Lisa in China (2)

"I've seen nothing like this before," whispers Lisa into Mei's ear. "They look alike, but they are all different."

"Each soldier's face is unique," the guide continues. "The soldiers are as tall as real people and they had swords, knives, crossbows and other weapons. Surprisingly, all these were as sharp as new! According to their roles, the height of the soldiers varies; the tallest are the generals and you'll also find officials, warriors, chariots, horses, even acrobats and musicians. Some of them have missing parts and others are still in the dirt. However, some of the soldiers are in Very good shape and seem new, as you can see," says the guide.

"I wonder how many people had to work to make this army," Lisa whispers, and the guide hears her.

"According to Sima Qian, an ancient historian, more than 700,000 workers worked on the emperor's tomb for about 38 years," he explains.

"Wow! Amazing!" exclaims Lisa. "But where is the tomb?"

"Ah, the tomb is still a mystery," adds the guide. "Archaeologists have found the tomb, but they have not opened it yet."

"No? Why not?" asks Lisa. "Surely, there will be lots of treasures inside!"

"Well," says the man, "that's what Sima Qian's book says. But archaeologists are worried that they might damage the valuable objects inside the tomb."

"I see," says Lisa.

"There is something else too," adds Hu Tian. "There are traps inside the tomb. Dangerous traps, to prevent tomb raiders from stealing the treasures inside. At least, that's what the legend says..."

"Oh, it's such an interesting story! I guess we'll have to wait and see!" Lisa smiles. "With or without the treasures from the Emperor's tomb, this place is fantastic!"

CHAPTER SIX

The next day, Lisa, Mei and Hu Tian go to Shanghai on another overnight train. The first place to visit is an area called the Bund.

It's a lively place by the Huangpu River, full of beautiful historical buildings.

They walk down a street called Nanjing Road, the main street of the Bund, and have lunch at a restaurant. Lisa tries Shanghai crispy chicken and she finds it delicious.

"I'm really getting used to using chopsticks. It's actually a lot of fun!" Lisa says, excitedly.

After lunch, they walk a few blocks to the Yu Garden, in Shanghai's Old City. It is a traditional Chinese garden with beautiful, old buildings called pagodas. It is very large and they take their time exploring it. There are various trees and rocks and small ponds with bridges. Ducks and fish are swimming in the water and there are dragons on the walls.

"The trees, plants and flowers are so pretty! And it's so peaceful here!" Lisa admires. "It is the perfect place to walk around, it makes you feel you are at one with nature."

"Well, that is exactly what the Chinese garden is about," says Mei. "Here one can escape from the busy daily routine and have some time to themselves."

After a pleasant walk through the Yu Garden, Mei and Hu Tian take Lisa to the Yu Market right outside.

"The Yu Market is so noisy and busy with people!" Lisa exclaims. "It suddenly feels like we're in a different city."

"Of course it's noisy," says Mei. "Shanghai has the largest population in China."

Lisa has fun choosing a few traditional gifts: a pearl necklace for her mother, chopsticks for all her family and a beautiful silk dress for herself.

Then she asks Mei: "I want to get something special for my friend, Ellie. What do you suggest?"

Mei points to some Chinese silk scarves. "How about one of those? Chinese silk is famous worldwide!"

"Great, Ellie will love it!" Lisa says enthusiastically as she buys the scarf.

CHAPTER SEVEN

When Lisa wakes up the next day, she looks out of the window and sees that it is raining.

"Oh no!" says Lisa, disappointed. "What are we going to do now? We can't see much of Shanghai in the rain."

"Don't worry, Lisa," Hu Tian says, "We can still see a lot today. We just need to go above the rain."

"I don't know what you mean by that, but I'm happy to follow you on another surprise tour," says Lisa.

First, they take Lisa to the Shanghai World Financial Centre. It's a 492 metres tall building with 101 floors!

"We'll go to the third observation deck on the 100th floor," says Hu Tian. "I hope you're not afraid of heights!"

"No, of course not," says Lisa and smiles as she remembers her New York experience.

Once they get to the observation deck, Lisa takes a look around and says, "It is fantastic up here! We are even higher than the clouds. We really are above the rain."

"We are 474 metres, 1,555 feet above the ground," explains Mei. "Have a look at the view, it's amazing!"

"What's that building over there? It's very interesting," Lisa points out of the window.

"That's the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. We're going to visit it next," says Hu Tian.

When they arrive at the Oriental Pearl TV Tower they visit the rotating restaurant. It stands 267 meters, or 876 feet, above Shanghai.

"This place is great! Hey look, I can see the SWFC from here!" says Lisa, looking out of the large windows.

"The rain stopped," says Mei. Suddenly, a rainbow appears in the sky.

