Reflections of Mainland China - Now With More Thailand

[Voxel]

I’d love to see more of your report. In the planning phase, I’d say your trip sounded more ambitious than mine.

On the LA Metro train now riding back towards home, the same train where I first began this thread. Not much to say about the air travel from Shanghai to here (with an unessesary layover in Guangzhou near Hong Kong, except it cheapened my airfare enough so I could afford the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel).

The lengthy transit at the end of any vacation is always a comedown , but the arrival at my house soon enough will be massively rewarding.

It was more ambitious but I think the weather changes caused me to make a few changes.. I keep meaning to upgrade my report, but I keep falling asleep at 8pm and I need to make a space to set up my computer at home to work on it. My plan is to pour a glass of Whiskey tonight and try to recap a day or two.

I'm glad to hear that you are home now and that you enjoyed your trip!

 

[DisneyAndUniversalFan]

i loved reading this trip report! i hope you had a great time!! it looks like you did!! one day, i will visit asia ugh

 

[Pi on my Cake]

I’m at least as excited as you guys! Woke up this morning from dreams about the hotel guests stampeding the park shuttle bus.

Right now I’m enjoying a calm character breakfast at Lumiere’s Kitchen. I’m treating myself to western dishes like waffles and bacon , avoiding the congee and bizarre Chinese eggs for once.

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Also, I met this guy. (I’m the one in the blue shirt.)

I fell waaaayyyyy behind reading this and I'm catching up. Haven't been liking or commenting on much as I catch up so I don't flood you with notifications. But I wanted to thank you for clarifying which one was you in this picture. It really helped lol

 

[D Hulk]

It’s been a few days now since my return form China and the jet lag is hitting me pretty dang strong. I’ve returned to my normal sleeing schedule, but I spend my days in a listless zombie state.

Anyway, let’s return to the trip recap! Let’s travel back now to Friday the 21st, half a week before I reached Shanghai Disneyland. There’s plenty more Mainland China adventuring to recap...did you think we were over yet?

(Continuing to type this on iPhone simply to maintain whatever writing style I developed on the trip.)



Recall that the previous day my big guided tour group hiked the amazing Huangshan Mountains. Roughly half of the group opted to spend the following morning sleeping in, while the rest of us did an optional (and slightly up-charge) half-day to the Emerald Valley.

We were lucky to hike Huangshan the previous day, since now the entire mountain was bathed in rainclouds. The rain pelted Emerald Valley as well, to an extent my L.A. eyes considered excessive and my London travelmates considered “it’s raining?” Just enough really to lend a humid jungle ambiance to the lush hidden river valley.



Emerald Valley could be considered a compliment to Huangshan with its otherworldly granite rocks and it’s greenery. It’s all a paradisical waterway littered with sculpted stones, many of them bearing engraved calligraphy giving the places their names. It’s likely you’ve seen this setting before. It was featured prominently in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. (They still have the wire lines overhead which swung Chow Yun Fat all about!)



The morning mostly involved following riverside trails into the mountain canyons past beautiful unraftable rapids. My favorite was the jade-green pool which gives Emerald Valley its name. Some sort of vibrant azure lichen colors it. There were striking bridges crossing the cataracts, dense bamboo forests, abandoned temples crushed under rockslides, even a moss-stained old stairway which was once actually the main route up to Huangshan. Made me grateful for the Doppemayr cable cars.



This was a restful half day, and there’s little else to add. We eventually reconvened at the valley’s mouth and returned to the hostel to collect our just-waking buddies. From there, Mr. Wu bussed us through mountain passes to our next major destination. We wheeled through quaint alpine farming villages with terraced tea fields rising up the mountainous slopes.



Heading around to the other side of Huangshan, the rains ceased, replaced by a crystal blue day with light humidity is and fluffy clouds. The perfect day for more touring! Again we got lucky with weather, especially in retrospect. The next attraction (the next recap): Hongcun Village, a quaint and mesmerizing UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

[D Hulk]

Hongcun is an ancient water village, one of several found throughout China. While I’d planned to see a few more perhaps while touring solo later on, this wound up being my only chance to see one. This wasn’t something I’d have considered visiting on my own, but I’m very grateful that we did as it wound up among my favorite unexpected spots in all of China!

