Vacation Kings

Rather than going to Expo, we decided to spend today sightseeing in Shanghai. Saturdays are very busy at Expo, and we hoped that this would result in smaller crowds at other tourist spots. While perhaps a bit less crowded than usual, the Yu Garden Bazaar was still packed with people.

We started today very early, so that we could get to Expo in time to get a wheelchair for my mother. Wheelchairs are free for Expo visitors over 70 years old (increased to 75 on July 1st), but they often run out shortly after opening. My mother can't walk long distances, so getting a wheelchair was essential. We went to breakfast at Yue Garden at about 6:30, and left the hotel shortly after 7:00. We arrived at Gate 2 (South Xizang Road Entrance) at about 7:30, and thousands of people were already in line. The Expo doesn't open until 9:00, so we had a while to wait.

The pavilions in the Urban Best Practices Area (UBPA) display the vision of future urbanization from over 70 cities from all over the world. The focus here is on livable cities, sustainable urbanization, cultural heritage, and technological innovations. The massive amount of cutting-edge technology on display here makes this one of the most interesting sections of the entire Expo. It is also probably the most underestimated section. That combined with the walkthrough nature of the pavilions means waiting in line is somewhat rare. Some of the highlights include:
 

I got to sleep in a bit later than usual this morning. The plane for our return trip to Shanghai didn't leave until after 3:00 PM, so we had plenty of time. I did manage to make it down to the breakfast buffet before they closed at 9:30. Although they served both Western and Chinese food, I rarely eat any Western food while in China, especially at breakfast. Later I would get to try the local beer and eat a bullfrog...yum!

Our first stop of the day was the White Horse Temple, which is the oldest Buddhist temple in China. It was established in 68 AD in the Eastern Han capital of Luoyang, in Henan Province. Most of the current buildings were constructed during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) Dynasties. The White Horse Temple is generally regarded as the cradle of Chinese Buddhism.

A guide picked us up at our hotel at 6:00 AM for our flight to Luoyang in Henan Province. Although our primary reason for flying to Luoyang was to visit the Shaolin Monastery, we would also be visiting Longmen Grottoes, the tomb of Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi, and the White Horse Temple, which is the oldest Buddhist temple in China.

Today we visited Wuzhen, a small ancient water village in northern Zhejiang Province. It is one of the best preserved ancient villages in all of China, and has become a very popular tourist destination. Because of its canals, Wuzhen is sometimes called "Little Venice." Although Wuzhen was founded in 872 AD, legend states that people have inhabited this area for over 7,000 years.

We ate a very light breakfast because we were going to Louwailou for lunch. Established during the Qing Dynasty more than 150 years ago, Louwailou is one of the oldest and most famous restaurants in China. It is located on West Lake, and they even have a couple of permanently moored "boats" where customers can dine. However, we didn't have reservations for those, so we ate in the main dining room.

Hangzhou was founded about 2,200 years ago, but it is most famous historically as the capital of China during the Southern Song Dynasty. When Marco Polo visited Hangzhou in the late 13th Century, it was the largest city in the world, and he described it as "the City of Heaven, the most beautiful and magnificent in the world." Today, Hangzhou is no longer the largest city in the world, but it is still beautiful and magnificent.

We started off day three with a ride on the world's fastest train, the Shanghai Maglev, with a top speed of 431 kph (268 mph). For those who don't already know, the word Maglev is short for magnetic levitation. Basically, that means this train uses powerful electromagnets to hover only about 1/3 inch above the track, which eliminates friction. Propulsion is also achieved using electromagnets, creating a very fast, quiet, and efficient means of transportation. At top speed, a maglev train is about twice as efficient as a car and three times as efficient as an airplane.