JINGDEZHEN CERAMIC RESIDENCY

6 days to Shanghai

8 Days to Residency.

Artists from the Sunshine Coast are:

Robyn Gill - Australian Coordinator

Ellen Appleby, Norman Dobson, Yeats Gruin, Linda Perry,

Carolyn Ritchie, John Ritchie , Mieke van Sambeeck

Ellen Vasiliauskas, Lindi Drew

Here is an Email from Ellen A.

Ellen A, Ellen V & Yeats are obviously enjoying their Tour.

Shanghai was really enjoyable, a very clean and interesting city.

Beijing a bit more challenging, and we had trouble with our booking at the first hotel so we are now in a hotel called Days Inn, a hotel chain and not memorable - they will be on the Internet if you need to find us. A more upmarket hotel, about the same price with breakfast (sort of western style). And ok. Next to the Forbidden City so we'll go there tomorrow.

Today we have booked a car to go to the Great Wall - a cheaper and better way to get there. We met up with Yeats son Julian and his girlfriend yesterday and saw the Temple of Heaven. A huge complex of several hundred acres with temples. It was the place the emperor made sacrifices amid enormous ceremony. Everything so huge from the dynasties.

Food here has been really good. The dinner is started with dishes of vegetables, and meat (no rice). This is followed by dumplings, either steamed or fried. Julian took us to a popular restaurant last night with 2 pages on the menu of different dumplings (they are like wantons with thin wrappers, not dough).

One of the highlights was the canal trip at Suzhou - the Venice of China - quite charming.

The Shanghai Museum has an amazing collection of ceramics (as you'd expect), but after walking around them for a couple of hours, it was enough!! We went to a famous Buddhist Temple in Suzhou - just amazing and beautiful. So much to see here, but language is a problem and situations can easily be misunderstood - all part of the cultural adventure.

I can't get onto Facebook or Blogger here, so will have to send the occasional email.

Here are a couple of photos of Shanghai.

Next update in a couple of days.

Love

Ellen