In Shanghai, there’s a famous garden called Yu Yuan a little bit behind the City God temple, near the Bund. The gardens are absolutely beautiful - they were built by a prince to honor his dead parents. They’re laid out in the Suzhou style, and are a must-see when you go to Shanghai.
Forbidden Section of the Great Wall.
We were hiking around the Great Wall of China outside Beijing, and encountered a section that was “off-limits.” ”Off-limits” in China is more of a…guideline. Maybe a loose suggestion. So we ventured into the forbidden section, and got to climb on an unrestored section of the Great Wall. This is what the Wall would look like today, without any restoration. A lot of these pictures were taken by my room mate, Andrea, who ventured into the other restricted sections where I couldn’t follow because I’m a gimp.
Parts of these walls were accessible to her by jumping through windows and walking across narrow walkways. These awesome ruins are why I should’ve gotten some kind of cybernetic Iron-man knee - so I can follow my crazy roomie onto restricted sections of ancient monuments.
Tianzifang. A district in Shanghai, Tianzifang, is a small cluster of narrow, labyrinthine alleys in the former French concession. It’s famous for harboring art galleries and little craft shops. Tianzifang was originally a Shikumen residential area, and is one of the only places in Shanghai that’s managed to preserve its residential feel.
Canal town of Xitang, in the small coastal province of Zhejiang, within the delta of Yangtze.
Rice fields in the valley of Longji, or Dragon’s Spine.
The largest buddha in the world in the city of Leshan, Sichuan Province.
