A Day in "The Future of China"

View from our 15th floor room at the Renaissance Shanghai Hotel

2 B's in the hotel lobby!

Today we had the privilege of spending the day in Shanghai. As I mentioned yesterday, Shanghai is referred to as "The Future of China", and after spending some time here, it is easy to understand why. We all agree that out of the cities we've visited so far in China, Shanghai is our favorite.

We started our morning with breakfast at the McDonalds just around the corner from our hotel. There, Brittany spoke her first Mandarin words to someone Chinese by asking them for "three waters". The guy at the register looked like he was only expecting English from her, but the girl behind him understood and rushed to the refrigerator to get us some water. Great job, Brittany!

After breakfast, we met our guide who took us to the Oriental Pearl Tower (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_Pearl_Tower). The Oriental Pearl Tower stands 1535 feet high on the bank of the Huangpu River. It is the highest TV Tower in Asia and is the third highest one in the world. Most interesting to us was the fact that the Tower is only 12 years old, yet it is the oldest structure in what is considered "New Shanghai", or "Pudong" - East River. All the buildings standing around and behind the Oriental Pearl Tower are less than 12 years old. We were told that Shanghai is the second wealthiest city in China, and that this "Pudong" section is the wealthiest in Shanghai. This part of Shanghai looked more like a big American city than any other city we've visited in China (Hartmans - you would be very happy living in Pudong...and we'd love to come visit you there :o))

Arriving at the Oriental Pearl Tower

...Views from the top "pearl" inside the tower...

Thinking of you, Brielle - especially when we see Hello Kitty everywhere!

Next stop was the famous, Bund, which lies across the Huangpu River from the Tower. To get there, we took a cable car that ran under the river. Along the way, we were treated to a light and sound show. Pretty cool!

Emerging on the other side of the river, we took a stroll along the historic, Bund (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bund). Here, it was Brittany's turn for a moment of celebrity, as a Chinese girl asked if she could have her picture taken with her, then proceeded to hug Brittany! The pictures that we all normally see of the Oriental Pearl Tower are taken from the Bund, as you'll see in our pictures below.

Time for tea! Our guide took us to a tea demonstration, where we were able to see how the Chinese brew several different varieties of tea and sampled each of them. Although this was very interesting (and very tasty), we quickly caught on that it was also a great sales pitch for their tea. Of course, we couldn't resist and ended up spending W.A.Y. too much on tea we just might never drink (Cindy - didn't you do the same thing last time you were in China??? Please tell me you actually drink yours). So, for those of you who live in S.A. - this is a formal invitation for tea at our house sometime in the near future, and if there are enough of you, I might even break out the ridiculously expensive "flower tea". BUT, first I can need to figure out how to make it!?!? Knowing me, we'll likely all be better off meeting at Starbucks :o)!





After tea time, we had lunch at a restaurant just off the Bund. In traditional Chinese fashion, about ten different dishes were served family-style, and they were all quite good. Much better than anything we remember eating last time we were in China.

Next on the agenda was a trip to a silk factory. We were quite suspicious of the intention of the trip once our guide started talking about the lovely quality of silk carpets, quilts, etc. in the van on the way there. Sure enough - another sales pitch wrapped in an informative tour about silk making. The silk-making process is truly fascinating, and Brittany said it was the highlight of her day...even if we did pass on the multi-thousand dollar silk rugs.

The tedious work of making a hand-crafted silk rug. It has taken her 2 months to do what is shown here.

Our last stop was the Yuyuan Gardens (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuyuan_Garden). Built over 400 years ago as a retirement villa for a wealthy provincial treasurer, these serene gardens are now owned by the Chinese government and are open for public enjoyment. We didn't get to stay long here, as it began to rain. Where would be the perfect place to run for cover in Shanghai??? Why, Starbucks, of course - where, today, a vanilla latte has never tasted sooooo good!

We ended the evening in Shanghai with a trip across town to see the Shanghai Acrobatic Show. Anytime you ride on a road in China, you do NOT want to watch out the front window, and the taxi ride to and from the show was no exception. The acrobatic show was not quite as good as the one we saw in Beijing two years ago, but still amazing nonetheless.

The close of this exciting day brings us one day closer to the reason we are here. So many times today, my heart swelled with excitement and gratitude as I considered the reality that we are in China to add another precious child to our home. How absolutely unpredictable, adventurous, and amazing are the ways of the Lord!

Tomorrow afternoon, we will leave Shanghai on a train bound for Nanjing, so that is where you'll hear from us next!

Blessings from China ~ Love, Tracy

Thank you for all your comments and e-mails. What a blessing it is to know that others are following and praying us through this journey :o)