CHINA
July 22nd 2009
Although I was just four years old, I remember this eclipse quite distinctively because going to China was such a culture shock. It was the first time I traveled so far for an eclipse… but this eclipse was not to be missed as it was the longest of the century.
DAY 1 - SHANGHAI
July 18th
Our first day was strange because we woke up at 2pm local time. We were all so jet lagged! We spent our first evening on the Bund, which is Shanghai's iconic waterfront area with banks and hotels built in the 19th century in European styles varying from Neoclassical to Beaux-Arts to Gothic to Baroque. It is funny to think that this protected historic district used to be swampland (although its name is a clue as “bund”means "muddy waterfront”).
DAY 2 - SHANGHAI
July 19th
Today we woke up a little earlier and enjoyed a full day of sightseeing despite the suffocating heat. We started with the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel, which is a short psychedelic journey connecting the Bund and Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone. The trip is quite surreal with aggressive flashing lights and an ominous soundtrack. We then admired the views of Shanghai from the observatory platform of the iconic Pearl Tower, which is 468m high and was briefly the tallest building in China. We ended the day with a night cruise over Huangpu River to admire the colorful city lights.
DAY 3 - SHANGHAI TO WUZHEN
July 20th
We visited the Shanghai miniature museum in the morning before driving to Wuzhen, our eclipse location. Wuzhen is a beautiful ancient water city, in the Zhejiang Province, south of the Yangtze River, comprising several islands and over 70 bridges. We had to take a nice wooden barge to reach our hotel.
DAY 4 - WUZHEN
July 21st
Having now visited Venice, I completely understand why Wuzhen is called the “Venice of the East”. Wuzhen is famous in China not only for its ancient charm but also for its rich history and picturesque scenery. We enjoyed the day walking around. Between the narrow pedestrian streets and the little paved bridges, it felt like a different world and different time.
DAY 5 - WUZHEN (ECLIPSE DAY)
July 22nd
We woke up sad to realize that it was raining heavily and that there were very little prospects of weather improvements. We were devastated that the longest eclipse of the century looked clouded. However, miraculously, a few minutes before totality a hole opened in the sky and we were able to glimpse the glorious eclipsed sun for a few minutes. The end was clouded but we felt so lucky as we had resigned ourselves that we wouldn’t see anything. It was a real miracle! We celebrated the eclipse in a traditional tea house in the afternoon, sipping tea by the water.
DAY 6 - TRAVEL TO HANGZHOU
July 23rd
We were sad to leave the water city but excited to discover Hangzhou, one of China’s seven ancient capitals whose history can be traced back to the Qin dynasty around 221-206 BC. We took a cruise on its West Lake which has now been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It was paradisiacal to glide peacefully on the shimmering waters, admiring temples, gardens and pagodas. The sun was disappearing slowly as golden lights started to illuminate the lake magically.
DAY 7 - HANGZHOU
July 24th
We spent the day visiting the beautiful Jingci Temple which was originally built in 954. Sadly the temple was destroyed and rebuilt several times and the current building mostly dates from the 1980s. I remember very clearly the strong incense smell of the place and joining in by lighting a large incense stick. Walking up the stairs we had an amazing view of Leifeng Pagoda and the city.
HANGZHOU TO SHANGHAI
July 24th
We drove back to Shanghai and went to Yuyuan Gardens, which were originally built in 1559 during the Ming Dynasty by a son for his parents. Its construction bankrupted the family. In Shanghainese the gardens are called “Yuyoe”, which means garden of happiness. Just outside the entrance of the garden there is the majestic Huxinting teahouse standing over a man-made lake. Apparently it is one of the oldest restaurants in Shanghai and it is famous for having been built without a single nail! What I remember the most distinctly is the zigzag bridge, also called “nine turn-bridge” that needs to be taken to reach the teahouse. The non linear structure apparently confounds evil spirits that can only follow a straight path!
DAY 8 - SHANGHAI
July 25th
Before flying back home in the evening, we spent a lazy day walking on the Bund, enjoying the modern city. We stopped at a traditional tea house and sampled various teas. I was mesmerized by the beautiful jasmine flowers opening in hot water. However, the highlight of the day was our sumptuous dim sum lunch: I had never seen so many colors on my plate, and I can categorically say that on that day my love for dim sum was born.