The last full day in Shanghai 12/22

For the last full day in Shanghai, our group actually left the city to visit the region of Suzhou which was approximately three hours outside the city by bus. Our first stop in Suzhou was the Suzhou Museum where the group had some different experiences as I described in the earlier post for this day. The two photos below attempt to illustrate the magnificence of the museum that only three of us were able to find outside the traditional part of the museum. What these photos fail to portray is the mood created by the rainy and cloudy day that added to the serene feel of the complex surrounding the museum. I truly enjoyed roaming the area around the museum, and it's a shame that a large portion of the group was unable to experience these sites. I should probably mention, however, that the trip to the museum was not planned, and was an adjustment to the itinerary based upon the weather. This helps to explain why this area of the museum went unnoticed by many, but for those of us who found it we were certainly glad to visit the Suzhou Museum. My enjoyment of this experience rivaled that of the Yuyuan Gardens in Shanghai.



After visiting the Suzhou Museum, the group then toured the number one silk manufacturer in Shanghai. The two pictures below portray just how close we were able to get to the manufacturing process of producing silk from start to finish. This portion of the plant was also very welcoming of visitors which is echoed by the fact that we were allowed to take photos of the manufacturing process unlike our experience at other companies. I'd also like to say that the silk bedding in the store following the tour of the plant would probably provide the best quality sleep of my life, and I was tempted to take a quick nap right there.



The picture below is a view from the boat ride our group went on in a local water village, or more specifically a view from the boat I was on. While the water may have been a little (very) murky, the weather was not that great, and the sun was setting, I think that the boat ride was definitely worth the effort. I enjoyed experiencing a smaller village in China, and felt it was important to witness a different region outside of the cities of Beijing and Shanghai. In addition, while I have yet to go to Venice, I can now say that I've been to the Venice of China so deemed by the locals.



A delicious farewell dinner then concluded our last full day in Shanghai, and ultimately China. We then endured the long flight home to return in time for Christmas. I've said it once, and I'll say it again, I'll never forget this trip as it was an amazing opportunity to experience the world.