Zhou Enlai

Statue of Zhou Enlai

The city of Shaoxing celebrates many famous people, and one is the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, Zhou Enlai. He was born in Zhejiang province in 1898, and his ancestral home is in Shaoxing, although I don't think from what I have read that he ever lived there.

I had walked through the street in which the museum and other buildings celebrating his life were, but I had not been in, until the last few weeks of my stay in Shaoxing. One reason was that there was little English to be seen and I had hoped to get a student to go with me, but it was not to be.

In my effort to see all the places on my "to see list", I made a point of going one afternoon all on my own. It certainly was a fascinating place but as usual I was frustrated by the lack of English.

My Tourist card worked again, so it was FREE for me to visit. There are buildings on both sides of the road, and there were few people there. I wandered - reading as much as I could as there was some English, but great things to see.

I never cease to be amazed at the way the buildings fit into one another with beautiful gardens between them. I can't tell much about the photos - but certainly fascinating. Several halls had many photos of Zhou Enlai's family, and others contained photos of him during his political career. One room was like a mausaleum complete with moving music but the reality is there is no body here. He was buried elsewhere.

As usual there were little stalls throughout the buildings and at one I found a lovely book with amazing photos of Shaoxing. It was called "Ancient Bridges and Houses in Waterside Shaoxing" and I was impressed that the photos had English captions, and there was one chapter all in English. It was for sale for 35 RMB. The book that was on display was slightly damaged - it was the copy that obviously many people had already leafed through and there were dirty marks and fingerprints on it. I wanted a new copy. Unblemished.

My Chinese language skills did nothing to convince the two people on the stall that I was happy to purchase - a CLEAN COPY! In the end I left empty handed, and a little annoyed. I looked for the book in other places but it was not until I was inside Lu Xun's Native place some days later that I saw the book again and was able to get my very own clean copy.

Again I enjoyed looking at the wonderful buildings, rooms, furniture, and gardens of the tourist spot. Amazing things.

Zhou Enlai was Premier from 1st October 1949 until his death in 1976, and is hailed as one of the key people in the success of the Communist Party during this time.

Adventure on my own

My companion for the two days in Hangzhou was a fellow teacher from Australia - and despite a lot of differences we got on well. She was a nurse, I had been a nurse, she was from Tasmania and I was from the mainland, she liked to smoke, I hate smoking - and so it went. She also liked to stay up late at night, while I liked an early night, and she enjoyed sleeping in while I was an "early bird", so the next morning I was up early, dressed and headed out for breakfast at Starbucks. (Not that I am a great fan of Starbucks, but the food is pretty good and it was close by!)

The lake was a wonderful picture as you can see from the photos. Around the lake in the parks are often groups of people doing their morning exercise. This is a common sight all around China, and even if they do not go out into the parks, people do their daily exercises religiously. It is important for "good health."

I sat and enjoyed my breakfast before setting off to Hefung St. The tourist books said this opened at 8 am - but perhaps that is summer. In any case I set of along Yan'an Road enjoying the new scenery.

At one stage a man came "flying" towards me on roller blades and said "hello". I replied "hello" and he said "Great, you speak English." These sort of conversations are common - not all light skinned foreigners are English speakers! He was asking for direction. Now, of course, I'd not be the best person to ask directions would I? I mean, I'm not a local. But where did he want to go?

Starbucks! How funny! As I had not long ago walked out the door, I certainly knew where it was, and I laughed as I told him the directions! Funny world, isn't it?

When I reached Hefung Street it was mostly deserted, but some of the stalls and shops were beginning to open. I had come specifically for the music one, but it didn't open in the time I was there.

However, it was great to wander around without crowds milling around and I wandered the whole length of this historic street taking photos and looking in the shops.

I met a calligrapher and he showed me some of his work and I was delighted to buy a little piece, and then I bought a magic trick for my grandson, before I headed back to Wushen Square and caught a taxi back to Starbucks where my fellow traveller was enjoying her breakfast.

We went back to the hotel and grabbed our bags, checked out (and yes, ) we did get the balance of the "deposit" back. However, we did think it was very funny. "Wait a moment" the receptionist said - and the young man who was also working on the counter went up to check. Perhaps he counted the condoms, perhaps the towels, but he soon appeared and we saw his "thumbs up" from the staircase and the money was duly handed over to us.

