May 29, 2013 Shanghai – Zhu Jia Jiao Water Village and Urban Planning Exhibition Centre

May 29, 2013

Shanghai – Zhu Jia Jiao Water Village and Urban Planning Exhibition Centre

When we got up it looked like a great day with no threat of rain. We met out guide, Harry at 9:30 AM to see what he had planned for us and he told us that we are going to Zhu Jia Jiao Water Village. He said we could do this in the morning and in the afternoon we could go to Urban Planning Exhibition Centre in Shanghai.

On leaving our hotel, our driver, Mr. Wang got on the toll road and in 40 minutes got us quickly to the Water Village. The toll road was a limited access highways with 3 lanes in each direction and in excellent condition. The toll for one way was 20 yuan or about $3.50 Canadian. The Water Village was built near a river and in the village there were narrows canals. Houses, shops, and many restaurants that were located next to the canals. On the canals were many small boats called Chuans that took people for rides through the many canals. The boats were propelled by an oarsman with a single oar at the back of the boat. It was a very picturesque place. Dorothy did some shopping in the many stores that were in the village. We had lunch in a restaurant next to the canal. During lunch we had a lady sing for us with a man playing on an old ancient musical instrument that sounded like a guitar. I made a video of this singing that turned out quite well.

After lunch we returned to Downtown Shanghai to visit the Urban Planning Exhibition Center. Here we saw a small model of downtown Shanghai and former pictures of Shanghai. There were also comparisons of old Shanghai with Shanghai as it is today. Most of this modernization has occurred in the last 20 years which is really amazing. On the 4^th floor was a very large model of Shanghai that went through day and night phases. It even showed how the 2010 Expo site looked when it was operating. After this impressive exhibition, we came back to the hotel very satisfied with what we had seen today.

Dorothy and Con  in front of a old building in the Zhu Jia Jiao Water Village 

Dorothy and Con in front of a decorative entrance gate in the Zhu Jia Jiao Water Village .

A more modern apartment building in the Zhu Jia Jiao Water Village .

A stone arched bridge over the main river in the Zhu Jia Jiao Water Village.

Chuans waiting to take people for a ride in the main river in the Zhu Jia Jiao Water Village .

Dorothy and Con on the stone bridge over the river in the Zhu Jia Jiao Water Village .

Restaurants along the river in the Zhu Jia Jiao Water Village .

Restaurants on the other side of the river in the Zhu Jia Jiao Water Village .

Lunch snacks being prepared in the Zhu Jia Jiao Water Village .

Our Guide, Harry is showing Dorothy the shopping  area in the  Zhu Jia Jiao Water Village .

More lunch snacks being prepared in the Zhu Jia Jiao Water Village .

A pagoda by the main river in the Zhu Jia Jiao Water Village. .

A beautiful small canal off the main river in the Zhu Jia Jiao Water Village .

A toffee maker finishing off a rabbit for a customer in the Zhu Jia Jiao Water Village. 

A chuans taking people for a ride on the small canal in the Zhu Jia Jiao Water Village

Another chuans paddling down the small canal in the Zhu Jia Jiao Water Village.

The very narrow street in the shopping area of  the  Zhu Jia Jiao Water Village.

A small canal with restaurants on both sides in the Zhu Jia Jiao Water Village .

Dorothy and Con on a bridge over a small canal in the Zhu Jia Jiao Water Village .

Dorothy and Con on a decorative bridge over a small canal in the Zhu Jia Jiao Water Village.

Chuans on the small canal in the Zhu Jia Jiao Water Village .

A chuans passing the restaurant where we had lunch.

/Dorothy and Con in the restaurant where we had lunch by a small canal.

For lunch a musician playing on an ancient instrument while the singer  sang a Chinese song.

A model of Pudong and the Bund in the Urban Planning Exhibition Centre.

A very beautiful model of a ancient village in the Urban Planning Exhibition Centre.

A model of a wedding in a building in the Urban Planning Exhibition Centre.

Part of a large model of Shanghai showing the downtown Area on the 4th floor of the Urban Planning Exhibition Centre.

Part of the large model of Shanghai showing the 2010 Expo site.

View of the very large model of Shanghai on the 4th floor of the  Urban Planning Exhibition Centre.

Dorothy and Con next to the mascot for the 2010  Expo at the Urban Planning Exhibition Centre.

Dorothy and Con in front of the sign for the Urban Planning Exhibition Centre.

The Urban Planning Exhibition Centre building in Shanghai.