We began by driving past the unfortunate big touristy parking area, and into the nearby (comparatively modern) village which serves as support for Hongcun. Here our evening’s innkeepers welcomed us into their guesthouse - specifically into its ground floor restaurant for another savory, succulent home-cooked feast. I’d noticed a vat of snake wine resting in the entryway shelves (see mouthwatering pic below) and as the group’s “food monster” I asked the hostess if I could sample some. She refused rather vehemently, insisting that the snake wine sickens (and something kills) us western tourists. Instead I just drank tea.



After a quick stop in our evening’s rooms to deposit our baggage and slightly refresh, we headed out on foot towards Hongcun. Since tour guide Hu had never been here before, our wine-denying hostess led the way. She took us over a gentle river to the 800-year-old traditional village, which beckoned with inviting narrow alleyways filled with surprises.



Hongcun’s construction dates to the Qing dynasty. It replaced an earlier village that was destroyed by fire, and in response this new feng shui marvel was built jutting out into Huangshan River - a small scale canal village, a Chinese “water town,” much in the vein of Venice or Xochimilco. Our hostess told (and Wikipedia confirms) that this new town was carefully designed to resemble an ox from above, with access bridges its legs, with twin trees its horns, and the interior canals and central lake its internal organs. I’d have never figured that one out on my own.



We began by touring the outer perimeter, following cobblestone dikes around the gentle still stream. The village’s southern end is picture perfect, ready to be painted, and indeed a huge college student group of hundreds was here scattered along the shores painting gorgeous watercolors on easels. The scene was just stunning. There lies the town’s gates across the tiny lake, framed by blooming lily pads and an arched bridge. Storm clouds dissipating from distant Huangshan Mountain were rolling in like waves from the nearest hills, evaporating as they reached the Hongcun valley. Dragonflies sped past. A faint smell of boiling tea lingered in the air.



We continued at a leisurely pace into town, over the waters and onto a peninsula nestled against the nearest hills. We tentatively ventured into the mazelike interior, first exploring ancient schoolhouses and mansions, all fine examples of ancient Chinese rural architecture. Interior courtyards are still open to the skies, with basin pits under the openings to catch and display rain water inside the home! The connection to water in this town is persistent and absolute.

 

[D Hulk]

Further we went into the wildly winding internal roads. The widest alleys of all could barely fit an American SUV, while the narrowest could barely fit an American tourist - I had to twist my shoulders to squeeze past textured walls of stacked river stones. Little foot-wide canals trickled underfoot, these often being the only means of navigation in this truly disorienting tangle of alleys - south was downstream.



My photos don’t remotely do Hongcun justice regarding its twisty layout or tight feel. Every corner revealed new sights and sounds and scents. The village remains active and lived-in (financed by the Chinese government no doubt), a living history of rural life in ancient China which also sells trinkets and hosts karaoke bars. My mind is flooded now with memories of fried dough woks, of fresh fruit vendors, of old ladies roasting tea leaves in an oven-hot pan. I volunteered to help toss these leaves, nearly singeing my fingers in the process, while Tony took turns crushing chili peppers with a mallet.



At the town’s center is a reflection lake surrounded by the largest mansions. There is no railing, so you walk precariously steps away from a watery tumble. The art students by now had made their way into the city, and they’d traded out their watercolors for some pencil sketches of the various streets. We toured while dodging them, heading deep into various houses and other unexpected alcoves.



Soon enough our hostess left us to our own devices while she retired back to the guesthouse to prep dinner for the evening. We were all eager to explore. Everyone split into smaller groups for various adventures. Some sought souvenirs, or snacks.



Those of us who’d done Emerald Valley (and thus walked the most so far) sought a break. We found that in a tucked away little tea house, unexpectedly found upstairs from a woodsy apothecary shop. We chilled for an hour in the open air attic drinking full-on pints of tea with the leaves still floating about. We talked vacation histories, future travel plans, and generally reminisced like a small group that had become swiftly intimate over the past week and change.



