Wall,albeit slowly, that morning, as the prevailing winds at 1000 meters altitude made it chilly even though we were well fortified.It was spring time in Beijing and the Sun was mild.
The flag is symbolic of our triumph at climbing and walking the Great wall.Colourful flags are planted on the wall every 100 meters or so and left to combat the forces of Nature
Having accomplished the great wall tour we drove down to the plains once more.
We were taken to a Jade factory where a lady explained the healing qualities of Jade and showed us around the huge set up where everything was so expensive and we were hungry.Luckily Lunch was served at the annexe and comprised of Mushroom soup,some veggie dishes and lots of Chinese tea
which was very welcome as there was no time for breakfast that morning.
Next stop Ming Tombs.
The Ming Tombs are the burial
places of thirteen emperors of the ancient Ming Dynasty of China.Also 23 empresses a number of concubines and even a eunuch have been buried among the emperors. The Ming Tombs are thelargest collection of royal burial sites located in one place They are located in a semicircle spanning forty square kilometres. Each of the thirteen tombs is at the base of its own hill and is connected to the other tombs by a path called the "Sacred Way."
We boarded the bus for another Silk factory Bejing tour.This establishment was much larger than the one at Shanghai and better organised.We went through the process all over again and at the end in spite of all the "hard sell" techniques employed by the girls we came away with just a small souvenir for our daughter.
In the evening we were picked up by the tour organiser to attend a Kung Fu show.
He is sent to a Buddhist temple to be a monk at a young age. Initially, the young monk has a hard time getting used to the strict discipline of the temple until he becomes interested in the unbelievable power of Kung Fu. From then on he works hard on Kung Fu and makes great achievements on the way to growing up. However, as a youth he is unable to restrain his natural desire to chase a young beauty and he suffers badly and loses his way.
Realising his folly he punishes himself severely and finally returns to the way of seeking enlightenment.At the end of the show he is praised for being a great Buddhist master of Chinese Kung Fu.
I have shown the facade of the theater only.Photography was not allowed inside.
The show has English subtitles shown above the stage to keep you informed of the story line. The actors do not speak,the show is all Kung Fu, dance and acrobatics. It is the fusion of modern dance with Chinese traditional arts and the hour long performance was unique and spectacular.The costumes, set design and special effects were up to international standards.
Day 4 Beijing
Another early start and without breakfast.Our days are hectic but the weather and excitement of travel and sightseeing is more than making up for hunger.I must thank the weather Gods for smiling at us and not subjecting us to rain or sand storms.
We had the same bus and driver but a refreshingly new Guide "Galin" a Taoist
who wanted to become a Doctor but failed the entrance exam and decided to join the Tourism /Travel trade.He is the most talkative we have had so far and shared all kinds of information about his country.Also we had the maximum crowd within the bus today.3 Brits,2 Angolans settled in London,1 Israeli settled in Mexico and us.
First stop Summer Palace
The grand Summer Palace was built in 1750 to provide China’s ruling
dynasty a summer vacation home where they can relax and enjoy nature’s
beauty. It was believed that Dowager Empress Cixi stayed in the palace
for a long time, living a rich and lavish lifestyle. Other Imperial
Families who took residence here enjoyed the palace’s breezy atmosphere
as well as the gardens and the pavilion. 
Immediately ahead of us as we entered was the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity. The front is glassed off, so we had to peer inside to see the hardwood throne it houses. Outside there are cast bronze statues of mythical animals including
a hybrid animal said to appear only in times of harmony and peace.
We then turned right and followed signs for the longevity hill and were immediately delighted to see a gorgeous view of Kunming Lake and the 17-Arch Bridge. Kunming Lake dominates the Summer Palace. It takes up over three quarters of the park.
From the marble boat area, after taking many pictures we caught the dragon boat to ferry across the lake.
Summer Palace abounds with ancient style pavilions, towers, mansions, halls, Decorative gates,temples and bridges The palace’s area is comprised of Longevity Hill and the Kunming Lake. Its exquisitely designed garden is regarded by UNESCO as a masterpiece of Chinese landscape design.
After the wonderful experience of the Summer Palace we were back on the road speeding towards the city and on the way we saw the "Bird's Nest" the 2008 Olympic stadium built here.
Pearl factory,was next on the Agenda where we did get hooked and bought something before we headed to our next stop.
From where the bus stopped we walked a mile to reach the entrance of the Forbidden city and Galin our Guide went to buy the tickets.Here we could see the classic portrait of Chairman Mao and many stalls selling souvenirs and snacks.Also the tourist crowd density was highest here.
From 1420 when it was completed,for almost 500 years this Imperial Palace was out of bounds for commoners thus earning it's name.If walls could talk, visitors to the Forbidden City size would hear tales of opulence beyond their wildest dream, from daily 100-course meals to harems of 9,000 concubines. Alas, we can only wander through the massive palace and infer what lives these exalted emperors led from the structures left behind.The Forbidden City covers an area of about 180 acres with a total floor space of approximately 1,600,000 square feet. It consists of more than 90 palaces and courtyards, 980 buildings and over 8,728 rooms.
As we entered the Forbidden City we passed through the Meridian Gate and directly ahead was a large courtyard leading to Gate of Supreme Harmony. we noticed the two bronze lions that flank the gate. The lion on the western side has his paw on a ball, symbolizing the world and the emperor's power over it. The equally intimidating eastern lioness has her paw on a cub, symbolizing the emperor's lineage.
The largest building of the complex is the Hall of Supreme
Harmony. Here the emperor would preside over the most important state
occasions, such as his birthday or the nominations of military leaders.