We found a taxi and headed for the East bus station and got our tickets - and only had to wait 10 minutes for the bus to Shaoxing.

We were back by early afternoon after an uneventful bus journey. Time to finish off preparing for our departure from Shaoxing back to Australia.

New Year's Eve Celebrations (1)

A group of foreign teachers celebrated the new year at the Banana Leaf Thai Restuarant in Shaoxing. Some of us go their quite often and are known to the staff and the music group who hail from the Philipines. Just in case that when you watch this you think the folk in cooks' attire are from the kitchen - the truth is they are the music group who have a great sense of fun.

Snow

This morning it is cold - and it snowed for the first time. Not a lot as you can see - and I didn't see it fall, but it is there none the less. The temperature gauge says -2, but there is a wind blowing so outside it feels a lot colder than that.

I don't know if we will have any more snow forecast - but hopefully we will see a little more of it.



There is a little snow on the car which was parked there overnight. Actually the guy that drives that car is currently in Victoria, Australia. My apartment is directly behind the snow covered car. Ground floor (or first floor as it is known here) - I'm told it is warmer than the floors above.

The Wedding

It is apparently a lucky time to get married here in China. When walking early yesterday morning around 8.30 am I was rather surprised to see weddings underway.

Later on in the day I was in Shengli Lu (Shengli Road) in Shaoxing and was in time to see a bride and her new husband leave a building and with all the excitement, walk to her car. I quickly got my camera going. There is always a brass band of 5 or 6 people in red outfits, including drums that play a rather boring tune.

Rather than walking on a red carpet there were men scurrying around making sure the bride stepped on the hessian bags - I don't know the significance of this. (Couldn't afford the red carpet perhaps?)

As the party emerged from the building these "poles" were activated spraying the wedding party with thousands of sparkling bits of paper.

It is only a very short clip as I "lost" the couple in the crowded street.

Just start the video. Click on it and enjoy.

Reflections on water

Every time I go on one of the buses from "the big bus station" or the long distance bus station (same place!), I see wonderful scenery along the river. It is not possible to take photos from the window, so I decided to go to the long distance bus station and walk along the river to take photos.

The river is quite wide here and for quite some distance is parallel to the river. I had talked of riding my bicycle along the river, but it would be an all day ride just from the university. I would like to spend more time along the river, but today's effort will have to suffice.

For a start I had the challenge of getting across the highway. It was around 8.30 am, so the roads are pretty busy here at that time, and there was no space provided for pedestrians, so I had to wait for breaks in traffic to get accross. One thing I hadn't bargained on is dogs - guard dogs near a fishing hut. Happily after they'd nearly scared the life out of me, I realised that they were tied up, but I still scurried on!

I walked for some distance along the pathways and into some rather neglected public gardens, but managed some fabulous photos.

At one stage I found some men in some boats (sampans we might call them) and they called out to me. They saw me taking photos and posed for a photo, which will be in the next post. We laugh because most Chinse young people do the "V" for victory sign with their fingers when having a photo taken, and so did these men!

There are fish farms in the river, as well as pearl farms - as this area is a big pearl growing area.

Photos - approaching Shanghai by rail from Shaoxing

Just a few of the photos I took from the window of the train.

To Shanghai

Rice fields after harvest.

I was so proud of myself venturing from Shaoxing to Shanghai on my own. I managed to buy the tickets on my own at Shaoxing Train Station - easy really as quite surprisingly there was an English speaker behind the window in the Ticket Office!

After completing class on Friday last, I went to my apartment, collected my already packed luggage (backpack) and set off on foot to the bus stop at the West Gate. When I arrived there were many students and I reasoned that I would struggle to manage my backpack in the packed bus, so I hailed a taxi instead.

At the station in the waiting hall, several Yuexiu students were there and I chatted with them while we waited for the train. In China one waits in a very busy waiting hall - and about five minutes before the train is due to arrive at the platform, we file through the now open gate, have our tickets checked and then line up where we think the carriage will stop. Each ticket has the carriage number, and if you have paid for a seat, the seat number.

Usually, despite the orderly way everyone queues to get into their carriage, the train usually arrives and one discovers that the carriage they must enter is further along the platform, so there is a mad scramble!

