We rode the passenger tunnel back to the Bund and took the shuttle to the Silver Shadow, returning in plenty of time to enjoy the sail away from Shanghai. None of us on deck had ever seen a river as busy as the Huangpu. Our ship was one of the largest on the river, and was certainly the cleanest--its bright white hull out shone all of the cargo ships and small barges. The captain had to blow the whistle several times to get some of the smaller vessels to give us the main river channel.
After a day at sea, we arrived in Tiajin, the closest port to Beijing. All but about 30 of us disembarked in Tiajin, so we had a whole new group of passengers to meet and become acquainted with. Many of the passengers were doing a pre- or post-cruise land extension to Beijing or Xian with Silversea. Mother and I stayed on the ship while in Tiajin, and used the time to get acquainted with some of the other "continuing" passengers. We also really enjoyed our three days onboard without going ashore. It gave us a chance to get rejuvenated before returning to Shanghai and visiting new ports of call on the lower Yangtze and in Japan.
Leaving Tiajin, we had another day at sea being pampered and spoiled (and well fed) by the Silver Shadow crew. Mother and I quickly got into a routine of playing bridge with other passengers and enjoyed life onboard the ship. Even though the Silver Shadow is a small ship, it always seemed we had enough activities to choose from to keep us busy. Before we knew it, we were back at the dock in Shanghai, arriving in the late afternoon to spend the night and all the next day.
Return to Shanghai and a Visit to the Shanghai Museum
Friends who had visited Shanghai before had told me that the museum was one of the world's best, so we decided to spend the day there when we returned. We were not disappointed. The modern museum was opened in 1996 and focuses on the arts and crafts of China in its 11 permanent galleries spread over 4 floors. The Shanghai Museum has one of the largest collections of Chinese art in the world, and is easily the best in China. We thought the presentation, lighting, and layout of the pieces was especially well done. Most of the galleries are laid out chronologically, with English panels describing each collection and piece.
Each of the four floors of the museum is worthwhile, and you could easily spend the day in the Shanghai Museum. The Ancient Chinese Bronze Gallery and the Ancient Chinese Sculpture Gallery on the first floor have comprehensive beautiful collections of food and wine vessels, weapons, and pottery. Seeing intricately carved items going back thousands of years demonstrated the strength and depth of the Chinese civilization. The second floor is the Ancient Chinese Ceramic Gallery. Most people know that this craft originated in China, and the delicate pieces and colors were breathtaking. The third floor had the Chinese Painting Gallery, the Chinese Seal Gallery, and the Chinese Calligraphy Gallery. Ancient Chinese people used signature seals of ivory, jade, and crystal for letters and important documents. The calligraphy gallery traces the development of this form of writing. The Ancient Chinese Jade Gallery, which demonstrates the beauty and mystery of this stone, and the Coin Gallery are on the fourth floor. Also on the fourth floor was one of our favorite exhibits--the Chinese Minorities Nationalities' Art Gallery. China has 56 ethnic minorities, and this colorful collection of costumes and masks was interesting and enlightening. The last exhibit on the fourth floor is the Furniture Gallery, with antique rosewood and sandalwood furniture from the different Chinese dynasties.
After touring the museum, we stopped in the Shanghai Museum Shop. It was one of the best museum shops I have ever visited. The prices were good and the quality was excellent. We purchased all sorts of souvenirs, including a bag to carry them back to the ship.
We sailed from Shanghai after dinner and enjoyed the lights of the city as we sailed towards the lower Yangtze River and the port of Zhangjiagang, China 60 miles away.
The next morning we awoke to an amazing sight. The lower Yangtze was flat and very wide, and there were hundreds of ships! Since most of the other ships were local ferries or hauling cargo, he Silver Shadow stood out as the finest ship on the river. All of the passengers enjoyed watching the river as we sailed west towards Zhangjiagang and Nanjing.
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