The day’s remainder exploring Hongcun is an indistinct blur. It was at the time too. I mostly recall us getting lost repeatedly. Anna would lead the charge, aiming for a specific curio shop or seeking the central lake, only to somehow take us in a meandering circle around only the northeastern corner. Then I would take over trying to find these places, only to somehow lead us straight past everything back out to the lily ponds. Everyone else in turn got a chance to mislead the group, and oh what fun it was.

 

[D Hulk]

I lingered in Hongcun long after the rest returned to the guesthouse for showers, long past nightfall. I had a shared room that night, and I hadn’t seen my roommate in hours (he had the key), so I figured I’d dillydally. I scoped out a karaoke bar on the main drag, making group plans for the evening - not a single English language song on the menu. Instead I sat drinking a Corona (exotic beer by Chinese standards). It cost an equivalent of $2 U.S., ludicrously expensive by rural Chinese standards.



Finally I returned to the inn for dinner. The art students had all arrived here as well, and they were busy sketching portraits from fashion magazines while they ate. I tried convincing a few to get me a little sip of snake wine (a silly reversal, an adult begging teenagers for booze), but with no success - lousy language barrier!



After dinner we all went back to the karaoke bar. Even Hu joined us! The group bought 30 ounce bottles of the local beer, sold at a flabbergasting $5 U.S. Highway robbery! This was no kidding the worst beer I’ve had in my life! It was 2% alcohol, which is over O’Douls but under Utah beer, with a flavor somewhat like water left in a moldy pipe for too long. Yecch!



Hu debated with the karaoke masters on finding a song in English. Most of our suggestions (Elvis, Beatles, and some sicko proposed Bieber) couldn’t be found on Chinese YouTube, so eventually we defaulted to Hotel California. Ugh, The Eagles! The group decided, somewhat cruelly in my opinion, to have Martin the crazed elderly Australian try singing - for a whooping assembly of drunken Chinese locals, mind you. His initial performance was shaky at best, and fairly quickly I stood up with a second microphone to sing backup - I had to, the song’s about my home state - and I believe our shared hammy duet managed to salvage the moment. All cheered! An inebriated matron sang a cheesy C-Pop ballad to honor Martin.



Then the rest of our group finked out and didn’t sing anything! They claimed “embarrassment,” and doubtlessly its hard to get a good karaoke groove going on 2% rotgut.



Instead we stumbled soberly into the night seeking more shenanigans. This despite the complete absence of other nightlife spots witnessed on the trip out - dang is rural China not the most happenin’ spot! I’d have preferred we stayed at karaoke. Rather, and despite my fruitless protestations, we wound up at a rather charmless bar in the new non-historic town, a place with no music or atmosphere and serving only that same grody 2% swill from before. The folks who slept in that morning tried having fun regardless; I was easily the group's morning person and by now I was pretty much done with the outing. This was a sour note on an otherwise charming and engaging day, and let’s not dwell on it longer.

Somehow we all managed to stay out until midnight partying it up sober out of our gourds. The following day would be an endless bus trip return to Shanghai, and the group’s final shared evening, so might as well enjoy our time together while we can right?

 

[Cesar R M]

Shanghai Disneyland Half-Day Highlights

I began hotel early entry by rope dropping Peter Pan, because I rarely manage to ride it at home and I squandered two FastPasses on it yesterday.

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Then did Seven Dwarfs Mine Train again. Here’s the queue for this ride in its unnatural, empty state.

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@MinnieM123, here I go wholly completely alone on Hunny Pot Spin as requested.

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And followed by a fight on Dumbo, just beating the regular park hours crowds. Five minute wait for me, 20 minutes upon exiting.

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Too bad the Fantasia Carousel (with adorable baby Pegasus horses) was a 20 minute wait for me, the trip’s longest actually. I embarrassed myself and rode one of those baby horses.

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Explorers Canoes doesn’t work too well at Shanghai because most guests don’t bother to paddle at all. I got an amazing tough-as-nails crew however and we passsed two lazier canoes! Go team!

Here’s what the rest of the day looked like: Pirates. Buzz. TRON. Peter Pan. Pirates. Pause to eat a massive cookie. Buzz. TRON. Pirates. Pirates. Return to hotel and currently in a taxi to the airport.

