China Part II: Shanghai

And our China journey continues!!! For the second part of our China adventures we flew to Shanghai. Shanghai is more modern than Beijing, definitely less polluted and you will run into twice as many English speakers (thankfully!). Here are the highlights and to dos!

1. The Bund  - This was the first stop on our adventure. This is a river walk along the Huangpu River, and is one of the most famous tourist spots in Shanghai so prepare yourself for crowds of people! As you can see in some of the first few pictures, there is a great view of the Pudong and the Pearl Tower. 

2. Lingering (Liuyuan) Garden - this is a beautiful Chinese garden in the city of Suzhou that is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The garden is located just out side of the city of Suzhou. If you're in Suzhou, it's a must do! It is also one of the 4 most famous gardens in China.

3. Silk Spinning Factory - This was unexpectedly a very interesting stop in our itinerary. Surprisingly Suzhou is the silk capital of china and actually the source of silks for many international designers. The tour provides you with an overview of the whole life a silkworm! Then you will see how the people produce silk with the old style machine, and the making process of hand made silk quilt. 

4. West Lake- Marco Polo called Hangzhou the most enchanting city in the world. This charm is most evident in the West Lake (also known as Xihu) area which effectively functions as the center of Hangzhou. The lake is huge and we took a boat tour around it. The West Lake is one of the famous China attractions and is actually pictured on one of the Chinese bills. 

5. Dragon Well - Just south of the West Lake is the beautiful, lush, green Dragon Well Lonjing Green Tea Village.  It is filled with many teahouses that serve Chinese Green Tea. The villagers pic the tea leaves by hand in the fields. You can bet we brought back several bags of both green and white tea!