On the train there was a lady asleep in my seat - the train had come from Ningbo, so she reasoned that for some of the trip anyway she would sit in someone else's seat. She did not pay for a seat. I woke her, and she got up and moved when I showed her my ticket. There were other students on the train too, and we chatted until they got off.

The activities on the train are always amusing. People wandering up and down the aisle, railway staff back and forth selling food and drinks, and hot water for the tea. Most Chinese people carry a small container of tea of some sort, and the boiling water top up is most popular. Mobile phones going off all the time, loud conversations between travellers, loud music.

I had my MP3 player going, and I was reading and enjoying the views from the train window as we passed through villages, cities, farmland, and fish farms. The scenery is ever changing. It is harvest time in the rice fields, and many of them are laid bare and the workers are burning the stubble left on the fields. In front of many of the houses you can see the rice laid out on the ground - sometimes just on the cement and other times on bamboo mats or in flat cane baskets. The rice must be continually turned over so that it all dries out properly.

Beside the houses are bags of rice. This drying of the rice continues for several weeks and someone is always "on duty" to continually rake the rice to keep the air circulating around it.

In the fields there are many green vegetables growing - it is quite a sight - neat rows of vegetables as far as the eye can see. In some places new plastic domes (or hot houses as we would call them) are being erected to protect the plants from the cold. It is down to 1 and 2 degrees at the moment and will get colder, and maybe even snow.

The scenery is ever changing. In the nearly three hour trip between Shaoxing and Shanghai the train only makes a few stops - Hangzhou and Haining. The landscape is every changing though - there are so many rivers, streams, canals, farms, cities, parks, factories, housing estates, villages, fields. So hard to describe it all - even such a short trip really.

I would love to take more photos - but taking photos through the window of a fast moving train does not guarantee success, but I managed a few!

When the train arrived at Shanghai there was a mad scramble as everyone tries to be the first off the train. It will never be me! People with all sorts of luggage from plastic sheets tied up holding all the precious "cargo", suitcases, backpacks, computer bags, shopping bags, and the ever popular red, white and blue carry bag that even we in Australia are familiar with!

Shanghai Station Sth is very modern, and it is easy to get off the train, up the escalator and in my case along the walkway to the underground railway (subway). I had to catch a train on Line 1, for two stations,get off and get the subway on line 4 to my destination. Managed it with one small hiccup, but arrived safely.

My host was at the station to meet me and we wandered back to her apartment. Now I had been there just 2 months before, but the landscape had changed dramatically. Soem buildings had been completely demolished, and were being replaced by modern housing. In her own apartment block it was surrounded by bamboo scaffolding, as the apartment was being refurbished.

It was quite cold and good to get inside. We chatted for ages before enjoying a good meal which included tender pork pieces with a special port seasoning, steamed carrot, broccoli, and boiled potatoes. And some good Australian red wine!

Day two in Hangzhou

Spot Versace????

As we woke after a good sleep we could hear the rain, so we had to decide what to do. We had bought "breakfast" the night before at a little shop - coffee, buns, jellied fruit etc. We had little joy learning about the facilities at the hotel, but we learned on booking out that their breakfast was good. We watched others eating it - wishing we had known about it before hand.

We had decided to go to the Silk Museum which is one of the many attractions around the West Lake and not far from our hotel. It was still raining and while on our way to the museum in the taxi, and noting the absolute chaos of the traffic with huge tour buses, taxis etc in the pouring ran, we decided to go straight into the shopping area near the lake. We didn't want to lug our backpacks around the museum which would have been crowded, so opted for the alternative. We decided we would go back to Hangzhou, but plan our tourist activities during the week when it was quieter.

We had found a good shop on the Saturday, so did a little Xmas shopping there, before finding an Italian coffee shop. Oddly enough it had a great array of stunning cakes in its menu, but had none. (Must have been a busy day on Saturday) so we had to settle for coffee, which was served in wonderful tea cups - just as if we were at a tea party in Oz.

So back to the lake and we walked in the opposite direction this time. Past the designer label shops. You should be able to see them in the photograph.

Now "third world" this country is not! I've never seen so many of the top expensive label shops anywhere and there seem to be on every street corner here! Not far from here was the Ferrari sow room and the Rolls Royce Show room!

