Hey folks — we just got back from two days in China for TechCrunch Shanghai 2015, an event run with our partner Technode. Here we are at the Art West Bund on Monday, the rain didn’t dampen the mood or the attendance: some 6,000 people passed through these doors over the course of the two-day event.

TechCrunch COO Ned Desmond kicked things off on the main stage, where we had a busy schedule of top entrepreneurs, VCs and other prominent thinkers in the tech space.

The main hall was maxed out — coming up next: a selection of some of the many sessions that were put on.

Fritz Demopoulos, one of the most successful overseas entrepreneurs in China, talked about the rise of early-stage funding and why the country is tough for foreign founders.

TechCrunch’s Catherine Shu interviewed two of China’s most prominent VCs: Jenny Lee from GGV Capital, and Doll Capital Management’s Ruby Lu, who explained why China is the best market for mobile, how new startups are emerging for China, and why they are bullish about the country’s startup scene and innovation.

Shanghai Consul General Hanscom Smith discussed entrepreneurship and innovation ties between the U.S. and China.

Arnon Perlman, the Consul-General of Israel in Shanghai, talked on how his country earned the ‘Startup Nation’ title, and what China and others can learn from it.

Internet of things was a constant topic of discussion, such is China’s prowess as a country of hardware and engineering. Some of the panels and interviews were conducted in Chinese, with a live translation service available via headsets, including this one.

Everyone likes 3D printing, our stellar panel included Autodesk and other industry experts.

Andy Pan of DJI, the Chinese drone-maker that is reportedly worth more than $1 billion, discussed how the company’s open platform can help agriculture, telecom and other verticals, and lessons Chinese startups can take from DJI’s success.

Away from the panel sessions and interviews was the startup alley, hosting a range of companies from enterprise, to software, services and hardware from across China, Taiwan and Korea.

One view looking up the entrance to startup alley.

Scanning the nails art brings up augmented reality holograms on your finger tips. Pretty cool.

Tech to help you sleep better.

McCafe provided the hot (and cold) beverages and snacks for event goers.

Teambition was one company that channeled recognizable figures, and tech, to stand out.

Xkcoter was one of many companies with cool tech for getting around town.

This three screened setup was a nice distraction from work or networking.

Niu’s neat rides use electricity. Sadly these scooters weren’t open to test drives at the event.

This electric scooter from a Chinese company called Stary was open to riders. Naturally we went outside to test it out.

The skateboard doesn’t look like most electric versions. That’s because the battery is inside the board itself, while it generates power from a single motor that is discreetly positioned inside the right-side back wheel. With a top speed of 30km/hour and a 15km range per charge, it’s no slouch, however.

Some of the distinguished tech figures who couldn’t be there were personified in portraits from a local artists.

I couldn’t resist at least one cheesy photo.

Car+ uses a dashboard-based display to beam information, such as travel routes, to your windscreen so you can see it while you drive.

I’ll admit we were pretty obsessed with Coolped’s luggage-cum-scooter. Retailing at around $500, it’s a novel way for the modern traveler to get around town.

Coolped also showed off this motorized scooter, which folds up and could be ideal for commuters wanting to add more zip to their commute to and from work.

Ucon’s smart remote uses bluetooth to connect to a range of home gadgets including air conditioning units and TVs. A companion mobile app allows you to activate devices remotely — so you can switch your air on before you get home, for example — and also locate the thing when it falls down the back of the coach.

This Android-based point of sale device supports a range of online payments in China, including WeChat. So, essentially, you can buy flowers for your someone special just by using a messaging app.

In the Taiwan pavilion, this startup was showing off a new way to make green tea without waiting for the bag/leaves to infuse. Just add the mixture, shake, and 30 seconds later your tea is ready. We were quite impressed.

Famy, a winner from our recent TechCrunch Seoul meetup, was among the companies representing Korea on the show floor.

When in China, founder karaoke is how to sign out of an event. See you in Beijing for our next China event later this year!