Comments on: Suzhou: Ancient Capital of the Wu

By: Hek

Hek — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 05:07:22 +0000

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

By: GAC

GAC — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 21:57:09 +0000

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

By: Benjamin Ross

Benjamin Ross — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 19:37:20 +0000

@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.

By: GAC

GAC — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 18:19:29 +0000

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.

By: Eric

Eric — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 01:26:01 +0000

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

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:36:59 +0000

“Walking Street” is probably much better translated as “Pedestrian Street”

By: Bean

Bean — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:20:05 +0000

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!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 04:46:18 +0000

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

By: bob

bob — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 03:58:01 +0000

糯米藕 ?

By: Benjamin Ross

Benjamin Ross — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 02:31:09 +0000

@ 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.