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The trip is officially complete...missed recaps to follow eventually.

Awesome trip review man!

You did a maratonic and titanic-esque trip report!

 

[D Hulk]

The Saturday immediately after Hongcun was the group’s last full day together. Most of that day we spent riding another public bus back into Shanghai. A rather inauspicious close.



The day before this, Australian couple Allison and Peter attempted a mutiny. They tried figuring out how we all could take the bullet train into Shanghai, shaving off 2 hours of travel and greatly increasing comfort. The plan was complex...too complex. Hu anticipated it without even listening in and nixed the idea before it was formally proposed.

So we rode a public bus from Huangshan to Shanghai. We even had the same driver as last time, the horn addict who literally honked at every single vehicle and pedestrian we passed until reaching Shanghai city limits, whereupon he instantly calmed down.

The ride was less tortuous than the way out, mostly I think because we knew what was in store. It was quicker too, less circuitous. Still there was basically no time to interact with the group (and I was a little angry at Tony specifically for insisting on the crappy, crappy bar the previous night). We returned to the Shanghai Central Youth Hostel sometime around 4, taking public metro for the final leg.



Following showers, it was time for the very last group meal. Hu arranged a rather high-toned place near the hostel, complete with reservations and white table cloth. The meal was not hugely different from the rest we’d had together, but more haute and less comfort food. Hu gave us all moon pies, a traditional treat to celebrate the upcoming Mid-Autumn Harvest Festival. Corina and Permin shared some of their local Swiss liquer from home.

And the restaurant staff rushed us all out rather prematurely so they could fill another table. We’d barely even been in there for an hour! Hu was okay with this - he instantly darted back to the train station for an overnighter to his Xi’an hometown. He wanted as much time as possible with his newborn daughter before heading out to guide his next multiweek tour...in Tibet!

The rest of us all stuck together for the evening’s remainder. We had grand schemes to do a real bar - the sort of place with atmosphere and drinks - to make up for last night. Inquiring around (and with Hu’s advice) we zeroed in on a place near the Bund called The Captain’s Speakeasy. Arr! Sounds corny, don’t it?



A few fellow travelers hadn’t yet seen nighttime Bund all lit up. Our chosen bar - located a block off from Nanjing Road and set way way up on a shorter skyscraper’s rooftop - offered spectacular unfiltered views of that exact Bund skyline! We got lucky with outdoor seating for 10 seeing as we had no reservations. Mostly we sipped wine and whiskey. I refused to pay Tony back for buying those wretched beers from last night (on principle), so instead I bought the whole group a round of good beers. This approach cost me more $, but at least I didn’t finance those hacks at Huangshan Brewery.

Following drinks we all wandered the Bund waterfront one final time, retracing our steps from days past schlepping northbound into Old Shanghai and briefly up the rancid corpse-filled Suzhou River (seriously). Everything except for that one specific nasty detail was actually really enchanting and romantic. Saw wedding photoshoots the whole way up, which is a daily Bund occurrence.



Half of us lingered in the hostel’s lounge afterwards enjoying a few more 30 oz Tsingtaos. It seems basically impossible for a westerner to get even remotely drunk on Chinese beer, not a one of us, but several completely plastered locals tried joining our group a few times, bringing with them a pleasant boozy camaraderie.

We all stayed the night in the hostel, which was provided for Intrepid. I zonked out the latest.

Most everyone else had flights back to their homes either that Sunday or early the following Monday. Those staying one more day in Shanghai arranged more group plans (dim sum) in between their varied solo adventures. Anna spent her Sunday holed up in a 5-star hotel near Nanjing Road enjoying massages and saunas and such. Total pampered luxury.


Wish I’d been there for that

For my part, I left Shanghai super early that morning (bidding others farewell with hearty handshakes or lingering hugs & kisses, depending ). I took a bullet train out to a new, unfamiliar, crowded, exotic city - to Huangzhou - for another fatiguing 10 mile day immersed in wild Chinese culture...

 

[MinnieM123]

We had grand schemes to do a real bar - the sort of place with atmosphere and drinks - to make up for last night. Inquiring around (and with Hu’s advice) we zeroed in on a place near the Bund called The Captain’s Speakeasy. Arr!

