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Shanghai DongJun Bird's Nest Shark's Fin Seafood Restaurant

 
This is a true Chinese restaurant. Many say that the Chinese prefer a “bright and noisy” atmosphere for their restaurants, and this one fits the bill perfectly. Fortunately, the cuisine here is excellent, but its kind of hard to navigate, so be wary, and bring a translator if p...
 
This is a true Chinese restaurant. Many say that the Chinese prefer a “bright and noisy” atmosphere for their restaurants, and this one fits the bill perfectly. Fortunately, the cuisine here is excellent, but its kind of hard to navigate, so be wary, and bring a translator if possible.
 
After being seated on the second floor of the restaurant, guests then return to the first floor with their server to choose their dishes from the tanks of seafood and cases of vegetables and meat. With each selection the server will ask how you would like it to be prepared, which is why this restaurant is trickier than just any typical Chinese restaurant for foreigners.  Frankly, I find it difficult to choose how I want my fish to be prepared in English, much less Chinese.  Often they do supply a few sample choices. There were two choices for the preparation of the mussels, so I pointed at one – they were FANTASTIC, steamed with garlic and onion).  The best thing to do, however, is to go in with an idea of how you like your meal prepared and ask for it that way. The kitchen can do just about anything you want.  Otherwise a translator can ask what they recommend and help you choose on the spot. A few of the servers speak a little English, but don’t rely on them for too much.
 
This seafood joint is also a great locale to experiment with interesting and unusual foods.  Just for the experience we tried the water bugs that looked like cockroaches when they were served. Personally, I was not really impressed, but for 15 Yuan for a batch of them, we can at least say we tried something new.  The really adventurous out there should go for a sea slug, frog or even snake (big ones).  Of the more standard fare, we had delicious shrimp (stir fried with garlic and a little spice), white fish (fried with a sweet and sour sauce), eggplant, and string beans.  A meal including beer for five of us cost 500 Yuan in total – a great deal for all the food we had on that table! I really enjoyed this restaurant. For those seeking a true Chinese dining experience, this place is ideal.
 
How to get there: Unfortunately the restaurant is not near a subway, but it’s still an easy taxi ride down HuaiHai Road. It is about 10 minutes past XiangYang market and next door to the Shanghai Sculpture Space.

Ocean Park

Ocean Park
Ocean Park is 870’000 square meters of theme park fun. Ocean Park’s rides and aquarium are among the largest and most unique in all of Southeast Asia. Located on 2 sides of a mountain, Ocean Park is also one of the most ecol...

Ocean Park
Ocean Park is 870’000 square meters of theme park fun. Ocean Park’s rides and aquarium are among the largest and most unique in all of Southeast Asia. Located on 2 sides of a mountain, Ocean Park is also one of the most ecologically-friendly parks around. The park is split into two sections; the lowlands and the headlands, and various rides, animal sanctuaries, gardens and restaurants are scattered across both. Being a superb destination for children, one can easily enjoy a full day of excitement with the family. The park is composed of six main areas: Adventure Land, Bird Paradise, Headland Rides, Kids’ World, Lowland Gardens and Marine Land.

Ocean Theatre
Ocean Theatre is the world’s largest marine-mammal theatre. Talent shows feature seals, dolphins, and most impressively, a killer whale. The Shark Aquarium is home to hundreds of shark species, while the enormous coral-themed aquarium contains over 2600 fish representing more than 200 species.

Tip:
To get to the Ocean Theatre, take the world’s second longest escalator or the thrillingly scenic cable car. The cable car offers a spectacular view of the coast and is not for the vertignous.

Thrill Rides
The park also includes many crazy thrill rides. Test your courage on the Mine Train, loop the loop on the Dragon roller coaster, or try the insane 185 foot plunge of the Abyss Turbo Drop, if this is your kind of thing.

Giant Panda Habitat
Back on the lowland side, there are parks, gardens, and a children’s zoo. Another must-see highlight is the giant pandas from mainland China, An An and Jia Jia, who are soon to be joined by Le Le and Ying Ying.

Amazing Amazon
Inspire your kids with an educational visit to the Amazing Amazon, where they can discover the tale of the dinosaur ’past and present’ or visit the Amazing Birds Theatre. For a simulated adventure in the mind of a mammal, try Whisker’s (Ocean Park’s iconic seal pin-up) Wild Ride.

Estimated Duration of the Trip:
1 day

How to get there:
At Admiralty MTR station exit B2, take Citybus no.629.

House of Blues and Jazz

The House of Blues and Jazz is located on the illustrious Mao Ming Rd, site of the former expat bar hub in Shanghai.  Since Mao Ming was essentially shut down in 2004, the bars that still remain open are a little downtrodden and fairly empty. However, the House of Jazz and Blues defies the n...