Just along from these shops was the Hangzhou Hilton! We had coffee there later, and we nearly fell over when we saw the bill!!!

We have decided to try and get to Hangzhou during the week - even if we have to wait until after the college exams in January. It really is a fabulous wonderful place. Cleaner than Shaoxing, and less chaotic traffic too. The tree lined streets could well be out of any place in the world! It is beautiful!

We left the Hilton in all its luxury and caught a taxi, hailed by the concierge, to go to the bus station, where we had to walk the last few hundred meters as the traffic is so chaotic that the taxis can't get close. We got our tickets and had a safe trip back to Shaoxing.

The setting

I have spent little time on the sports ground, but this morning for the opening of the Sports Meeting we were reminded of the wonderful setting for the college. It is close to the centre of the city of Shaoxing, but there is a range of mountains that start right across the road from the college, so that the scenery is not high rise buildings and factories but rows of mountains. Spectacular really. However, the smoggy atmosphere dulls it somewhat.

Return to China

Shaoxing Boat in canal near city square

Old part of Shaoxing

As usual I literally ran out of time! We all say the same. We try to pack so much into our lives and with a deadline (like a departure date!) it is a struggle doing all that one wants to do. I have not kept up the blog - so much I was going to do, but here I am back in China.

I left Brisbane at 11.45 pm on August 31st en route to Shanghai, with a short stopover in Singapore. My plane landed on time at Pudong/Shanghai International Airport at 1.30 pm. I had my luggage by around 2 pm and had to find KFC where I was to be met - but not until 4 pm. I found two KFC's - rather close to each other but I wondered which one I was supposed to be at. I bought a chicken burger at one and ate it, before discovering the second one, and I had just purchased an icecream and sat down when I saw some familiar faces.

The welcoming party from the College arrived. (Great, I was at the right KFC!) There were a couple of new teachers from France, and eventually another two from Scotland, and one from Korea. But it was around 5.30 pm (China time) that we left Shanghai for the hairraising trip to Shaoxing.

Along the way we stopped for a quick meal - snacks on small plates. Would have probably tasted better if they were hot!

Back on the bus to continue the trip. By now it was dark - which was probably good not to see the traffic that the bus weaving in an out. We arrived safely at some time, and quickly got my luggage into the apartment. On the first floor. (In Australia we'd call it the ground floor.)

I found some food. (Thanks Audrey) I unpacked some necessities. Made the bed, and fell in and was soon sound asleep.


It has been a couple of "lazy" days. Unpacking. Getting the apartment in order. Meeting the other teachers. A welcome meeting. Getting information about our teaching programs.

And the supermarket. The French couple and I walked up to Tesco in the evening - loaded our trolleys and returned to the college late. Still more things to get.

On Wednesday the three of us went into Shaoxing, for a look around. Strange how much has changed in two months! Of course most was familiar. We went for a walk around a park above the city square - where the photos were taken. It is a huge area, and I had not explored all the park before. Even now I know there is more to see, and I look forward to going for a ride around the canals on one of the Shaoxing boats to see more.

There are more teachers due to arrive in the next couple of days, and the students come in over the weekend so we may as well enjoy the wonderful peace while it lasts. There is barely a sound on the campus. Beautiful.

Last Day

My adventure in China is coming to an end. Today I leave for Shanghai - where my husband now is. He arrived in China yesterday, and shortly I'll stagger to the West Gate of the college, with my suitcase, two computers, a gift from a student, and me! (OK, it is hot as ..... and I will have my new leather coat, which I might just have to wear as I have no free hands. So it is farewell to Shaoxing.

I will get the bus to Shanghai from Shaoxing, in an hour or so. I don't have a ticket, but that's OK.

It is with sadness that I leave. Maybe I will be back. I have been asked to return in September, so have some negotiation to do with MM and the rest of the family.

Maybe.

I still have many stories and photos to post, and will keep the blog going until it exhausts me. Thanks for reading.

The Olympic Flame comes to Shaoxing

It is hard to tell, but the torch bearer with torch aflame is in the middle of the throng.

Me with one of the torch bearers (with police guard) behind me.

Students from the college arrive en masse to be at the ceremony.

On Saturday May 17^th, the Olympic Flame came to Shaoxing China, and I was able to witness part of the relay at very close quarters.