"Wow!" admires Lisa. "How wonderful!"

She has a great day in the Shanghai sky.

CHAPTER EIGHT

After taking the last train ride of their trip, Lisa, Hu Tian and Mei arrive in Hong Kong.

"I can already tell that Hong Kong is different from any of the other places we've been to. The cars are driving on the left side of the road," Lisa says, during their taxi ride to the hotel.

"That's not the only difference," Mei tells Lisa. "The people here speak Cantonese. It is different from Mandarin Chinese, but they also have much in common."

"Tell me some more about Hong Kong," asks Lisa. "I don't really know much."

"Well, it is one of the most populated places in the world, with an amazing culture. Hong Kong's landscape is also unique. There are hills and tall mountains, parks and nature reserves, and there are about 200 offshore islands. Visitors have a lot to do here. Just wait and see!" Mei says.

After leaving their luggage in their hotel rooms, they head to the Peak Tram. It takes them up to The Peak, the top of one of the nearby mountains, 396 metres above sea level. The view from the top of the Peak Tower is breathtaking.

"Hong Kong's skyline is very impressive, as you can see. There are more than 7, 600 skyscrapers, but that's not what makes the place so special," Mei says.

"Yes. It is a great mixture of amazing buildings and beautiful landscape. The view is fantastic from up here!" replies Lisa, enthusiastically.

"Let me take your photo, the light is wonderful right now," she tells her friends as she reaches in her pocket for her camera. "This picture will be suitable for the next Photo Convention," she says and smiles.

CHAPTER NINE

Lisa looks out of her window at the Hong Kong skyline. The place looks magical at night, with millions of lights shining.

"It's my last night in China," Lisa keeps thinking. She feels a bit sad about it, but she is also a little homesick.

"I'm sure tomorrow will be a day to remember," she thinks and goes to sleep.

The next morning, the three young people go to a place called Aberdeen, on a nearby island. On the way there, they pass by a park in Kowloon City. Lisa notices a large group of people who are all standing in the park, in strange positions.

"What are they doing?" she asks curiously.

"They're practising Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese martial art," explains Hu Tian.

"Really? Can we get off of the bus and watch for a while?" Lisa asks.

"Of course," replies Mei.

"People who practise Tai Chi do a series of warrior movements very slowly, concentrating on their bodies. It helps them stay healthy," Hu Tian tells Lisa.

"How interesting!" Lisa says.

"Would you like to try?" asks a woman. "The class is free, and it's only an hour long."

Lisa is thrilled. "Mei, can you take some pictures of me practising? I want to show them to Ellie when I get back."

Next Lisa and her friends take the bus to Ocean Park in Aberdeen.

"It's a huge place with lots of attractions," explains Mei. "We're going to take you to see the giant pandas."

"Wow! They're so big!" exclaims Lisa when she sees the animals in the Giant Panda Habitat. "But they're cute!"

"Pandas are in great danger; only 1,000 to 3,000 remain in the wild," says Hu Tian.

"How about a visit to Aqua City next?" asks Mei.

"That sounds great," Lisa agrees.

She's right. Thousands of colourful fish and other sea animals, make their visit unforgettable. Lisa keeps taking pictures.

"It will make a great article for the school newspaper," she thinks to herself. "Ellie will be thrilled."

CHAPTER TEN

The three of them are tired, but their visit to Aberdeen hasn't finished yet. Hu Tian and Mei take Lisa to the famous floating village on Aberdeen harbour. They call it 'floating' because it is a village of boats.

"This is incredible! There are so many boats that I can't even see the water," exclaims Lisa.

"All these people live on their boats; their lives depend on fishing and the sea. The 'boat people' of Hong Kong have lived this way for centuries," Mei explains.

"Now," smiles Hu Tian, "since it is our last dinner together, it must be special."

So, they go to the Jumbo Kingdom, a famous floating restaurant.

"Give me a minute," says Lisa and disappears for a while. When she comes back, she's wearing her Chinese red silk dress.

"I bought it for a special occasion," she says. "Well, it is a special occasion."

Mei gives her a big hug and they sit down to enjoy their dinner.

The lights of the floating village make the place look magical.

The next day, the time has come for Lisa to say goodbye to her Chinese friends and board the plane back home.

"I am sad to leave, but I will come back to China some day. Now I have an extra reason... I have good friends to visit here," she says to Hu Tian and Mei, with a smile.

"We must stay in touch. Promise?" asks Mei.

"I promise," says Lisa, "And you must come and visit me some day, too!"

As she sits down in her seat, she thinks about her visit to China. The people, the food, the sights... everything was incredible!

"Well," she thinks and a big smile appears on her face. "I wouldn't trade this experience for all the tea in China!"

- THE END -