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*They love lights, even apartment buildings are elaborately decorated with lights

*Spectacular floral displays around the city are constructed from hundreds of very small pot plants *All the major roads around the city are adorned with colourful baskets of *Billboards and advertising hoardings are relatively rare *The streets are very clean and there is no graffiti anywhere *Shanghai is China's most populated city with 25m residents Here are some things of note about Shanghai: What a great day, with plenty of time to reflect on what we had seen during the bus ride back to the hotel. We had dinner in the village followed by a very dreamy, step-back-in-time, canal side walk through this ancient village and back to our bus. It was so peaceful beside the canals as the sun dipped below the trees and the lanterns gradually come on, their light shimmering in the water. As the day turned to dusk the town emptied out until it seemed there was just our group and the villagers left. Most of the lower floors of the two storey houses are given over to shops, food stalls and restaurants, selling everything from roasted scorpions and spiders, to more palatable, to my mind anyway, roast pork wrapped in leaves and duck. In order to retain its character residents may alter the interior of their homes as much as they like but cannot alter the exterior.

Our group was a pretty adventurous lot so managed to get off the main tourist paths at times and find quiet little corners to enjoy the beauty and tranquility of the place. When we arrived the village was crowded but nevertheless pleasant enough to stroll beside the canals, up and down the narrow alley ways and over some of the village's 36 stone, humped back bridges. It is an excellent museum, considered to be one of the best in China, and the perfect place to look at and learn about rare and precious Chinese antiquities.

I was also fascinated by the elaborate, antique furniture in the furniture gallery and the display of traditional costumes from various parts of China. I love Chinese porcelain so particularly enjoyed that gallery. Set in a stunning building designed to look like a ding, an ancient Chinese cooking vessel, the museum, set over four levels, contains a comprehensive collection of Chinese art, ceramics, sculpture, furniture, jade, coins, calligraphy etc. The square is the location of the Shanghai Museum, our destination for the afternoon. It is a popular spot for locals to perform Tai Chi or dance but was quiet when we were there in the middle of the day. Spectacular floral display, People's Squareīefore lunch we visited People's Square, central Shanghai, to admire the spectacular plantings and enjoy the peaceful ambiance of the surrounding park. Stretching a small silk cocoon to the size of a duvet