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Suzhou,
located an hour train ride from Shanghai, is known for its gardens
and canals. Once the capital of the Wu state during the Period of
Warring States, 403 - 221 BC), Suzhou flourished as a major trading
and silk center in the early 6th century. Da Yunhe, the Grand Canal,
linked Suzhou to capital. Very prosperous during the Ming and Qing
dynasties many of China's affluent settled in Suzhou and the local
traders became wealthy. Much of this wealth was spent in creating
elaborate gardens, over 150 of them, that, today, make Suzhou famous.
Gardens large and small can be found throughout Suzhou tucked away
behind houses and hidden between its narrow streets.
The
objective of the Chinese garden,s to create the illusion of the
universe in a confined area, was surely achieved here in Suzhou.
While we visited only one garden it effectively demonstrated the
use of rocky crags, zigzagging bridges, and winding paths commingled
with garden spaces complete with ponds, fountains and pavilions.
These are truly beautiful gardens.
However,
before we visited the garden we took a boat ride along Suzhou's
Grand Canal and through some of its smaller side canals. We also
visited a silk factory and learned much about the silk producing
process and, believe it or not, it was fascinating!
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Train
to Suzhou |
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Anne
and I (left) and John and Carol (right) take the opportunity to
talk to
our fellow travelers during the hour long train ride.
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| Since
I've been commenting on the pros and cons of taking escorted tours
I should probably mention another consideration. One that could be
either a pro or con depending on the exact tour and, unfortunately,
there's no way to forecast what it will be before leaving. Your travel
tour companions. On this tour we would be traveling with the same
23 people for 25 days. Practically living with them morning, noon
and night the entire time and certainly confined in close proximity
for much of the time. For that reason it's important that the people
get along. We were fortunate on this trip because the group was small
and all were seasoned travelers. That's not always the case. In fact,
on a tour we took to Egypt there was a couple that announced to the
entire group at the beginning of the trip that they had nothing in
common with the rest of the group and wanted little to do with the
group even though they would be traveling together for a week. Surprising,
but true. Unfortunately you're stuck with the group you end up with
and there's nothing that you can do about it. You won't know what
personalities you'll be dealing with until you've arrived at your
destination. So, if you sign up for an escorted tour ... good luck
with your travel companions. |
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Anne
peering out from the boat |
Arriving
in Suzhou we boarded a bus and were introduced to our local tour guide.
It was a short ride to dock where the Grand Canal tour boats were
located and our local guide filled us in on the history of Suzhou
and the Grand Canal. Speaking of the local guide. I don't remember
her name, but I remember her demeanor. She was a once teacher and
tried to command the same level of attention from us that she'd have
gotten from her students in class. Several times she got very annoyed
when people weren't paying close attention to what she was saying.
Being a teacher of adults myself I had to laugh at how upset she got
and her determination that everyone would pay attention to her whether
they wanted to or not. She was interesting to listen to as she was
middle aged and had lived through the Cultural Revolution. She had
much to say about life in China before, during and after the Cultural
Revolution, and it was interesting. |
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These
pictures were taken along the Suzhou's Grand Canal giving a glimpse
of what life is like
for the citizens of Suzhou. However, for a better look at Suzhou's
canal life it's necessary
to ride up and down some of the smaller canals.
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Apartments
along the canal |
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Working
boat |
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Turning
down one of the smaller side canals we would get a firsthand view
of what life is like living on the canal. Cruising down the canal
we literally invaded their backyards. Laundry hanging on lines to
dry, children playing and waving to us, potted plants bathing in the
Sun, and women doing their laundry in the canal were common sights
along the canal. |
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Bridges
cross the canal |
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A
smaller canal |
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Steps
to the canal |
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A
smaller canal |
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View
from under a bridge |
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Laundry
drying |
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Man
sitting with his birds |
Narrow
passages of the side canal |
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Children
waving |
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Women
doing their laundry in the canal
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Leaving
the smaller canal we passed through some very narrow passages (left),
barely large enough for the boat, and returned to the Grand Canal
(right) passing the local fishing boats that doubled as houses for
their owners.
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The
Marco Polo Bridge spanning the Grand Canal |
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Now
back on the Grand Canal we headed to our meeting point with the tour
bus for our next stop ... a visit to a silk factory for a demonstration
on the silk process and, of course, a visit to the local store offering
silk goods for sale. Believe it or not it was fascinating (the demonstration
part not the store part!). Join us on the next page to learn what
was so fascinating ... |
