Eastern China

Eastern China 华东 27 Jan – 2 Feb 2006

What is it like joining a Hong Kong tour group to China two provinces & one city in 7 days during Chinese New Year? While mainland tour guide speaks excellent Cantonese, my mind races to and fro between Cantonese & Mandarin trying to decipher name of historical persons, places or events etc. Most shops are closed, streets are fairly quiet except for tourist attractions and we are treated to beautiful fireworks nightly. Overall, it’s an enjoyable but tiring sightseeing, history lesson, dining and shopping spree.

1. Nanjing 南京 (Jiangsu Province 江苏省) also known as Jiling金陵, Jiangning江宁 in olden days, encountered many sad events in history but has produced strong minded people. In 1368, commoner/poor peasant turned Emperor Zhu Yuan Zhang 朱元璋 (also known as 明太祖, 洪武) established Ming Dynasty明朝here (named Ying Tian Fu应天府). After his death, his son stole the kingdom from his grandson and moved the capital to Beijing 北京. In 1842, the Opium War ended with an unequal treaty signed here where the Qing Dynasty ceded Hong Kong Island to Britain for 150years. In 1851, Taiping Heavenly Kingdom’s 太平天国 founder Hong Xiu Quan 洪秀全 led a 14 years peasant uprising in the name of Christianity here (named Tianjing天京). In 1937, Nanjing was raped by Japanese in which 300,000 people were killed.

Today, the Ming Palace is completely ruined but parts of the Ming City Wall (台城) remain. The wall spanning 33km is the longest city wall in the world. Emperor Zhu’s tomb 明孝陵 remains unopened.

Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge 南京长江大桥, the pride of the Mainland Chinese, was officially opened in Dec 1968. The 4.5km double deck (car/rail) bridge was designed, built and funded entirely by the Chinese people after the Russian pulled out from the initial co-operation.

Qinhuai River 秦淮河, a river intercepted by Emperor Qinshihuang 秦始皇to reduce its might. It also tells the legend of 8 beauties who lived along the river. Today, the river bustles with shops & restaurants for tourists.

2. Wuxi 无锡 (Jiangsu Province江苏省), a small town which runs out of metal but boosts one of China’s largest fresh water lake Taihu 太湖. Xihui Garden 锡惠公园, a beautiful Ming style garden which ‘borrows’ a pagoda faraway to enhance its beauty & sense of vastness. There is also China’s second best spring water well.

3. Suzhou 苏州 (Jiangsu Province 江苏省) Venice of the East, is a beautiful town with low rise whitewash houses, cobbled streets, tree-lined avenues along the canal. Suzhou is also well known for its exquisite silk & silk embroidery – the amazing artwork of beautiful embroidered pictures on both side of a single silk cloth. Couple’s Garden 藕园 - a private house with a big garden. A Tang poet 张继wrote a poem about the 1500 years old Hanshan Temple 寒山寺 - <枫桥夜泊> 月落鸟啼霜满天, 江枫渔火对愁眠, 姑苏城外寒山寺, 夜半锺声到客船.
4. Wuzhen乌镇 (Zhejiang Province 浙江省) named after a Tang Dynasty official, is a small town with shops, restaurants built around a canal. You could find a distillery and cloth printing (blue floral print) factory.

5. Hangzhou杭州 (Zhejiang Province 浙江省)’s symbolic West Lake 西湖 is not as big and as beautiful (paradise on earth) as I imagine it to be. However, eatery by the lake 西湖新天地 has a beautiful, cozy ambience. We strolled along Changqiao Garden 长桥公园 which overlooks Pagoda 雷峰塔 at West Lake. Hu Xueyan (an imperial official cum businessman)’s residence 胡雪严故居 is spacious and has beautiful wall carvings.

In Hangzhou, we’d a Lunar New Year celebration dinner together with 200 other Hong Kong tourists from the same travel agency. Apparently China Travel Service is the largest and most reputable agency.

Song Dynasty Theme Park 宋城 temple fair (carnival during Lunar New Year) has many interesting displays of trade during the olden days. A musical show that traces China history & legendary story is captivating – amazing acrobatic skill, beautiful costume, fantastic sound effect, moving / rising stage, laser light and artificial waterfall.

6. Shanghai City上海市 - A cruise along Huangpu River 黄埔江 gives you a magnificent view of the beautiful buildings at 外滩The Bund (Paris of the East). Look out for the tall space ship look-a-like Oriental Pearl Tower 东方明珠塔, tall sword like Jinmao Building 金茂大厦, grand old lady Peace Hotel 和平饭店. Have a drink at the popular watering hole Xintiandi 新天地. Visit Song Qingling宋庆玲’s residence (wife of China’s founding father Sun Yatsen 孙中山), walk around the beautiful landscaped Yu Garden 豫园.

This trip is also an interesting dining experience: Nanjing salted duck 壏水鸭, Nanjing duck blood vermicelli 鸭血粉丝, Wuxi sweet & sour sparerib无锡排骨, Suzhou pine seed sweet & sour fish 松鼠桂花鱼, Taihu hairy crab太湖大闸蟹, Hangzhou braised pork (东波肉), Hangzhou Guihua Cake桂花糕, Shanghai dumpling 小龙包.

We shop for snacks & little gifts at Wuxi street 观前街, Hangzhou street清河坊古街, Shanghai street南京街, Shanghai temple 城隍庙. We pack our baggage with Wuxi sand tea ware 紫砂茶具, Wuxi fresh water pearl, Suzhou silk blanket & silk embroidery, Hangzhou West Lake Longjing tea 西湖龙井茶, Hangzhou Chrysanthemum 胎菊, Shanghai pi-xiu貔貅 (also known as 辟邪, a legendary animal that could ward off evil and brings good luck. It has a dragon head, horse body, lion claw, deer horn, long beard and a pair of wings.)

On the last day, we rode 8mins on the Shanghai Maglev (Magnetic levitation) 磁浮Train (look pretty much like bullet train) to Shanghai Pudong 蒲东 Airport which is 30km away. Everyone went home happily packed with well whet stomach (and additional body weight!), sound China history, abundant souvenirs and perhaps with a smaller wallet.


Yangtze Delta 长江三角洲 - Suzhou 苏州, Hangzhou杭州, Shanghai City上海市
Paradise on earth - Suzhou 苏州, Hangzhou杭州, 上有天堂, 下有苏杭