The House of Blues and Jazz is located on the illustrious Mao Ming Rd, site of the former expat bar hub in Shanghai.  Since Mao Ming was essentially shut down in 2004, the bars that still remain open are a little downtrodden and fairly empty. However, the House of Jazz and Blues defies the new standard, as it manages to attract an impressive crowd of upscale, yet low key music lovers. Be wary of the beggars that still hang out around Mao Ming Lu. Their 3 year old children follow you around for blocks in desperation.
 
From the moment you lay your eyes upon the exterior of the House of Blues and Jazz, you’ll likely feel as if you’ve stumbled upon a secret club in Memphis, Tennessee – the heart of the blues tradition. Set in a modest gray stucco building, the large doors with small letters stating “House of Blues and Jazz” provide the only clue to what lies inside.  While the interior is decked out with warm wood and leather furniture, it is still simple. It remains obvious that the main embellishment is meant to be the music. The acoustics are great, and the music is not overwhelmingly noisy, but loud enough to allow the musicians to truly strut their stuff.  
   
The musicians are a mix of foreign and Chinese guests and locals.  The busiest nights usually take place when groups from abroad make a visit. I highly recommend reserving a table for these nights – check with your hotel.  Note that the venue can become extremely packed. Unless you like being pushed by patrons heading for the bar, the standing area is nothing to speak of. One time I simply had to leave for this reason, it was driving me crazy.  Depending on the night’s lineup, there might be a “hidden” cover charge. The charge won’t be at the door, it will be included with your first drink, which is usually 80RMB. Afterwards prices drop to about half of that.
 
While the music is comparable at both spots, the House of Blues and Jazz definitely exudes a different feel than the Cotton Club. It is certainly a little less swanky, slightly less claustrophobic, and less filled with cigarette smoke, if that’s a concern.

Soho (South of Hollywood Road)

Soho (South of Hollywood Road) is a small warren of streets between Central and Midlevels. It is definitely a place for cultural adventure. You will also feel amazed at how th...

Soho (South of Hollywood Road) is a small warren of streets between Central and Midlevels. It is definitely a place for cultural adventure. You will also feel amazed at how the traditional old Chinese buildings have become dwarfs next to the skyscrapers that were built beside them.

Elgin, Shelley and Staunton Streets are excellent places with a handful of chic bars, cafés and restaurants where Chinese and expatriates mix. Soho is not only famous for its wide variety of international cuisine, but it is also well-known for stylish home decor shops. Not only can you find hip designer products and local 60s – 80s retro style items, but you can also find Chinese and European antiques. If you are an art lover, the numerous art galleries in the area make up this hodgepodge of a district.

The Escalator
From Central MTR station, the best way to get to Soho is by taking the covered escalator which links all the roads between Queen’s Road and Conduit Road. It was originally built to make it convenient for pedestrians to get around the steep districts of Central, the Midlevels and Soho. Now it has also become the ‘transport of delight’ for sightseers. Along the escalator you will pass by busy streets, upstairs shops in old Chinese residential buildings, art galleries, bars and restaurants. Feel free to get off anytime and head to any place that takes your fancy. It is almost like the magical inexorable escalator of life.

Tip:
The escalator runs uphill until midnight, except during rush hour in the morning it runs downhill.

Did you know?
The escalator is the world’s longest covered escalator system, measuring 792 meters, which is another wonderful feature of Hong Kong.

Estimated duration of trip to Soho:
Sightseeing only: 2 hours
Sightseeing + dinner: 3 hours
(shopping / art lovers please add 2 more hours!) 

He Yuan

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He Yuan is a fun garden to get lost in. Built in 1883, its maze of buildings and residences adapt some Western architectural styles, yet retain a nostalgic late Qing era feel.

This deep, rocky, and elegant place is an intricate weaving of gardens and crimson buildings meshed with buildings within buildings and gardens surrounding gardens. He Yuan emits the feeling of the sun before a rain shower.

There is a certain mystery to the grounds, as finding yourself lost within a forest of towering stones is nearly guaranteed.

A few hundred year old trees cast a long shadow over the two story buildings and lotus ponds, while smaller trees emerge from the rocks and walkways to flower in the spring. Stepping into He Yuan is an escape, and then exiting back out onto the busy street outside will feel like an unfamiliar world. It also lies in a great part of town for street browsing and alley wandering with a great Korean restaurant (Ah Li Lang) just a short walk north of the entrance.

Combo Ticket: For 110 yuan you can get a combo ticket which includes the entrance fees to Slender West Lake, a small museum within the Slender West Lake scenic area, Ge Yuan and He Yuan.  It also includes a twenty minute ferry ride down The Grand Canal.


Visit He Yuan’s official website

He Yuan is located south-east of the center of Yangzhou.  Tourist buses number 1 and 2 both go to He Yuan, as well as city bus number 9 and 19.  It is a short walk west from the south dock of the ferry to He Yuan.

