2002-12-28 11:37:08Fiddler

We Are Closed

The most puzzled thing I have encountered in Shanghai was the phrase "We are closed." One the first day arriving Shanghai, I tried to go to the Shanghai Museum around 3:30pm, but when I got there the guards wouldn't let me in. Because it's almost 4:00pm, so they said "We are closed." Then I asked them, what is the closing hour? ..."5:00pm". See, it's more than an hour away, but they wouldn’t let me in.
The following day, I went to the Chen Huang Temple near the Yu Yuan (or Yu Garden), around 3:30pm...same thing, I was stopped at the temple door, because "we are closed." What?? I have never heard of temple closed...!@#$% I told the guy it's still early, why can't I just look around, and I was willing to pay for the ticket (Yes, it cost money to enter a temple, to every temple actually), but he just kept saying "Come back again tomorrow, and make it early"
I wonder how many "We are closed." I would hear during this trip...
After my unsuccessful attempt of visiting the temple, I walked around the area and looking for local food. When I saw this stand which "Royal Princess Treat", I could not help but to buy and give it a try. Then, the drama began....

(to be continued...)

p.s. The photo was taken outside the Cheng Huang Temple. The most and biggest stores outside the Cheng Huang Temple is Gold Shop. Very hard to associate jewelers with a temple, and found it more materialist than non-communist countries.