China October 2011

knapph · January 14, 2012

This past October we took a quick trip to China. The main purpose of our visit was to see some pandas and take a cruise down the Yangtze to see what was left of the Three Gorges. We had wanted to visit the Three Gorges before the dam was closed but just could not make it happen at the time.

We arrived in Shanghai for our first stop. This was just a day to rest before we continued our trip. Here are a few shots from our stop in Shanghai.

1. Shanghai Arrival

2. Looking for the meeting place with friends who arrived about the same time we did.

While we would have liked to have visited one of our favorite places, the Shanghai Museum, we headed out to see things we had not seen before. On our first day we first went to the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center. The Exhibition Center displays Shanghai's urban planning and development. Exhibitions include models of planned and recent developments, as well as Shanghai's history. The model of the city of Shanghai was very interesting and a photographic challenge.

3. Sculpture in the lobby of the center

4. Sculpture detail

5. Model of the city

6. The white balance of the shots changed as tour guides turned on and off lights on various sections of the model.

Outside of the Planning Center in the Peoples’ Square we watched children playing in the fountain and flying kites.

7. We took lots of shots of the kids and their parents playing in the fountain

8. Chasing bubbles

We kept watching the fountain after it was turned off to see who might get caught when it was turned back on but did not stay long enough to see anyone get soaked.

9. Kites

After spending time in the Square we went to the Xintiandi shopping area. This was a nice place to rest and get away from some of the noise of the city. Xintiandi is an urban tourist attraction re-creation born out of the sprawls of Shikumen, literally "stone gate", housing, the architectural symbol of Shanghai in the 20th century. Xintiandi was created by converting residential blocks into a dining, retail, and entertainment area. The buildings within Xintiandi retain the antique walls, tiles and exterior of the Shikumen housing of old Shanghai. There were a lot of very stylish young Chinese people here.

10. View down one of the side streets

11. Since this was our first day on the ground, this tea set did not come home with us. But Ella really wanted to buy it.

12. See and be seen

13. Pedestrian walk way

14. Loved the shoes

knapph · January 14, 2012

Following the shopping area it was time to go look at a silk shop. We were on a tour and this is one of the prices you pay for traveling with a tour group. However we were interested in looking for another silk comforter cover and were interested in what the shop might offer. The visit began with the usual “how silk is made” demo and ended with being herded through the shop before getting to the exit. There were beautiful comforter covers available but the prices were high and there was very little bargaining on the price. We felt that the sales women were going through the motions when it came to bargaining. The comforter covers stayed in the shop this time.

15. The demo area of the shop showing the equipment used to get the silk thread from the cocoons

16. Unrolling the thread from the cocoon after it had soaked in hot water.

17. One of the comforter covers we did not buy

18. The shop was also selling some nice chopsticks

Our next stop was for a late lunch; we were too busy eating to take any interesting photos. After lunch we went to Yuyuan Gardens. Yuyuan is a famous classical garden finished in 1577 by a government officer of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) named Pan Yunduan. Yu in Chinese means pleasing and satisfying, and this garden was specially built for Pan's parents as a place for them to enjoy a tranquil and happy time in their old age. In our visit to Yuyuan about five years ago we took some of our favorite photos. In this visit taking photos was a challenge because of the number of people visiting the garden. We were there on a weekend and there were crowds everywhere.

19. Gateway

20. The shadows on the wall caught Ella's eye

21. Roof detail

22. We have been working on a collection of people taking photos for the past year or so.

23. I liked this gate. I am still thinking about how I want this shot to look. I am beginning to think about a square crop. Since I started in photography shooting 2 1/4 I find I still frame many shots as a square but do not usually realize it until I get back to the computer.

24. Another roof detail

25. I think we shot so many roofs as a way of getting a shot without the crowds of people

26. One of Ella’s photo collections is a set of chairs from around the world. She is always on the lookout for an interesting chair and interesting looking street dogs.

27. The old and the new city

28. The shopping area outside the gardens.

29. Lots of saturated colors

30. Mao (but it might be a former mayor of Shanghai) and the Buddhas

31. Sunset in Shanghai

After supper we went to the Pudong area for a trip up the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. We have seen this area at night before while on a boat on the river. Great view but the moving boat was a poor platform for night shots. It was nice to visit the area on land so that we could get some photos.

32. Oriental Pearl TV Tower

33. View across the river of the Bund from the observation level of the Oriental Pearl Tower

The changing colors and patterns of lights at the base of the elevators in the Oriental Pearl Tower was very interesting.

34. Elevator shaft lights

35. Elevator shaft lights

36. The Bund is the older European built section of the city along the river on the bank opposite from the Pudong.

37. Pano of the Pudong taken from the riverside walk along the Bund (four vertical shots taken with a 35mm lens and stitched in Photoshop).

The next morning we caught a much too early flight from Shanghai to Chungdu. Gotta see the pandas! More later.

coldclimb · January 15, 2012

Awesome, thanks for sharing!

ChrisJ · January 16, 2012

Good stuff! Though I've never been to Shanghai, I'm looking forward to your shots of the Three Gorges. My wife and I went there in 1999 specifically to see them before the dam was completed. Thanks for the Journey!

knapph · January 16, 2012

Thanks to both of you for your comments. As soon as I finish processing a few photos for an upcoming show I'll get the rest of the China photos edited and processed.

We are really sorry that we were not able to see the Yangtze before the dam was closed. It was hard to imagine what the gorges looked like when the water was 175 meters lower.

Ty Sheers · January 30, 2012

Really love your shots. Well done and thanks for sharing !!
Any more ?

PhotoDavid78 · February 8, 2012

Beautiful set from Shanghai. When I was there last year we toured all over Jiangsu Province. Those round doorways are typical of Ming architecture which originated in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu and 2 hours west of Shanghai on the Yangtze River. If you get a chance to go back I strongly suggest visiting Suzhou and Zhouzhuang. Both are water cities and loaded with round doorways.

knapph · February 11, 2012

Thanks David,

We have been to Zhujiajiao (same as Zhouzhuang?) on another trip to China. It was a great place to take photos. You can see those photos here: http://www.stonecoastphotography.com/Places/China/Shanghai.

PhotoDavid78 · February 12, 2012

knapph wrote: »

Thanks David,

We have been to Zhujiajiao (same as Zhouzhuang?) on another trip to China. It was a great place to take photos. You can see those photos here: http://www.stonecoastphotography.com/Places/China/Shanghai.

Great gallery. Is Zhujiajiao also part of Suzhou? her is my entire China Gallery http://www.davidweissphotos.com/Places/China