We left Hangzhou at about 8 o'clock in the morning and rode our bus to WuZhen, a famous Chinese water town. It has been said this town compares with Venice since all the houses line the canals running through the city. WuZhen was heavily packed with tourists, both Chinese and foreign, so it was difficult to move through the crowds in order to see the various antiques displayed in different houses across the city.  We were able to see many different types of Chinese carved wooden beds, a traditional batik cloth-dying style, which was the primary type of clothing the people of WuZhen wore in the past, and also were able to sample some of the local cuisine. We've noticed that the food in the South is a bit sweeter than in the North.

After exploring for about an hour and a half, we boarded our bus for Shanghai, which was about two hours away. We ate a late lunch at a Thai-inspired Chinese restaurant, which was a nice change of flavor. A primary difference between Thai and Chinese food is in the ingredient of curry and also that of coconut milk. The Chinese food that we have sampled doesn't use any of the two flavors and doesn't use uncooked vegetables in dishes.

We visited the JiangNan silk market after our lunch,  where we learned how silk goes from the worm to the final product. It was interesting to note that the average life cycle of the silk worm is only about 40 or so days. Silk comes from the cocoon of the worm when it enters pupae sage, and the silk fibers are softened and separated to make silk strings. The worm is killed during the processing, but is still used as a snack or in cosmetics. We were even able to participate in the making of a silk comforter as an entire class! Some students purchased gifts for family and friends and then we left for the Bund.

The Bund is a very famous landmark of Shanghai, which displays the historic remnants of the time when foreigners had concessions within the city. Most of the buildings we saw along the river edge were of the French colonial style. Most had been turned into shopping areas or banks, with many rooftop restaurants since the view of the city is spectacular in that area. We saw the Oriental Pearl TV tower from across the river, which is also a famous landmark. It is one of the largest TV towers in Asia, and has three main balls where people can either view the city, eat a meal, or stay in a hotel room. It is important to note that all of the numerous skyscrapers across from the Bund were not present in 1994, and have quickly been constructed in the last 16 years. We could see also that at least three different skyscrapers are being constructed currently.

Next on our list of activities for the day was a walk down NanJing Road, the biggest shopping road in the city. Not only were high-end clothing stores present, but one can also find cheap souvenirs on the side of the road. Some of us were able to witness a small fashion show, complete wtih music and a stage at one end, displaying expensive footwear on Chinese models. Since the Shanghai World Expo is currently in progress, some students went to an official store and bought the Shanghai Expo mascot doll as memorabilia.

We finished off our day with a wonderful dinner at a restaurant where by chance two wedding receptions were being held. We felt very under dressed but enjoyed being able to see what a Chinese wedding reception is like. Not only do brides wear a white dress, but they change into a couple other outfits over the course of the evening. Our food featured a lot of seafood, since Shanghai is a port city and the Yellow River runs through it. We tried an interesting dish called lu yu or in English screwfish, which was a large fish fried in batter with sweet sauce on top while getting to know our classmates and teachers better.The day concluded with our arrival at perhaps one of our favorite hotels so far, with a great view of the city and for some rooms, even of the Bund and Oriental Pearl. After a long day of bus rides and sightseeing, we were glad to hit the hay in soft beds and air conditioning and get ready for our second day in this great city called Shanghai.