Author: perksofbeingri

Our Final Day

On By perksofbeingriIn Cultural ImmersionLeave a comment

By Marianne Medenilla

For our final day in Hangzhou and essentially, China, we visited Wuzhen, a Water Town!

We got to see boats, and water houses – which we can’t find in Singapore.

We also caught sight of an old man doing some Tai Chi with a stick on a boat. He attracted quite the audience.

We also got to visit Jiaxing, Tongxiang. It was an extremely huge place with a lot of flora. We also got to see a treehouse!

Some of us ended up taking the Buggy Ride back to the entrance after the tour – which was super relaxing and cool!

The Beauty of Tea

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By Marianne Medenilla

We got to visit a tea plantation – Longjing Tea Village to be specific.

There, we had a teacher show us the delicate and proper way of appreciating tea. With a lot of care and attention to detail, we were mesmerised by her grace and fluidity. It felt like we were under a tea spell!

Afterwards, we got to try out their famous Dragon Well Tea. It was very robust and delicious.

We also learnt about the health benefits of the Dragon Well Tea and we were provided with visuals on how it flushes away toxins from the body!

When In Hangzhou

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By Marianne Medenilla

A bustling street in Hangzhou. We just arrived!

After yet another hearty lunch, we set off to West Lake!

We got one of these boats and set off for a ride around the lake. Despite the hot temperatures, being around a water body provided some coolness to us. From the boat ride, we could also see the landmark featured in the 1RMB note!

Afterwards, we set off to this village!

We got to visit this temple and got to climb all the way to the highest floor and the view from there is absolutely breathtaking.

The Art of Knots and Calligraphy

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By Marianne Medenilla

Today, we got a hand in trying to tie some Chinese knots! These beautiful knots were brought in by the teacher – we could only dream of being able to tie such intricate knots.

We tried our hardest KNOT to give up and in the end, we came up with some pretty adorable knots.

Photo by boss1511

Next, after lunch, we got to try out some Chinese calligraphy. We first learnt a little more on the history before trying a hand in the art.

They also taught us the proper way to hold a brush.

Then, we were off to try out in the traditional Chinese art.

Additional photos by boss1511.

Sightseeing in Shanghai

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By Marianne Medenilla

We started our activity-packed day with a visit to the Urban Planning Museum where we got a birds eye view of Shanghai and learn about Shanghai’s development.

Afterwards, we headed to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower! With a height of 468 meters, this building is one of the tallest in the world! It’s even taller than the Eiffel Tower – which is only 324 meters tall.

This is the view from one of the highest floors in the building! It was absolutely breathtaking.

After a hearty lunch, we embarked on the Pujiang Cruise that offered a panoramic view of Shanghai.

In the cruise, we were entertained my magicians who performed tricks that kept us on our toes.

The final stop of our super eventful day was the Chenghuang Temple – a well-known Taoist temple that attracts many with its rich history and shopping corners.

We also got to try the HUGE Xiao Long Baos. Filled with crab and soup, this dumpling was a treat from start to finish.