Shanghai Gongqing Forest Park

We went to the Shanghai Gongqing Forest Park today. It’s on the northeast side of the city, butting up against the skanky Huangpu River. The park is huge. In four hours we only covered about a quarter of the place. The lads had a great time. They learned the difference between deciduous and evergreen trees, chased some live frogs, mourned some dead ones, and at the end, got to go on a bouncy castle–a ubiquitous feature in Chinese parks and plazas–and eat ice cream.
The big thing to do at the park seems to be to have one’s wedding photos taken. We probably saw 10 to 15 couples in full wedding regalia at different parts along our walk, each being followed by a cameraman, videographer, and various friends and attendants. At one point, there was a three couple pile-up at a popular spot near a pond. Several soon-to-be newlyweds (I think these photos are taken several months before the actual wedding) cooled their jets on a warm summer day as another couple posed on a small pier. Of all the couples we witnessed, the only bride we saw with a smile on her face was one who had just hopped off a golf cart and was heading out of the park, presumably back to a nearby hotel.