Sheshan

A friend of mine, Anita, and I decided that we need to escape the city for a day and go explore.  We decided to do something close by so we hopped on the subway and rode it for an hour to the city of Sheshan.  They are known for their old street with restaurants and shopping and also for their famous Catholic Cathedral.  The Cathedral was built in 1863, and then rebuilt in 1935 because the Chinese wanted to compete with other, larger Cathedrals.  It was also damaged during the cultural revolution when the Priest was thrown in jail.  Despite losing some of the history from the old building, the new building is beautiful and feels like you have stepped into Tuscany with its many Basilicas.  Sheshan has become a pilgrimage destinations for Catholics during May.  Anita and I really enjoyed our day, it was quite the adventure.  We got lost and ended up walking way further than needed and the taxi driver stole my transportation card.  But all in all it was a much needed escape from the city.