Coronations were held here as well.
We Join the group peeking inside the hall and get a glimpse of the emperor's golden dragon throne. When the emperor was seated here (or anywhere) a kowtow would be performed as a sign of respect. Kowtow is a type of bowing where one's head touches the ground. The full kowtow was the most formal type, which involved three kneelings and touching one's forehead to the ground nine times.
The third hall is the Hall of Preserving Harmony, which was used for banquets. Later, in the Qing Dynasty in the 18th century, it was also used for imperial examinations.
As we exit the Halls we pass through the Imperial garden with ancient wrinkled cypress trees, rock formations, ponds and archways. 
We had late lunch at 2:45 PM where I feasted on tomato soup,vegetables and rice.A longish drive to the Temple of Heaven followed.
The Temple of Heaven, literally the Altar of Heaven is a complex of Taoist buildings. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest.This The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is a magnificent triple-gabled circular building, 36 metres in diameter and 38 metres tall, built on three levels of marble stone base, where the Emperor prayed for good harvests.
We passed through a long corridor where we saw many locals, especially elders who use the long corridor for social activities such as playing Chinese chess, singing Peking Opera,blowing wind instruments or selling hand-crafted items.
By now we had had an overload of sight seeing for one day and the visit to the Tea House came as a welcome relief.
We tasted Oolong,Pure,Jasmine and Lichi and it was very refreshing.Then the volunteers conducted sale of tea with patience and perseverance that is the hallmark of Chinese, and managed to sell a few packs to some members of our group. The Israeli tourist in our group (now working in Mexico) who was quietly watching the proceedings was quite impressed and seriously offered a Sales job in Mexico to one of the girls, who could not stop laughing.
The day and our trip to Beijing thus ended on a merry note!
We engaged a taxi for our trip to the Rly station.We drove along Tiananmen Square, a symbol of the physical greatness of the Communist Party, an open area where literally 1 million people could gather for parades and speeches.It is an important icon for national tourists. At 440,000 square meters, it is the world's largest public square.The whole area with all the structures were lit up very well as we passed through bidding farewell to Beijing.
Beijing Rly station resembles a modern airport and was gleaming with granite flooring,huge electronic boards, glittering neon signs over coffee shops and convenience stores.Take a look.
We boarded our sleeper train which departed a little after 9PM for Shanghai
Day 5 Shanghai
The train was speeding through it's route as I woke up at 06:30 after a reasonably good rest.I was happy that we did not have to rush somewhere this morning.Passengers were getting ready to disembark and start their day in the city.We reached at 08:15 and the majority got out.
I said Shanghai?to some one getting down and he nodded and repeated Shanghai.
So we got down and started following the crowd for the exit.But,wait a minute I see some people on the train still...so it is going further.Luckily there was a guard nearby and we asked Shanghai? and he pointed to the train...meaning sit in the train.We showed him the ticket and he confirmed.20 secs later the doors closed and the train moved.And we travelled at a good speed for the next 40 minutes and reached Shanghai Hongqiao our destination.
This would have been a major glitch had I not observed some passengers still sitting.
We got out had a cup of Coffee at McDonald nearby and came back to the station basement to take a taxi to our Hotel.This driver was smart.He called up the Hotel and confirmed the direction and brought us there without a hitch.We were home and dry.
Lucky to get early check-in we rested,showered and went looking for an Eatery in the nearby Mall,We found a joint serving Pizzas and made a meal of veggie Pizza and some Salad.The weather had turned cold and we wore our woollens and set about walking to the nearest Metro station.Our objective was to spend the evening at the Bund.
It was a 20 min walk and at the station we took the help of an attendant to operate the ticket machine and get us tickets for Nanjin east.Trains were fairly crowded but operated at a frequency of 3 min.Reached destination in 20 min and found the right exit to walk to the Bund. Dusk gave way to evening as we enjoyed the cool weather taking pictures and walking up and down.
Found a Subway joint where we had s/w for dinner and washed it down with some hot chocolate.We returned the same way by train and walked home from the station as the weather was very tempting.
Day 6 Shanghai
Weather as we got up at 07:30 was cold and wet.It had rained and looked as if we were going to have a wet and cold day.After a leisurely morning had a good late breakfast at 09:30.Our local contact assured us that we could go ahead with our trip to the Water Village Zhujiajiao and that the taxi had been arranged.Armed with umbrellas from the Hotel we hopped into the Taxi at 12 Noon and by 1:15 PM we were at the Village
Zhujiajiao also called “The Venice of Shanghai”; this is a typical and ancient water town which has almost 1,700 years of history. Zhujiajiao features lovely waterways,gardens, curved rock bridges old streets cemented with stone and lots of shopping.
The stone bridge and the surrounding scenery was awesome and so were the ladies selling Gold fish in plastic bags.
We bought mementos of China from the local shops and walked through the narrow lanes which was bustling with people
The view from the bridge was very pleasant with all those old wooden and some concrete houses dotting the river side
Visited the impressive Kezhi garden and and found Rockeries,stone bridges and streams.Built in 1912, the owner spent 300,000 taels or 11000 Kgs of silver and 15 years in building the garden. The architecture in the garden is a combination of the Chinese traditional and the Western styles and is extremely pleasing to the eyes.
On the right is the old postbox with a dragon coiled around it
And then we visited this temple and found the idols impressive.
We had spent more than 2 Hrs here and enjoyed every moment.We found a KFC joint for Fries and coffee and hopped into the taxi and returned.
We took the same taxi to the Pudong Int'l airport and later boarded our flight to Mumbai via Delhi thus ending our hectic holiday where we had seen so much in so little time.
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