China Trip – Day 3：Birthdays and Memorials

Part of a series of posts detailing my adventures in China a year ago.

Extract from my journal:
Tuesday 27th February 2007

Began the day with singing “Happy Birthday” to Nick when he arrived at breakfast, after getting Dan to delay him. Left on the bus for a hectic day rushing from place to place, starting with the Yu Gardens, which are in this traditional old Chinese home built according to the rural ideal, the idea of representing nature within the town. It looks amazing, and is surrounded by bustling streets of shops in imitation old-style Chinese buildings. I bought a dumpling for lunch (quite nice, but only passable as a midday meal), plus a couple of souvenirs for Becky and Hannah.

We also went to the Martyrs’ Cemetery – an ugly, abstractly designed place with a museum in a glass pyramid. Normally only old Communist veterans go there, so they were rather bemused to have a coach-load of Western students turn up there. They weren’t going to let us in, but Mr Fun, our coach driver, told the people at the gate that we were the delegation of the Albanian Communist party! It was quite sobering to think how many people died for the Communist cause: do not mock the power of ideas; ideas change the world and take lives.

We then went out to a hill outside Shanghai with a cable-car lift and a Catholic Cathedral, and then back to the city to wander around before dinner. We then went to this amazing “circus” show, which had various stunts and acrobatics. All very impressive, especially the finale, which had eight motorbikes going round and round in a spherical metal cage!

I’m really tired now. The constant rushing and walking has been a bit wearing, and I hope future days are a bit more relaxed. Off to Beijing tomorrow. I’ve got a slight problem in that I seem to be getting through the space on my camera rather quickly.

More photos: