Page 20 - 18 Day China Sample

Visit the Shanghai Museum, famous for its ancient Chinese art as well as collections of bronze, ceramics, painting and calligraphy. The Museum’s collection is displayed over five floors, covering a total area of over 420,000 sq. ft. The building itself is designed in the shape of an ancient bronze cooking vessel called a ding. The building has a round top and a square base, symbolizing the ancient Chinese perception of the world as “round sky, square earth”. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. This afternoon visit the Tianzifang area, Shanghai's version of a Hutong (local village). If time permits visit the Xintiandi district. As a car-free shopping, eating and entertainment area of Shanghai, Xintiandi is composed of an area of restored traditional shikumen ("stone gate") houses on narrow alleys, a modern shopping mall with a cinema complex, and some adjoining houses which now serve as book stores, cafes and restaurants. Xintiandi covers two city blocks in the French Concession district of Shanghai, an area that was originally developed in the 1920's during Shanghai's colonial period when the city was a cosmopolitan, louche trading port. The French Concession is distinguished by tree-lined streets of two-story, gray-brick houses that have stone arches for doorways and terra-cotta tile roofs. Narrow alleyways intersect the streets, giving passage from one to the next. After 1949, the buildings in the French Concession were turned into communal dwellings, with as many as 10 families living in a house intended for one, and the area became known for overcrowding and poor sanitation. At 6:45 PM be ready in the lobby of the Waldorf Astoria in preparation for your transfer to the Portman Shanghai Center. Enjoy an acrobatic performance by the Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe at the Portman Shanghai Center. These performers have earned a worldwide reputation for their outstanding talent. The performance lasts from 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM. Return to the Waldorf Astoria at approximately 9:30 PM. Overnight: Waldorf Astoria - King Luxury Suite