03.31.09
Posted in Travel at 1:05 pm by Benjamin Ross
This is the 1st entry in a series titled From the Delta to the Backwoods about my recent trip to China.
It was a rainy afternoon on March 3. It had rained every single day since I had arrived in Shanghai on February 17. Temperatures had been constantly hovering around the high 40’s. After two and a half weeks of work in Shanghai, there wasn’t anything I wanted more than to get out of the city. It’s not that I don’t like Shanghai per se, but my consulting work had me shacked up in a district full of ritzy foreign compounds, and constantly commuting across the city area and suburbs. I was living in a district which had the vibe of an American suburb, only much, much more crowded, and I was spending two hours a day sitting in cabs in standstill traffic. The work itself was productive and engaging, but from a personal stance, I still didn’t feel as if I had truly entered the Middle Kingdom I knew. Combine this with the weather, and I was simply ready to get out.
My old buddy Tex (James L. Goode) from Fuzhou had planned to meet up with me on March 13th. Our destination was to be the backwoods of Anhui. In the meantime, I had nearly a week to explore some of the sights and sounds that Jiangsu and Zhejiang had to offer. The first of which was the water town of Suzhou. Fellow blogger Ryan McLaughlin (The Humanaught) and his wife Maggie, offered to put me up, and I spent two and a half days wandering the streets of the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Wu.
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| Because of its ancient canals which wind their way through the town, Suzhou is often referred to as the Venice of China. During my first day of wandering through town, I came across a street called 平江路 (ping2 jiang1 lu4). |
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| 平江路 is located in the eastern part of the old city. Adjacent to the old street flows a small canal, which I am assuming is the 平江. |
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| Without the hustle and bustle, and troops of annoying vendors, 平江路 was one of the quaintest, non-touristy, tourist streets I have ever come upon in China. Informative inscriptions (Chinese only) about its history are written on wooden posts along the canal. I really feel that any trip to Suzhou necessitates a walk along 平江路. |
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| What I enjoy most about Suzhou, and 平江路 exemplifies this as well as anywhere, is that Suzhou is one of the few places you travel to in China which actually looks a lot like what most people picture China looking like before they ever arrive there. It has that warm, fuzzy, old style, Social-Studies-textbook feeling that is noticeably absent in most other “ancient” Chinese cities. |
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| Even the newly constructed areas within the old city retain much of the their charm. |
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| During my visit, I couldn’t detect much functional use for the canals anymore. No goods being transported, taxi services, or anything of the like. However there are tourist boats which run, and at several restaurants with their back to the canal, the water functions as the de facto men’s restroom. |
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| Suzhou is probably most famous for its gardens. I had seen Chinese gardens on several occasions before. They are all quite scenic, but at the same time very similar (think Chinese temples!). This particular garden was called the “Lion Grove.” |
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| Of the numerous gardens in Suzhou, Ryan had recommended the Lion Grove because of the concrete maze which surrounds the water. If you do make the trip to Suzhou, it is definitely worth it to check out one of the gardens, but I do stress the word one. |
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| Like any other Chinese city, Suzhou does have its share of white-tile-style architecture… |
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| …as well as the typical cement boxes (right) as seen all over the Middle Kingdom. |
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| This is the “City Safe Sanitary Subdivision.” It did not appear to be any safer or more sanitary than the rest of Suzhou, which on the whole was both rather safe and sanitary, by my accounts at least. |
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| Here’s a snack which isn’t necessarily endemic to Suzhou, but which I did both encounter and consume on several points throughout my trip. It’s called a 麻辣饼 (ma2 la2 bing3), which literally means “spicy pastry,” and that is exactly what it is. |
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| Another common snack whose name (both English and Chinese) completely escapes me at the moment. Any help? |
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| chestnuts (no open fire) |
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| Here are some additional shots I took of less glorious examples of Suzhou architecture. |
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| Throughout my three days in Suzhou I was constantly amazed at how well preserved the older architecture in Suzhou remained, even the more modest dwellings. In this sense, Suzhou very much reminded me of Pingyao, the old Ming Dynasty banking center built along the road between Beijing and Xi’an. |
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| In addition to the housing stock which dates back to the Qing and Ming Dynasties, Suzhou also has several pagodas which tower over the old city. Like Beijing, Suzhou has regulations stipulating the maximum height of new constructions within the new city, so as not to over-impose on these historical constructions. |
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| The old city is completely surrounded by a wide moat. |
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| old city gate along the moat |
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| On the Northern outskirts of the old city lies Tiger Hill, also with pagoda and Qing Dynasty housing stock. |
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| Well, you knew it couldn’t all be ancient, right? Smack dab in the middle of Suzhou, like the middle of most Chinese cities, lies what is known as a 步行街 (bu4 xing2 jie1) or “walking street.” Suzhou’s walking street is called 观前街 (guan1 qian2 jie1). |
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| 观前街 is a great place to graze on street food. This is where I encountered the famous “Suzhou Octoballs.” |
