Our Married Adventure

This weekend we went to Sheshan for a day hike. By far, the HOTTEST day we've experience while here in Shanghai! SO HOT! We rode an hour out on the metro from our station of Lujiazui on Line 2 to the station Sheshan on Line 9. Off of that line is 'Happy Valley' a Chinese amusement park (will have to check it out once it's cooler) and a brand new water park that opened this month called 'Play Maya Waterpark'.

Sheshan is the first town outside of the city where you can begin to see mountains or 'hills' for those of us raised in the South and not around mountains. On top of one is the Sheshan Basilica "Church of the Holy Mother in China" and a couple of observatories. We grabbed a taxi from the metro station and pointed to the church on top of the mountain. The driver understood for the most part though he did drive by and slow down at the waterpark and pointed but we laughed and pointed to the church. Not knowing how to reach the top of the hill, the driver dropped us off at a gate at the base. We saw turnstiles and figured that was where to head. To our luck, it was free and we began our hike up the hill:

Looking back down at the entrance gate:

Detail on the door:

B predicted what we will feel like at the end of the hike:

A lovely surprise at the first stair landing, Chinese pagoda!

He thought about it.....

At the next stair landing was another Chinese building seeming more like a temple with a bell tower and incense burning outside:

Pathway on the way to the church:

No photography was allowed inside. It was a very simplistic Catholic church with no elaborate embellishments; smooth concrete walls, columns, and simply designed stained glass windows.

A fun fu dog on a corner!

Nice view from a top the hill as well :)

Heading back down the hill:

And this queue line I found so interesting.... at every line switch there was an altar for offerings; made me wonder why there was a queue line and such a long one at that....

There are two observatories on top of the hill - one is closed to the public and the other is open to the public but was closed the day we were there. This sign was posted outside the observatory closed to the public; not sure what it says but I liked the graphic.

On down the mountain there was this building - another religious building of some sorts but I loved the lettering at the top near the roof:

Wouldn't that make for a great monogram design!

(Southern girl problem....!)

Across from this building were a few of outside alters of Virgin Mary, Jesus, and another I couldn't recognize. Strange to see Christianity vividly represented in China! Quite lovely and the vivid colors reminded me of mexican symbology.