So, this is my 3rd trip this year. Lucky me, this one was FREE!
The company where I work, conducted a company outing and the destination was.. to Shanghai!! It was pretty exciting because I had not been to mainland China yet. I’d only been to Hong Kong and Macau which are the sovereign territories of PRC (People’s Republic of China), they are not included as Mainland China.
Like any other company outing, this trip was fully arranged by a tour agency. All we had to do just sit, eat, enjoy, and sleep. But don’t get it wrong… although everything had been well arranged, but the fatigue I had was a lot more worse than any self-arranged trip I made. The schedule was crazy exhausting. But who am I to complain?! It was FREE, hey!
We visited a dozen of places, but only these 3 got me hooked :
West Lake, Huang Zhou
Amongst 4 days itinerary, we spent a day in Huang Zhou, a small city situated about 2 hours from Shanghai. This city is apparently a home to White Snake Legend. Many of you might not understand what I am talking about, but those who lived in Indonesia in the year of 90’s should be familiar with a chinese drama called White Snake Legend – my best love drama ever when I was a kid. I always had an imagination I got a pretty Chinese hair-do, wearing long Chinese dress just like Pai Su Chen – the White Snake spirit. I was kinda obsessed to the drama that I always had the same fantasy everyday for years – I guess? LoL!
So, in Huang Zhou lies a beautiful lake known as West Lake. This is the lake where Pai Su Chen – The White Snake spirit meets Han Wen – the human next door for the very first time. Never in my childhood life I would imagine that I am going to visit the real lake of White Snake Legend! Like.. OH MY GOD my childhood’s dream come true!
Although it was a gloomy day, but the lake still looked pretty. 
The White Snake Legend story : Once upon a time, Han Wen bought a Tang Yuan (pills) from a seller at the Broken Bridge near the West Lake in Hangzhou. Apparently that Tang Yuan are immortality pills. A few day later, Han Wen came back to the bridge asking to the seller why he did not feel hungry at all after consuming the pill. The seller laughed and he flipped Han Wen upside down until Han Wen vomit into the lake.
In the lake, there is a white snake spirit that manage to get the Tang Yuan vomit (Ewh!) and gains 500 years magical powers. She feels grateful to Han Wen and their fates become intertwined. Eighteen years later, during the festival, the white snake transform into young lady and accidentally bump into Han Wen at the Broken Bridge. They fall in love to each other and eventually married. It sounds cheesy I know, but hey it’s a drama! A beautiful drama to a 10 years old innocent me :))
Disneyland Shanghai
Disneyland will always be the highlighted part in every trip which consist of it. Agree?
This is my 3rd Disneyland by the way! (My first was in Hong Kong, then in Japan). Looking forward to the one in Florida (Uh yeahs)
My heart bursted into pieces of happiness soon I stepped in to it’s iconic gate, it felt like all my life problem gone straight to the bin. I never had a dull moment in Disneyland. Even though I am not an adrenaline junkie but just to see those delicate animation characters waving around, go in and out of cute shops, and take a walk from one thematic area to others were extremely joyful. Because to me, this is the only place where fantasy comes to live.
I only did 3 attractions – Roaring Rapids, Soaring Over the Horizons, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Roaring Rapids might be just a regular ‘rafting-like’ attraction, but the other 2 attractions were really mind-blowing. Definitely safe for height-sucker like me.
Tian Zi Fang!
Oh I love this kind of place! Originally Tian Zi Fang was an old residential and factory, but now it change into art and craft market centre that also develop to cute shops, bars and restaurants.
It consist of small lanes that form like labyrinth. They sell arts, souvenirs, local made stuff, and street food! The atmosphere is very vibrant and lively, buildings look traditional but modernly decorated.
I really hate that our tour agency only allocate 1 hour to explore this place. Geez! I would spend a day in a place like this rather than in the boring Nanjing Road. Ugh!
Anyway, that’s all my top 3 highlighted spot in Shanghai. It doesn’t mean other place not good, but I just particularly like those area above simply because they bring spark to me.
THANK YOU OFFICE!
LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT COMPANY OUTING! =)