What an artsy and fun photo of the two men looking "through" the wine glass, with the red lighting ambiance.

Saw wedding photoshoots the whole way up, which is a daily Bund occurrence.

My jaw dropped when I saw her gown with that long, gorgeous train. Exquisite location against the water and city lights backdrop.

Man, you take some really nice pictures!!

 

[D Hulk]

What an artsy and fun photo of the two men looking "through" the wine glass, with the red lighting ambiance.



My jaw dropped when I saw her gown with that long, gorgeous train. Exquisite location against the water and city lights backdrop.

Man, you take some really nice pictures!!

Appreciate it! It's always nice to hear your thoughts. I'd like to think you're all getting a little vicarious vacation here.

 

[D Hulk]

I departed from the group early on Sunday morning to catch the bullet train west out of Shanghai to Hangzhou. It felt suddenly very lonely to be traveling alone again, especially with the last minute goodbyes. It was also very overwhelming to be immediately plunged back into the crowded, hyperactive world of modern China with just my own wits and no safety net.

Plus this was a holiday weekend, the day immediately before the Mid-Autumn Harvest Festival - China’s equivalent of Memorial Day as the last summer hurrah before school, and with crowds to match. Hu helped me buy my train tickets a week in advance, and even then I got literally the last seat on the train! That’s what I get for traveling to Hangzhou, to West Lake, Shanghai’s favorite weekend getaway, precisely when everyone else in town had the same exact plans...and could speak the language.



The bullet train got us out there in a swift 90 minutes. From here I set out on foot into modern Hangzhou. This was another unexpected sleek new metropolis, like the Oakland to Shanghai’s San Francisco, but China is full of those. Even a town boasting an ancient and peaceful garden spot - which is what I’d come here for - teems with the same shimmering skyscrapers and boutique brands as everyplace.



I planned to reach West Lake from the train station on foot. My hostel was carefully located exactly equidistant between the two. This was almost a great plan...except it seems I can’t read map scales very well. The walk to the hostel was a mile, not so bad really except I was lugging a 50 pound backpack and scrambling for directions. (Taxis or DiDi - Chinese Uber - wouldn’t’ve been an option.) The weather was OK at least. Understandably I was pretty exhausted when I reached the very barebones hostel (worst room of the trip arguably), so I took some time to shower and recover my energy.

Then I set out for the following mile towards West Lake. Followed by 8 more miles walking most of the way around West Lake.



So...West Lake. This is a massive freshwater lake surrounded by lush green hills, which has been considered by poets for millennia as among China’s greatest natural beauties. Ancient manmade infrastructure dots the shores, like stone stupas or towering pagodas or a multi-mile causeway. Reportedly this lake is ground zero as the inspiration for all Chinese gardens with its perfect balance of water, rock, greenery and structure.

On this particular Sunday, the paved and shaded northeastern shores were as crowded as Disneyland on the 60th! That’s a quick way to undermine a scenic spot! A bit of a lingering haze, which only cleared up slightly towards sundown, also marred the panoramic views. Despite all this I still found West Lake an indispensable leg of the trip...let’s begin the journey!



The crowds so overwhelmed me, I quickly abandoned my initial plans to roam the shores counterclockwise. Instead I bought a one-way boat ticket across the lake. This was a nice chance to rest. The boat, though modern, is designed in the ancient style to resemble a two-level temple. Many more boats have a similar look, all with golden tile roofs and carved red bodies. The glide across the misty, calm, still waters was made far more indescribable by a great many of these mystical boats all floating together.



The boat let us off on Xiao Ying Island slightly west of the lake’s center. This is a manmade island made in the Ming era using repurposed silt. It is a miniature version of West Lake itself, basically, with the island’s center holding its own lake. At the center of that, a miniature Xiao Ying (meta!), plus little pavilions representing everything else along the shores. Actually, this wasn’t a bad way to begin this journey.

 

[D Hulk]

The crowds on Xiao Ying were a compression of those on the shores too! So little space, and with many, many boatloads piling in together along narrow pathways. Minus the throngs, this would be a tranquil setting under the willow trees by the gently bobbing lily ponds. I crisscrossed the island a few times enjoying the little bridges and statues which were hidden away along interior paths crossing the ponds. Also I drank a Coke.

