Xiangyang Park
Xiangyang Park is around the corner from us, and is a wonderful, typical Shanghai Park. Everything is highly planned for activity and communal gatherings. I have shown photos of the park in the morning when everyone is out exercising in their various chosen forms, and now it is late morning and it is just a gathering spot. Storey and I came here to hangout on a beautiful Sunday morning while Ridley and Paige walked further down the street to one of our favorite DVD stores. We were all waiting for the dim sum restaurant to open. Back to the parks here - it is about nature, but not about nature being natural, if that makes sense. Part of the idea of nature is to make it beautiful through human design and for human use. It is designed with lots of trees, shrubs, flowers, rocks, walkways, all to be used by everyone. This large walkway into the park has benches on both sides, and one of the activities in the middle on this day is one of the water painters. Drawing Chinese characters is an art form, and on the gray surface the water characters stay long enough to be admired by passersby. Sorry not to know what he is writing about. I am sure it has to do with happiness, good long life, things like that - or quotes from famous writers. . . 
Around one of the many paths surrounded by trees, we found a covered open area where a serious game of Chinese checkers was in progress. In the summer time these shaded areas, surrounded by trees, help provide some relief from the heat while gathering in all possible wind currents.
As we followed this path around, hidden by trees and shrubs and curving walkways, Storey and I came upon this children's area, that in all our previous visits to the park we had neglected to find. It is well tucked away, which is private for the kids, and a happy hidden corner from all the other park visitors! Several rides, a carousel, this water ride, and carnival like games are all available.
Storey begrudgingly admitted that she was a tad too big to go on the rides. She would have loved to get on them all. Instead she found carnival games that were thoroughly enjoyable. She shot balls, trying to knock over animals in this one. She had quite a crowd that gathered behind her to check out her accomplishments. One of the onlookers was a dad who decided he needed to try his hand....
He took over the very small seat to prove his worth while his son stood by, not getting the opportunity to play!
Storey found pictures hanging on a kiosk and we saw this paint table and assumed they all went together. She got a butterfly and the gentleman in the kiosk ran for one of the women helpers who came and pealed the design off the paper, transferred it to a metal sheet and gave it back to Storey.
Storey very calmly and cooly painted, head down, while once again she attracted lookers on. No personal space problems here!
Ridley and Paige soon showed up and Paige joined in the fun with a fish design. When finished, the gentleman in the kiosk put the metal sheets in a little toaster oven and baked it and we got to take home the masterpieces. We thought they were stained glass window designs, but we have yet to get them to stick to the windows.
One more water shooting game before we left. There were several attendants walking around and taking care of everyone's needs. It was quite organized, civilized and fun. With the last paint applied and baked, we then scurried off to our dim sum brunch, thoroughly enjoying our local park!
Around one of the many paths surrounded by trees, we found a covered open area where a serious game of Chinese checkers was in progress. In the summer time these shaded areas, surrounded by trees, help provide some relief from the heat while gathering in all possible wind currents.
As we followed this path around, hidden by trees and shrubs and curving walkways, Storey and I came upon this children's area, that in all our previous visits to the park we had neglected to find. It is well tucked away, which is private for the kids, and a happy hidden corner from all the other park visitors! Several rides, a carousel, this water ride, and carnival like games are all available.
Storey begrudgingly admitted that she was a tad too big to go on the rides. She would have loved to get on them all. Instead she found carnival games that were thoroughly enjoyable. She shot balls, trying to knock over animals in this one. She had quite a crowd that gathered behind her to check out her accomplishments. One of the onlookers was a dad who decided he needed to try his hand....
He took over the very small seat to prove his worth while his son stood by, not getting the opportunity to play!
Storey found pictures hanging on a kiosk and we saw this paint table and assumed they all went together. She got a butterfly and the gentleman in the kiosk ran for one of the women helpers who came and pealed the design off the paper, transferred it to a metal sheet and gave it back to Storey.
Storey very calmly and cooly painted, head down, while once again she attracted lookers on. No personal space problems here!
Ridley and Paige soon showed up and Paige joined in the fun with a fish design. When finished, the gentleman in the kiosk put the metal sheets in a little toaster oven and baked it and we got to take home the masterpieces. We thought they were stained glass window designs, but we have yet to get them to stick to the windows.
One more water shooting game before we left. There were several attendants walking around and taking care of everyone's needs. It was quite organized, civilized and fun. With the last paint applied and baked, we then scurried off to our dim sum brunch, thoroughly enjoying our local park!
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