I had chosen that day to visit the resort at the Kauiji Mountain adjacent to the college at which I teach. Actually I look out of the window of my apartment to the mountain, which is so close to the college, with the huge statue of Da Yu (Emperor Yu). We knew the Torch Relay was to pass through the park, and it was our original intention to visit the park in the morning and then be at the college gate at 4.20 pm to see one of the foreign teacher’s run.

However, our plans changed when we realized that we could be very close to the Torch Relay if we stayed in the park, so we found a place to sit, and waited out the time. Then we walked the short distance to the main driveway and waited. Many others were to come too, but in the end, it was much less crowded than anywhere else. In fact I received text messages from other friends, who were overwhelmed by the crowds along the city route. We were so pleased we had chosen to stay.

We saw all the official coaches, cars and other vehicles arrive, including the bus of the torch bearers. We were continually pushed back by Police, but all was friendly and cooperative.

We could hear music and drums from the area of the official ceremony, and heard the fireworks as it all started, and the cloud of coloured smoke that rose above the lake. Then within minutes there was a roar as people shouting “Go China” in Chinese, swarmed along the driveway flanking the torch bearer.

It was quick, but I had a good view despite the crowds and was able to get a photo or two.

It was all over in minutes, and then we joined the throng following the torch and trying to exit the park. Thousands and thousands of Chinese people, so excited, massed along the driveway to the exit, and then tried to find their way home. It was orderly chaos, and fortunately we had only a short way to go.

I shall always remember this time that I attend the historical event – the 2008 Beijing Olympic Torch and its visit to Shaoxing.

(As it turns out the foreign teacher did not run as planned, at the spot where all our friends waited - due to crowd control problems he was to run a shorter route, but some distance from the place they waited.)

Shaoxing - Venice of the East

One of the bridges, brightly lit.

Scenery beside the canal.

On Tuesday night - on somewhat of a whim, we did what we have been talking about for some time and took a boat ride around the canals of Shaoxing. Shaoxing has a reputation as a water city, or canal city and it is often called the Venice of the East. I've read that there could be some 5000 bridges - and it wouldn't surprise me as they are everywhere.

The boats leave from a canal which is a fairly short walk from the college - and five us wandered around there and were the first to be seated on the boat which is a pretty ordinary looking craft, different to many in this country.

It was decorated with red lanterns, and on the flat deck were white plastic tables and chairs, and on each table one or two trays complete with teapot, and small cups. Our tour guide put boiling water in the pot, and a tea bag and we were soon sipping lovely China tea.

The tour took over an hour through most interesting places. We would love to see the scenery in day time, but our boat only did night tours, so we will have to find another craft to take us during daylight hours.

It was such a pretty ride - many of the bridges had brilliantly coloured lights, and along the canals, buildings were lit up either by rows of red lights and lanterns, or by garish bright neon lights that screamed their message - in Chinese of course.

Wonderful willows hung over the side of the canals, and we could see into buildings and roadways close by. Fishermen were casting huge nets on bamboo poles, people were walking along the many paths, and as we see often in parks, people were walking backwards. It is supposed to kep the brain more active.

Under some bridges there were groups of men and women ball room dancing, or at one, they were line dancing and another there was Tai Chi. The parks get a wonderful workout here in China, and I don't think it is just that they have small gardens. Some of the apartment blocks have huge wonderful gardens, but the locals just enjoy the night time scenery and meeting their friends, and getting exercise in these fabulous parks.

The boat slowly put-putted along, through some parts that we recognised as it skirted the city, and then went close to large shopping centres we knew, and near the railway station at Shaoxing.

There are many more canals and it was intriguing casting our eyes along little narrow old canals, and along wide ones that disappeared into the darkness. It was such a wonderful and spectacular sight that we are setting off to do the trip tonight - just two nights later.

You can check out a bit more about Shaoxing - especially if you are going to visit!

Map showing Shaoxing

View Larger Map

This map will show you where Shaoxing is. We flew into Shanghai, which is to the right of the map, and drive through outskirts of the the city of Hangzhou, down to Shaoxing. It was good quality road/freeway all the way.

Many of the students come from Ningbo - apparently famous for seafood. One day I will visit there, I am sure.