Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai

Yuyuan Garden is a beautiful garden in the middle of the Old City of Shanghai.  The garden was built in the mid 1500s and finally declared a national monument in the 1980s.  The garden is filled with traditional buildings that I've wanted to see ever since I was a kid.

The details of the buildings are amazing.  I love the tile roofs.  I noticed that some hadn't been cleaned in awhile.  So little green plants were growing between the tiles.  I loved how the light highlighted some of the plants.

I loved my time in this garden.  If I ever return to Shanghai, this is one place I will visit again in a heartbeat.

Great Wall of China

On my last full day in China, a trip to the Great Wall was required.  We went to a site called Mutianyu which was a bit further away from Beijing, but it was still pretty touristy with many vendors available for souvenir purchases, a couple places to get a bite to eat, and even a spot to slide down from the great wall to a nearby parking lot.  I'm sure that part wasn't original.  :)

Being on the wall allowed for some great views.  This was one of the openings from a lookout tower on the wall.  Almost every opening had fantastic views of the wall or the surrounding landscape.

At the top, the wall was 5 meters wide allowing for many people to easily walk between towers. Signal towers were used at high points to communicate oncoming advancements along large wall sections.

Openings in the walls itself framed the nearby terrain.  I love the layers of mountains that are visible in this shot.  I'm sure the rope lights were a recent addition.

Tai Chi in the morning

I wish I had taken a photo of this walking street anytime after 7:00 in the morning.  Because it was always packed with people.  I mentioned previously that while in Shanghai I was suffering from jet lag and up earlier than normal.  So around 5:00 we got up and went for a walk.  This photo was taken while returning to the hotel... around 6:00 or so.

I love that every 20 feet or so was a new group practicing their tai chi in the early morning hours.  I love the way the morning light wakes up the buildings in the city.  I love that this chaotic city of 23 million (the largest city in China) arouses slowly with a calmness.

Shanghai, China

Affected by jet lag, I woke up early one morning. I realized the majority of my time was to be spent in meetings and decided to get up early and take a quick walk down to the Bund. I had been there the day before and the place was packed with locals and tourists alike. There were vendors selling their tchotchkes.

But around 5:00 in the morning and this is another place. It was quiet and serene. There were some people walking along the waterfront, but most people were cleaning and sweeping and preparing for the busy day ahead.

The sun had already risen, and the air made for a beautiful sunrise.