scenes from our trip to China- part IV

A few more highlights from our trip.

J testing out the strength of the silk at a silk bedding manufacturer.

We took a boat ride on this supposedly "only" wetland in China.

Moving on: at my parents' place in the outskirts of Shanghai- J/W really wanted to see the beach but there wasn't enough time to really explore.

W lost his 3rd tooth, same as J. This time he didn't loose his fallen off tooth. :) He is sporting a Chinese boy haircut which he didn't appreciate. You can visit J's blog for details.
J also lost 2 more teeth right before she left China. Here she is with her new haircut.

This is Ling-zhi, a chinese plant that is know for its immune strengthening and anti-cancer properties.

At a nature center in China.

J/W loved these wooden, natural equipment and the challenge of something new.

J/W was mesmerized by a Chinese elementary school. Most people in China can only afford to have 1 child as the cost of educating one is very expensive to the average person. Most Chinese children go to a Sat. review class to ensure they can score well on tests. The buildings are just as I remembered, usually 4-5 tiered. Daddy says J looked as if she were daydreaming, wishing she was in there working out and having fun with them. The students were out for quite some time...seems like they were in some kind of gym class.

At the Shanghai Expo; the scoop is China spent 10 year preparing for this event; many famous performers from all over the world came to perform for the opening ceremony and will perform at the closing ceremony. This event runs from May-October in Shanghai. The theme for this event is called "better city, better life". As you can imagine, security at this event, even entering Shanghai is heightened and tight.
In front of the China pavilion. Inside, the provinces have their own presentation and sometimes shows of their own. We spent a good 2-3 hours inside and don't think we saw everything.

Tibet- inside China pavilion

Inside the Russia pavilion; the theme for this country's theme was child wonderland.

Famous bridge in Shanghai (Nan Pu bridge); the president of China wrote the letters that is on the bridge.

Different ethnicity dolls of China. I love collecting these.

Inside the Expo. Just looking at some of the building themselves were very interesting. It is a huge area with some buildings like the "future" etc is across the river. But alas, waiting in the hot weather is not very fun, esp. considering the wait for the "hot" pavilions like US, France, India, Japan, Germany, etc were over 3 hours long. But later, the wait probably won't be as bad. Some countries just rented the pavilion while others built their own. But regardless, there is always food/souvenir from the particular country to purchase.

Watching a Shao-Ling performance at the Expo.

The famous Bund area in Shanghai; many famous building there, similar to any major city. Night in Shanghai is pretty and filled with activities if you enjoy that kind of lifestyle. But I think for our family, the suburb lifestyle suits us better.

Hope you enjoyed the tour.