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Photos of Huangpo River and dinner with friends in Shanghai Restaurant, .
From Beijing we went by train on a ten hour journey to Shanghai and then by taxi to the new Pudong area, where our hotel, the Oriental Riverside Hotel, was on the side of the Huangpo River. From our hotel window we had spectacular views over the river, where we could see the Peace Hotel, in which we had stayed during our last visit. There seemed hardly any reason to leave the hotel, where we had VIP status (for the first time!) because, just by sitting by the window we could see 'the world' passing by. People below walking, running, sitting, talking, and then every few minutes the river scene would change with boats and ships going up and down the river. Our plans for Shanghai had included one special meeting with Billy Wang, whom I had known for nearly ten years, but had never met!
Michael phoned Billy to make the arrangements for our meeting near the university, then Michael, Yang, and I went to a café opposite the university to wait for him. In the café we had 'chrysanthemum tea' to drink. The dried head of a chrysanthemum flower in a large glass mug was covered with hot water, then slowly the flower head would open as if it was still alive. Billy and his wife Hongguo came to pick us up from the café, and drive us to a restaurant to dinner, where the food was not only delicious, but looked like works of art, and too good to eat. When Billy returned home after his business stay in America, his son Kevin started sending me some of his computer graphics. It is Kevin who told me to, ''Get a web site for your China photos!'' so I said, ''Yes Sir!'', and that is how it all began. Very soon now, the number of people who have visited the web sites will have passed the 5,000,000 mark, coming from almost every country of the world. I was not able to meet Kevin whom I had never met before, as he was in a university in America, but from their apartment, Billy did get him on the 'phone, so I was able to speak to Kevin, again for the first time! This visit to China seemed to be full of ''first time events''
Photo of Oriental Pearl Tower and View From Highest Deck showing Pudong Buildings.
Near our own hotel was the 'Oriental Pearl Tower', said to be the third tallest building in the world. So not surprisingly that was one of the new buildings, we certainly had to visit. We went by two lifts to the highest observation deck and even though the view over Pudong and the rest of Shanghai was marred by fog, it was a memorable experience. Michael told me that on a clear day the views are more spectacular. When we looked through the windows at the traffic below, the cars and people looked as big as pin heads. The workers who built this structure must have had a good head for heights!
When we came back down to the main deck of the tower, there was an exhibition showing people of ancient China dressed in robes not seen much in the present age. The models looked very lifelike, so I do not think anyone would have been surprised if they had said, Hello!, or had moved away to make themselves a cup of tea!
Photos Beijing
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Shanghai Pics
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Nanning Fotos
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Guangzhou Pic
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Photos Shaolin
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Updated
3rd February, 2009
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