China Articles

Top China Tours

$238 Per Day

Private Hangzhou Day Trip from Shanghai by Bullet Train

Take in the highlights of beautiful Hangzhou on a private full-day tour from Shanghai. After hotel pickup and transfer by high-speed train to Hangzhou, your private guide takes you to see some city attractions, such as Faxi temple. Moreover, enjoy a tasty lunch at a local restaurant before heading to Longjing village. There, learn about the process of farming and producing dragonwell tea, the region’s most famous product. Finally, enjoy a scenic boat cruise on UNESCO World Heritage-listed West Lake before returning to Shanghai.

This is a private, full-day trip from Shanghai to Hangzhou. After you are picked up in your hotel lobby in the early morning, you will take a bullet train to Hangzhou. This is the fastest way to Hangzhou and you can experience train speeds of up to 300 kilometers per hour. Your tour begins at one of Hangzhou's signature sites, the West Lake. Enjoy a lake cruise to see the top ten West Lake scenic views. You will then be taken to experience the wonderful cuisine of Hangzhou at a local restaurant. After lunch, you will visit Faxi temple, a well-known Temple dating back to the Jin Dynasty. See its famous wooden Buddha. Here, you will see fewer tourists and more locals. Finally, enjoy a cup of green tea when you visit the famous Longjing village to see wild fields of Longjing tea bushes where the locals produce the world famous green tea- Longjing Tea. In the village, all locals are tea farmers and you will see the entire procedure of making the famous tea and will get the chance to taste the best quality emperor tea. Afterwards, you will take the bullet train back to Shanghai and you will be returned to your hotel.


$150 Per Day

Guangzhou

Day 1 Arrive in Guangzhou

Arrive in Guangzhou in the morning, you will be met and transferred to hotel, then visit Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. The Memorial Hall is a very famous historical scenic spot. It is in memory of Sun Yat-sen, the great revolutionary forerunner. After that proceed to visit the Ancestral Temple of the Chen Family. It is a unique site for offering up sacrifices to worship ancestors of 72 Chen families in Guangdong. This ancestral temple is also the largest, best preserved and best decorated ancient architecture existing in Guangdong province.

Day 2 Guanzhou Tour 

After breakfast, you will go to Yuexiu Park first, the largest and the most famous park in downtown Guangzhou. There are three artificial lakes and seven hills of Yuexiu Mountain. Then you will visit Temple of Six Banyan Trees, which is one of the four best Buddhist temples in Guangzhou and located on the Liurong Road (meaning the Six Banyan Trees Road). The Nanyue King Tomb Museum is a must-see Guangzhou attraction, which dates back to 2,000 years ago, is the earliest large scale painted stone chamber tomb ever found south of the Five Ridges. Buried with the tomb owner in a jade shroud are a gold seal and a lot of exquisite jade adornments. It has become a world famous museum. After the day tour you will be transferred to airport for your next destination.

$53 Per Day

Pingyao Highlights Walking Tour

Pingyao Highlights Walking Day Tour

With our guide to know the Ancient Pingyao better!

Our guide will meet you at your hotel lobby at 08:00 or 08:30, then show you the ticket office to get the ticket for the museums we will visit later.

First we will visit the 700 years old City wall, We will climb up from south gate and have a walk on the wall. We are not sure how many km we can walk, because of the renovating of the wall. Normally we will walk from south gate to the Yunlu Exit.

Then visit the Confucius temple, there is a old building named Dacheng Hall which is over 840 years old. From outside, we can see the big wood joints to lift the big roof around the building which is named Dougong. Due to this design, there are less columns inside the hall for giving the big space for the statues and the prayer. We have chance to see the Confucius statue and learn the philosophy of Confucius. If you like, you can pray for you and your children to get better study.

There is the Paper Cutting master named Wentao nearby the exit of Confucius temple. She is very smart and create the new style paper cutting with much more details and good wishes on it. Her products are made by hanks. It is worth to visit and buy as a souvenir from Pingyao. From the table standing and wall hangings. Please remember, take the red one because of red is the traditional and happy color. But the white one is the best. It is really difficult to choose, because of all of them are really nice.

Then you can have coffee break or tea break if you need at Chummy coffee, after this, visit the City god temple (ChenghuangMiao) which is most beautiful temple inside the wall. Because of the roof is covered by the colorful glazed tiles. There is not only city god and also the three money gods, Now you know why pingyao was the financial center.

Next we will visit the Ancient government building, to see the pingyao politics center in the ancient time. It is the complete building with officials bed room, kitchen and private garden. Follow the guide to look the official’s life from the 250km far away from the hometown.

Have a stroll in the alley to the Rishengchang exchange bank, which is the first bank all of china.You can not miss it.

After lunch, walk to the Ming and Qing street, this is the shopping street full of the stores on the both side of street. You can find alot things here , from post card to lacquered boxes, and wall panels. One more place to see, it is the Armed escort agency also named security and transport service for the business man before the bank founded.

Inlcusions

1.private english speaking tour guide servcie

2.bottle water for the tour