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| It’s also the main shopping artery for the young and the affluent in this growing Chinese metropolis. |
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| …and home to an entire store which sells nothing, but “Hello Kitty” merchandise. |
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| Another popular attraction is the Suzhou Museum. Containing much of the same ancient artifacts and calligraphy as most other Chinese museums, the collection itself is nothing out of the ordinary. However, the building itself, designed by Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei, makes the museum worth a visit, especially since admission was free. |
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| Again, I felt that exploring the common architecture and streetscape of Suzhou was infinitely more worthwhile than most of the designated tourist attractions. |
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| One of Suzhou’s many Buddhist temples. This would go in the “tourist attraction” category. |
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| As would be expected, China is one of the world’s most pro-birth control countries. Here’s a condom vending machine attached to the cement wall just outside the temple. Notice the mother, father, and single (female) child. |
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| On my second day of wandering through the streets of Suzhou, I came across the area which was the site of Suzhou’s former foreign enclave during the early part of the 20th Century. This is Suzhou’s largest church, which today conducts church services in both Chinese and English, and also holds Christian-themed activities for Chinese and foreigners alike. |
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| As I meandered down the road I inadvertently encountered the campus of Suzhou University. |
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| Originally founded by Methodists in the year 1900, Suzhou University is one of the most aesthetically pleasing campuses in the Middle Kingdom. |
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| In the middle of the campus was a large green space, similar to what you would find in most Western universities. |
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| Grass is always at a premium in the Middle Kingdom, and the campus of Suzhou University contains a pleasing cornicopia of it. |
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| The majority of the campus’ buildings retain the same early 1900’s style. |
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| As one might expect, a canal runs through the university as well. |
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| The mixture of Suzhou and Western styles make the Suzhou University campus a must-see for architectural enthusiasts. |
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| Throughout my visit to Suzhou, and especially during my time spent in this area with its western influenced church and university, I was constantly intrigued with how seemingly unscathed Suzhou’s architecture had been by the Cultural Revolution. |
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| However, a close look at this doorway reveals a small vestige of that turbulent period of Chinese history, during which universities were a major target of attack. |
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| Painted down the right side of the doorway, and apparently intentionally rubbed off years later, remains the faded slogan 毛主席王随 (Long live Chairman Mao). |
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| On the left side, the faded characters read 共产党万岁 (Long live the Communist Party). During the Cultural Revolution it was common for university buildings to be defaced with such overly-patriotic slogans. Today, this practice would be unheard of. |
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| Outside the school gates was more buildings and canals, typical of Suzhou architecture. |
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| another canal lined Suzhou thoroughfare |
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| In addition to the canals themselves, Suzhou is also world renowned for its bridges which cross the canals. |
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| Most of the bridges are constructed of cement and are several hundred years old. |
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| In addition to tourists who come from all corners of the globe, Suzhou is also home to several thousand Westerners, many of whom work with the multitude of factories located in the vicinity of Suzhou, and take advantage of Suzhou’s various clubs and bars, including the…uhhh…the Pulp Fiction Aussie Bar. |
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| As picturesque as Suzhou is during the daytime, it is even moreso at night, as thousands of lights illuminate most of the main roads. |
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| 平江路 (Pingjiang lu) especially, is worth a stroll both during the daytime and after nightfall. |
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| I spent my last evening in Suzhou wandering around town and exploring the nighttime scenery with longtime Suzhou resident Joe Thong, or as I call him “SuJoe” |
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| the entrance to 观前街 (the walking street) at night |
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| A native of Malaysia, and fellow Chinese snack enthusiast, Joe led me through the various street food stalls in 观前街, where we grazed for over an hour. |
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| One snack we enjoyed, which is not unique to Suzhou, is what I call the “Chinese pizza.” It’s a flat bread with herbs, spices, and small pieces of pork sprinkled on top. |
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| A new culinary delight which Joe introduced to me is called the 花生糊 (hua1 sheng1 hu2). It’s a cold drink made of peanut butter and milk, and is completely refreshing after several hours of walking. |
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| After two and a half days in Suzhou, I decided it was time to make a move. I had a great time with Ryan and Maggie, and during my own exploration of the ancient Wu capital, but I only had less than two weeks of vacation time left, and more of the region to see. Next stop, Linan, a county-level city an hour outside of Hangzhou. More to come soon. |
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Louise
said,
March 31, 2009 at 1:25 pm
“Another common snack whose name (both English and Chinese) completely escapes me at the moment. Any help?”
