Trifter

Nearing the end of the Yangtze River and placed on the shores of the Lake Taihu, Suzhou is a prosperous and popular country centre in the province of Jiangsu.

Suzhou is a city of canals, gardens, pagodas and bridges. If you want to experience traditional Chinese accommodation you can stay in a hutong. Traditional Chinese communities are built around a series of courtyards and alleyways. A hutong is a hotel that has taken the traditional setting and converted it into accommodation for travelers. These photos are of the Pingjiang Lodge Hutong. The rooms are comfortable with large (though relatively hard) beds, a modern bathroom with toilet, washbasin, shower and bath that are well maintained and clean.

The Pingjiang Lodge is located on the edge of the canal in the Pingjiang District quite close to the city centre. It has a modern restaurant and coffee shop just across the street from the main entrance to the hutong.

Although there are many attractions in Suzhou this traveler only spent two days there and will certainly be returning for more exploring.

As you stroll the street next to the canal in Pingjiang, which I believe is called Pingjiang Lu (Lu is Road), you will come across delightful tea houses and local restaurants specialising in the local cuisine. There are also some coffee shops and boutiques that are very ritzy. If you choose to have tea or coffee on the edge of the canal you can watch as the boatmen  (and women) guide punt style boats along the canal. As they pass you can hear the driver singing traditional Chinese songs to the passengers. In this area there is an active branch of a Chinese Opera Society and if you are lucky you will catch them providing a performance on the banks of the canal, in full operatic regalia.

At the end of the canal you will find the Humble Administrator’s Garden, the largest public garden in Suzhou and certainly a very beautiful place with lakes and bridges and fabulous displays of lotus and bonsai.  The garden is actually not very large and you can easily walk around it in an hour or so. It was quite crowded for the holiday weekend. The Chinese really enjoy their parks and gardens and take full advantage of good weather to visit these delightfully scenic gardens.

Another outing not to be missed in Suzhou is a trip on a boat along the large canal that forms the city moat around the older part of the town. As you cruise along the canal you will see right into the homes and businesses of the townspeople. It is an interesting peek into an ancient culture. There are 14 bridges between the city and the pagoda riverboat station at Tiger Hill. The trip takes about an hour and the photographic opportunities are just constant as you cruise by the bridges, temples, houses, shops schools and gardens.

This writer will be returning to Suzhou often to see the attractions that could not fit into one far too tiny weekend.