Shajiabang (11/19/2011)

Saturday, November 19, 2011
Up early for a 7:00 departure of the Grand Gateway outing to Shajiabang, a water town 2 hours from Shanghai.

Shajiabang is well-known in China because of a famous opera by the same name. The opera recounts the story of a teahouse owner, A'Qingsao, and her fellow villagers who helped wounded Chinese soldiers escape a Japanese manhunt during WWII, by hiding them in the marsh reeds. The opera was one of only eight allowed to be performed during the Cultural Revolution, so that the citizens saw it over and over again, and learned the songs by heart.

Entrance to the Shajiabang Scenic Area:

Entrance Screen:

Kent with a local hairy crab: 

View from the East Forward Bridge:

Revolutionary Education Zone - the stele: 

The heroic sculpture:

Those to be educated?

Next the Museum, with a display showing A'Qingsao with wounded soldiers:

Mock-up of the marsh:

Tour members examine a museum display:

Interesting dead lotus leaves:

Covered bridge in the distance:

Red Stone Village Area:

Marshland:

Village well:

Twin Lotus Lake: 

Tamiko & Kent on the boat ride:

The boat oarer:

Boats in the marsh: 

The flotilla continues under a bridge:

Arched bridge through the tall reeds:

Boat dock:

Covered corridor bridge:

Covered bridge:

Lunch at A'Qing Eatery - first the appetizers:

including sweet dried little fish, spicy bamboo, duck, pickled carrots, squid, cucumbers in soy sauce, 100-year eggs, and  smoky tofu.
Then the hot dishes, one after another! A steamed whole fish:

a stew topped with "Swiss" tofu, dumplings made with egg, and meat:

custard, shrimp with tofu, duck's blood rice, prawns, river snails: 

beggar's chicken, beef and bamboo, fish head stew, wontons, spinach-like veggie, mixed veggies, dried fish, fish ball (we were told fish ball, but the strange doughy ball contained minced meat) stew, stewed cabbage, and steamed chicken.
Raindrops on oxalis:

Elderly lady workforce:

Our Grand Gateway flag bearers:

Bumper boats:

Back in Red Stone Village, a stage for opera vignettes:

Chunlai Teahouse:

Teahouse patrons watching the opera:

Boat below:

Lantern made with reeds:

A doorway:

Hengjing Lu Area - wine shop:

Kent and a wine cask:

Distillery:

The still:

where you could sample the strong rice wine.
Fermenting wine in a barrel:

Peeking into a barrel:

Fermentation barrels:

Funneling wine into our bottle:

These half chickens were sprinkled with herbs (?) and scallions:

Blacksmith:

Arched bridge:

A tower:

City wall and gate:

Canal with waterwheel made of reeds:

Another stage and Kent as a WWII soldier:

Sweets vendor:

Stepping stone bridge in the Shajiabang Wetlands Area: 

After an extended walk, three-quarters of the way through the wetlands, then despite suggestions to continue on, we were turned around to walk back that three-quarters of the distance:

PBMiguel

("Feet, just get me to the bus, then I can sit down!")

Note pant legs are fashionably cuffed to keep them off the restroom floors!

Our long ride home:

PBMiguel