China Day One - Shanghai

Some sketches done whilst walking around - a skill that developed throughout the trip!

The 11 hour overnight flight from Heathrow to Shanghai Pu Dong International was one of the low-lights of the 45 hours I would stay awake over the first two days of my China Tour. Nevertheless, after driving between rainy grey skyscrapers that resembled London, we took a walk around the beautiful Jade Buddha Temple.

A truly sensual experience, the 80 of us on the trip heard the sounds of chiming and wailing preachers whilst ashes and smoke spiralled through the air from incense and twisted around the iconic-flicked roofs of the Chinese Temple. Within the wooden walls of the temple towered gleaming golden Buddha figures and tranquil floating silk hangings.

Triumphantly clambering up a tightly-wound staircase (taking care not to hit our heads on the low ceilings) we found the pearlescent Jade Buddha along with hundreds of smaller golden Buddhas peering down from tiny alcoves.

Before leaving the haven of the temple, we tried half a dozen types of authentic Chinese tea - the collective favourite being an intensely sweet tea that tasted of intoxicating sugar cane.