Expert: Jay - 4/14/2009

Question
Hello Jay-

My girlfriend and I are currently in Shanghai for the next month and we aren't super interested in doing the touristy things. We are on a very small budget but want to see some truly unique sights. We've biked around Suzhou and other water towns already, but can you suggest some good trips outside of the Shanghai area via train or bus that are real gems? We are not picky about accommodations and don't mind extending train rides at all. Hopefully you can help! Thanks so much!

Answer
I'm not sure how long you are willing to spend on the train but if you have the time I would recommend taking the train to Tai'An in Shandong Province and visiting Tai Shan.  It is one of the famous religious mountains in China and a very satisfying climb.  If you don't want to climb up there there are buses that will take you half way and a cable car the rest of the way and the same for the way down.  It is a great sight to sit on top of the mountain and watch the sun come up.

I don't really know of too many places outside of Shanghai except the usual water towns and the cities like Hangzhou, Suzhou, Nanjing and Yangzhou.

Jay