That looks like sticky-rice stuffed lotus root. It’s pretty common leng pan that I’ve had several times in Shanghai and even in the states. Not sure what it’s called in Chinese though.
Tang Tang
said,
March 31, 2009 at 4:47 pm
First of all, fantastic post Ben ! Can’t wait to read (and see) the rest ! 加油！
Last September, I also went to Suzhou and lived at the Mingtown Hostel on 平江路 for a couple of days. I even went to the local clinic, in which no foreigner should usually be allowed, and after bargaining for two-three minutes, convinced a doctor to see me and give me prescriptions to cure my skin irritation. I really enjoyed walking around the city, escaping as much as possible from the touristy places. I also took a look at SIP (Suzhou Industrial Park), but can’t imagine living in that part of town.
I’ve been to Suzhou twice and everytime I go, I find it’s the most humid town in China. I usually tolerate very warm and humid temperatures, but in Suzhou, something’s different, it’s much harder to breathe and move than anywhere else.
堂堂
Benjamin Ross
said,
March 31, 2009 at 9:31 pm
@ Louise
Thanks for the explanation…now does anybody know the Chinese
@Tang Tang
When I was in Suzhou (early March) the weather was actually quite cold (although likely humid too). I actually wore my winter coat as well as long underwear, and would have been literally freezing my 屁股 off had I not brought them. From your description, I’m glad I didn’t go in summer though.
bob
said,
March 31, 2009 at 10:58 pm
糯米藕 ?
Anonymous
said,
March 31, 2009 at 11:46 pm
May be of interest to note,
the Lion Grove Garden used to belong to the grandfather of
the Architect I.M Pei.
This Garden was later donated to the Chinese Government.
How coincidental ( act of fate ? ) you strung the Lion Grove Garden and the Suzhou Museum together in this article, without knowing this
fact.
ThirdEye
Bean
said,
April 1, 2009 at 4:20 am
Oh,That Suzhou snack is called” 糖藕“. and the next is called” 莲心枣子汤” but yeah its often served as the Lengpan in the resturant.. Suzhou locals often eat it in the winter for beauty treatment and personal’s health!
Anonymous
said,
April 1, 2009 at 11:36 am
“Walking Street” is probably much better translated as “Pedestrian Street”
Eric
said,
April 1, 2009 at 8:26 pm
Hi Ben,
This is a great intro to Suzhou, but as someone who has lived here for almost 5 years I disagree with your comment about Suzhou Gardens. They may be an acquired taste, but once you are hooked they repay return visits many times over. Lion’s Grove is quite different from others; some are quite big, some quite small. A little research into the history and philosophy behind them really enhances your appreciation—they are NOT what Westerners think of as a ‘garden’. One tip: the gardens are filled with scenes ‘framed’ by doorways, windows, etc. Thus they are nature artificially arranged to resemble art . . . and so on.
Cheers,
Eric
GAC
said,
April 3, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Great post, looking at your pics brings up some memories of my study abroad last year. So, did you get onto the 苏州大学 campus as a formal guest or did you just walk right past the guards? We often joked that we totally didn’t need the school IDs they gave us, any white person just gets waved on through if they say they are 留学生.
Also, 狮子林 is definitely the best garden as far as I saw. And we saw it after being tired of gardens in the first place.
Benjamin Ross
said,
April 3, 2009 at 2:37 pm
@GAC
I didn’t ID or an escort or anything to walk into the University. I just wandered in. This seems to be the case for most Chinese universities (even if you aren’t a laowai). The school is surrounded by a seemingly impenetrable gate and heavily staffed with security guards. Yet anybody can go in or out without question. Good way to keep people employed I guess.
GAC
said,
April 3, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Exactly my experience. The only real security I remember was when a Chinese friend had to check in her laptop before she left (and it seemed more that she was doing that voluntarily — no one tried to stop her from leaving). There were rather strict curfews on the dorms themselves — but that just meant we ended up making the ayi’s a little annoyed when we woke them to let us in late, nobody got locked out.
Of course, if we come back they may not like that one of the less intelligent students among us lit up a pack of fireworks just before we left at 4am
Hek
said,
April 6, 2009 at 12:07 am
that looks like lotus root stuffed with rice. I don’t know the name but if i had to guess it would be “lotus root stuffed with rice”. Just a shot in the dark there.
Hek