City Parks in China

Many tourists overlook beautiful parks in China.  As you can see by these photos the parks are not only restful but often have many activities going on.  Here you see an orchestra practicing, people playing board games and a woman meditating.  I have often heard choral groups singing which are usually clubs that get together on weekends in the park to sing.  Parks are a great place to meet Chinese  people as many people speak some English.  If  you have children or teenagers along it can also be a wonderful experience for them to join in with Chinese children playing games of all kinds.  Chinese parks have wonderful plants and shrubs along with beautiful trees well landscaped.  I was in Shanghai one spring and noticed that a large section of about 4 blocks had been torn down and I assumed a new building would be built there. I came back in the late Fall and discovered that they had brought in large trees, shrubs and flowers and landscaped the whole area into a lovely park in the central area of the city.  Chinese always do things in a big way and seemingly overnight sometimes.
During any free time you have while touring it would be worthwhile to visit city parks and your guide can offer you suggestions.  In the mornings you will find many local people doing their morning exercises which consist of many different kinds including social dancing.  It is always possible to join in with them too.  There are often larger parks on the outside of the cities to visit which offer hiking opportunities and natural beauty.  For more information on City Parks and National Parks, you can email me at interlak@eskimo.com   My name is Dave and I am always happy to share information that I have gathered in my 50+ trips to China in 25 Years.