Flowers and Showers, May 30th 2020

Dianshan Lake

May 2020,first stop Dianshan Lake, Qingpu, Shanghai.  On a sunny day, it might be a pleasant walk!  And on a rainy one it was ok too if you're prepared - a rain poncho worked pretty well!  It's a very easy walk - flat and on pavements. A highlight was a walk through a waterlily pond.

Xunmengyuan Herb Farm

The next, and final, stop was at the Xunmengyuan Herb Farm in Qingpu, Shanghai.   (2365 Shentai Rd, Qingpu District, Shanghai)

It was about 45-50 km from downtown, but felt far removed from the hubbub of city life.  Quiet, and rural.  There was a huge slide for kids, but it was closed the day we visited. 

Coffee hopes were dashed and the restaurant uninviting.  The types of flowers you can see vary with the season, but, having finally found the lavender and sunflowers, it was fun to take photos!  ...and enjoy the smell and colours. 

 

 

We eventually found somewhere for coffee on this damp and cold day at the end of May!  Just look outside the restaurant for a small stall.  No-one speaks a word of English (and why should they!?), but with a smattering of Chinese, and a smile and willingness from both sides, a pleasant coffee was purchased at half the cost of the big name coffee shops!

There is a shop, but hopes of buying beautiful lavender products were dashed!  There were only a few bunches of dried flowers and sachets for the wardrobe!

Details

We went on a group trip for ease:  WannaTravel.  There was a great guide - Shenghao - super knowledgeable about other trips that are possible around China.  

Going Alone

Getting a didi/taxi from East Xujing would take about 1 hour and cost about 100RMB, so from downtown, at least 150.  

It's near a place called Thames Town (apparently modeled on a old English village) - a place for another day!

Local area of lake and Herb Farm in Qingpu

 

The bigger picture of location related to downtown Shanghai