Lastly on the west side I found it...Three Pools Mirroring the Moon. There are 10 poetic sights throughout West Lake, and it would take a year to see them all because several are purely seasonal (e.g. First Orioles of Spring in the Willows). This is the most iconic sight of all, even found on the back of the 1 yuan bill! It is three small stone stupa statues standing from the waters, framed by elms and themselves framing the pagoda hillsides beyond. Fishermen trawl the currents nearby, creating an ever-changing tableau.





There were several boats available leaving for every shore. I queued for one headed to the southwest shore opposite where I began. I meant to walk the multi-mile scenic route back. While in line I made friends with a pair of Chinese college gals traveling up from the Szechuan region. They marveled at my L.A. heritage (asked if I knew celebrities), and generally we chatted awkwardly at length in a conbo of broken English and Chinese about our respective nations and travels. The girls - whose names I’m sorry I cannot possibly spell - even briefly joined me on the north shore before they eventually went their own way into a ticketed rock concert (!) taking place in the hills.



That reminded me, for Chinese nationals West Lake is like a cross between Havasu, Cancun and Palm Beach. It isn’t the cultural garden spot I was seeing it as. For me it remained an eden instead of party central, as I walked the titanic Su Causeway to a lagoon overlooking Leifeng Pagoda.

 

[D Hulk]

With more time and energy, climbing the hill to visit Leifeng Pagoda would have been wonderful. As it was I was content to view it from afar, and also to gawk at the nearby golden floating dinner barge carved to resemble a dragon!



Su Causeway crosses the entire lake, stretching nearly 2 miles and dividing it into segments. Near the shores, a portion of the lake has been transformed into a meandering botanical garden - Mudan Pavilion. This area sat directly across the street from the girls’ rock concert (a street jam packed with tour buses and other chaos); what I could hear of the Chinese rock ‘n’ roll couldn’t tempt me away from this garden paradise.



I roamed over quaint stone bridges and around twisting creeks. Fishing boats bearing romantic couples entered this secluded South Lake hideaway by passing under Su Causeway bridges. Viewed behind willow leaves and over lilies, this was a postcard view. Per the ancient poets, the best view around here - among the famed Ten Scenes of West Lake - are the giant carp fish in Flower Pond. They were alright.



From here I returned to Su Causeway and followed its longest stretch north directly across the lake’s center. This was a lengthy trek, often with some great views to discover on the shoreline paths. The wider road in the center was quicker but also lousy with crowds. Plus you would have to dive away from an oncoming tram every minute. So I mostly stuck to the edges, sitting on occasion to relax and soak in the atmosphere.

 

[D Hulk]

The northern shores possess their own little paradises to discover. I found these by leaving the causeway early along a lovely pagoda-style covered bridge. Paused briefly near here to eat squid-on-a-stick, which is what amounted to my paltry lunch for the day.

Further in I found lotus gardens, feng shui courtyards, and delightful twisting stone footbridges.



At last teaching the true northern shore, again I found an area cluttered with tour buses and all the shrieking insanity they bring. Chintzy streets of curios led inland to a genuine attraction - what these tours were here for - Yue Fei’s Tomb. Again I chose not to detour into this upcharge attraction; the entry gates were plenty spectacular, but a Google Image search confirmed there wasn’t much really beyond them.



I briefly consulted with a ticket vendor nearby, interested in the evening nighttime spectacular Impression West Lake. Okay, it was already sold out. And here, five miles by foot from the hostel and hours away from showtime and with public bus systems a total mystery, returning to this spot later after nightfall would have been a ridiculous headache.



It might have been worthwhile, though, because the show looks astounding. To be controversial, it looks better than most of Disney’s water-borne nighttime spectaculars. This one was created by Zhang Yimou, director of Hero and the Beijing Olympics opening ceremonies, created as a one-off for a G4 Summit in 2015. It became a regularly nightly event instead, it was so good, still drawing a huge audience. And it looks hands down gorgeous with its traditional Chinese acrobat dancers on a stage hidden a mere inch under the lake’s surface, complimented by tasteful colored lights and music.

