Sunday, October 10, 2010

China (Suzhou, Jiangsu) Sept 2010 D-7

Map of Suzhou, Jiangsu, China

Hostel: Mingtown Suzhou International Youth Hostel - CNY70 double bed per person (1 night)
Train: Yanzhou>Suzhou - CNY99 (hard seat)
Food & groceries: CNY43
Bus & taxi: CNY22
Entrance fee: CNY160
Total expenses incurred: CNY394

From Qufu, our group took a taxi (CNY20) to Yangzhou in order to board a train to Suzhou. We arrived Suzhou in the late afternoon and checked into our hostel.

The classical Suzhou Gardens are gazette as UNESCO sites hence the reason for me to pay a visit to this city.

1) Shi Zi Lin (Forest of Lions Garden), Suzhou, Jiangsu - founded in 1336 by a Buddhist monk and later owned by relatives of a renowned American architect. This garden has 4 small lakes, a multitude of buildings and rocks resembled to that of lions


2) Zhuozheng Yuan (Humble Administration's Garden), Suzhou, Jiangsu - dating back to the 15th century, this garden is Suzhou's best, second only to the Garden of the Master of the Nest. Streams, ponds, bridges and islands of bamboo dominate the 5 hectares garden


3) Liu Yuan (Lingering Garden), Suzhou, Jiangsu - dating back to the Ming dynasty, this garden is one of the largest in Suzhou.


4) Hanshan Si (Cold Mountain Temple), Suzhou, Jiangsu - named after the poet-monk Han Shan. The temple was burned down a few times and rebuilt. An old trading site for silk, wood and grain. 


" Suzhou, Jiangsu is well known for its classical gardens, silk and beautiful women. Suzhou's gardens are looked upon as works of art - a fusion of nature, poetry and painting for mankind to appreciate and admire

The Secrets of Life : To achieve success, you need to obsess "

China (Shanghai) Sept 2010 D-8

Map of Shanghai, China

Hostel: City Central International Hostel - CNY90 dorm (2 nights)
Train: Suzhou>Shanghai - CNY41 (bullet train); Starting Oct 2010, you can take a bullet train from Shanghai > Hangzhou (45mins), a 2nd class ticket costs CNY82
Bus + Metro: CNY68
Food & groceries: CNY139
Entrance fee: CNY100 (Shanghai Expo)
Sundries: CNY39 (shoe)
Total expenses incurred: CNY567


Suzhou & Shanghai are well connected by a high speed train network. Fast & efficient ! I came to Shanghai to see the Expo, Old Shanghai and also to re-visit The Bund & Nanking Lu. My last visit to Shanghai was in 2002 with my family and in-laws. I really enjoyed my time at the Bund, doing window shopping, catching a glimpse of Shanghai by night and enjoyed a dinner with my brother at a restaurant in the Nanjing Lu. To be precise, the time was 8.35 pm, Wednesday Sept 8 2010 when I took a picture of a large clock hanging at a pedestrian mall in Nanjing Lu .

1) Nanjing Road, Shanghai by night


2) Shanghai Bund - a must visit !


3) Shanghai Old Street


4) Shanghai Expo 2010 (Better City Better Life) - colorful flags from 189 participating countries flying high at the Expo (admission ticket CNY160 - senior citizen paid CNY100). The Expo was opened to public on May 1 and closed on Oct 31 2010. So far a total of 70mil people had visited the Expo. After entering the Expo, my nightmare began. Queuing ! More queuing !! Long queues were the order of the day at most of the big country pavilions eg China, USA, Britain, France, Germany etc !


China & Japan Pavilion - virtually impossible to enter the China Pavilion as queuing time took 3-4 hrs, you may have to spend two solid days if you want to see all the major pavilions at the Expo


Pakistan & Sri Lanka Pavilion



Europe & Germany Pavilion



Britain & France Pavilion - The Brit, German & French Pavilions were over crowded so you need to be very patient spending 2-3 hours under the hot scotching sun to queue up. The British Pavilion looks like a porcupine with long sharp quills - do you dare to enter ?


Spain & Italy Pavilion - the Spanish Pavilion looks like our kampong (village) attap house


Bulgaria & Romania Pavilion


Denmark & Netherlands Pavilion - the Little Mermaid was proudly on display at the Danish Pavilion. I "chased" after this iconic figure from Copenhagen (the Mermaid was not in Copenhagen when I visited the city in May 2010) to Shanghai to pose a picture - having travelled half way round the globe !


Turkey & Poland Pavilion


Hungary & Greece Pavilion



Belgium & Sweden Pavilion



Slovenia & Slovakia Pavilion



Lithuania & Estonia Pavilion



Bosnia & Croatia Pavilion




Latvia & Serbia Pavilion


Canada & USA Pavilion


Russia & Belarus Pavilion



Iceland & Ukraine Pavilion



Egypt & South Africa Pavilion




Angola, Nigeria & Tunisia Pavilion


Libya & Peru Pavilion



Brazil & Argentina Pavilion



Cuba & Chile Pavilion



Central & South America & Venezuela Pavilion


Brunei & Singapore Pavilion
- The Singapore Pavilion looks like a flying saucer
 

Philippines & Indonesia Pavilion



Cambodia & Thailand Pavilion



Malaysia Pavilion - Built at a cost of RM20mil and another RM15mil for its maintenance and operating cost; Minangkerbau design, 1 Malaysia logo, The World Tallest Petronas Twin Tower, Promoting Malacca & George Town as UNESCO Heritage sites, Kelantan kites, Nyonya & Baba, National Art Gallery & Batek, Tackle Climate Change, Moon Cake Tasting, Traditional Handicraft Demos, The Joget Dance, since May 1 2010 - the Pavilion had received 6mil visitors; Malaysia Boleh - lah !!!