A free nighttime spectacular awaited me and the other groundlings back in the northeast corner where I began...



I pressed on in that direction along the northern shores, detouring from the hillside route to journey along Zhongshan Park island. The start of a sunset was beginning to form to the west behind my back, made more glorious by that same nasty haze which had somewhat marred the lake views so far. Growing increasingly tired, and overwhelmed by the ever-tighter crowds, I often paused to admire the horizon. The lake reflection particularly added to the splendor.

 

[D Hulk]

Up and over arched stone bridges, across more causeways, the following miles made few new impressions on me. West Lake remained a scenic wonderland, crowds or no, but with my energy levels dying off so long into the trip I was more focused on the moment-to-moment footsteps than anything else.



Increasingly the crowds thickened as the shores reached the boutique brand part of town. (Without fail I found this area in every major city on the trip!)

Finally the crowds went from a mere “Black Friday shopping mall” to critical mass at “Disneyland before Fantasmic.” Folks were just sitting around. Hmm, I thought, this must be where the free nighttime spectacular occurs. I turned on my VPN and checked Google. This was correct, and the show was starting in an hour. I sat down on a fence.



I cannot recall the show’s name, and frankly it doesn’t deserve that honor. I’d anticipated a colored fountain musical extravaganza somewhat akin to World of Color - indeed the infrastructure and the setting are capable of such a feat. In reality the show was just short and underwhelming. Three songs total - that British march which opens Monty Python’s Flying Circus, a C-Pop tune, and Whitney Houston from The Bodyguard (how are we still not over that song yet?!). My view of the fountains, seen mostly through other people’s smartphone screens, was sufficient to show how “meh” it all was.



Oh well, the overall day was tiring and absolutely worthwhile nonetheless. I simply trudged along the final mile or two after the “spectacular” back towards the hostel. I grabbed a local-style chicken dinner at a no-frills corner diner, and really I was tired enough that I just needed the protein quickly. I fell asleep almost instantly once reaching the hostel, and not even the blue neon flashing sign directly outside my window could keep me up.

Have I made a mistake? The following day would be the big Mid-Autumn Harvest Festival itself, and I was traveling to a whole new major city (Suzhou) for more go go go sightseeing. Let’s see how I held up then...

 

[D Hulk]

I visited Hangzhou and West Lake on a Sunday. I reached Shanghai Disneyland, the final stop on this ambitious Chinese trip, on Tuesday afternoon.



The time in between I spent visiting the city of Suzhou on the outskirts of Shanghai. This was once an ancient water town somewhat like Hongcun, though now it has modernized into the region’s version of Bevery Hills (plus an unfortunate inescapable sewer smell). Despite this, Suzhou remains the densest collection of ancient UNESCO-recognized gardens in China, which was my reason for visiting.



At this point in the recap I grow weary of writing out lengthy detailed play-by-plays. There’s certainly lots I could say to flesh out my time in Suzhou, but here at the recap’s end I’d rather be brief. I toured a number of recognized historic garden areas - Humble Administrator’s Garden (above), the Pan Men Scenic Area, the Stone Lion Forest, plus the modernist Suzhou Museum. I explored the ritzy shopping area near the 4-star hotel which I somehow accidentally booked months in advance and then forgot about (thought I’d be getting another hostel, but I guess $90 goes a long way in China).


Pan Men Scenic Area

Between fatigue from the trip’s overall pace, plus the difficulty of solo navigating, I accomplished less in Suzhou than elsewhere. Would’ve enjoyed a side trip to the Tongli Water Town, but it sat two hours away by metro. Plus the holiday crowds - Monday was the ludicrously busy Mid-Autumn Harvest Festival - meant touring took longer. As it was, I’d already extended my Suzhou time expecting festival delays, which proved wise.


Stone Lion Forest

I’ll round out this recap simply by sharing more worthwhile photos, first of Suzhou and then a few more of Shanghai Disneyland. I hope all readers who remain have enjoyed exploring China with me! I had an exceptional time!


Suzhou Museum

 

[D Hulk]

 

[D Hulk]

 

[D Hulk]