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This weekend, I took a trip to the cities of Suzhou and Nanjing, which are both just west of Shanghai. We headed out from the Shanghai Railway Station Friday morning and spent a full day exploring Suzhou. On Friday night, we hopped on another train to Nanjing, where we stayed until Sunday afternoon. Although most Chinese refer to Suzhou and Nanjing as small towns compared to Shanghai, both cities boast populations in the millions. Apparently, small is a very relative term in China.
Suzhou, famous for its remarkable gardens and network of canals, has developed into a popular destination for tourists. After picking up a map and orientating ourselves with the city, our first stop was the Humble Administrator's Garden, the largest and most prominent garden in Suzhou. Although crowded with lots of tourists, the landscape was very impressive. The scenery is a combination of interconnected islands spaced between marshland and small ponds. Giant lily pads two or three feet in diameter grow up from the bottom of shallow waterways. Bamboo and hanging moss add an especially Chinese flavor to the garden. Established in the 1700's, the gardens are still rich with traditional pavilions, stone-paved walkways, and free-standing bridges. After
leaving the gardens, we walked around the streets of Suzhou to get an impression of the city. Many shops sell silk garments, a common resource in central China. I bought a Mao Zedong hat (see pictures) from one of the touristy street vendors, which apparently amused the locals. A lot of people pointed and smiled when they saw me wearing the green cap with its bright red star. In the afternoon, we visited the North Pagoda, which stands over the city like a proud beacon. I climbed the stairs up to the top level, 250 feet above the city, which provided a great view of Suzhou and the surrounding area. After leaving the the Pagoda, we took a bus to the other side of the city and wandered around the outdoor food markets. Here, they keep live fish, eel, and chickens ready to be made into a meal. Fruit markets are also very popular. On small alleys, old men sit and play Chinese chess, which can sometimes draw a crowd. After crossing the nearby Wumen Bridge and watching the small motor boats pass by on the river, we headed for the train station for our next adventure.
We arrived
in Nanjing late on Friday night, and we took the subway to a stop that was close to the hotel that I had reserved. The streets were all dark and everything was closed, which contrasts sharply with the active nightlife in Shanghai. Luckily, we were able to find the hotel, and split up between all eight of us, the four rooms only cost about $12 per night. The next morning, we set out for Purple Mountain on the outskirts of the city to see several historical points of interest. Since the subway system in Nanjing is not very extensive, the easiest way to reach our destination was by bus. The most impressive monument on the mountain was the mausoleum of Sun Yat Sen, who started the cultural revolution in 1911. Designed by a Cornell graduate, the pathway to the mausoleum spans at least a few hundred yards. After walking up a gently sloping path, we reached the start of a giant staircase stretching up to the tomb. The climb was tiring, but we were rewarded with a great view of the surrounding wooded area and distant buildings at the top. We also took a trolley to the Linggu scenic area,
where I ascended another Pagoda. From the top, the surrounding area was a pattern of densely forested rolling hills. In the distance, I could just barely make out the buildings and skyscrapers of Nanjing. Our final stop on Purple Mountain was the Ming Dynasty Tomb and Scenic Spot. Although not as impressive as the Sun Yat Sen monument, the Ming Tomb was more colorful and decorated than the other two memorials. We left the park area in late afternoon and went to the Confucius Temple to get some dinner. The Confucius Temple is surrounded by lots of restaurants and street vendors, and neon flashing lights decorate traditional style buildings. We got dinner at a sit down restaurant, but we were still pretty hungry from hiking around all day, so we also stopped to get some pork and chicken kabobs on the street. We walked around for a few hours before retiring to our hotel, exhausted from the day's activities.
On Sunday, we visited Zhonghua Gate, which served as the Nanjing's southern point of defense for centuries. The structure was built in the 1300's under the Ming dynasty, and it was the site of at least ten major battles in
Chinese history. A massive stone wall connects to the stronghold and snakes around the onetime perimeter of the city. Today, the city has expanded outside of the gate, and tunnels have been carved through the wall to facilitate the flow of traffic. We walked through the long caves built into the Zhonghua Gate, which had been constructed to hide soldiers. From the top of the barricade, we got a good view of Nanjing and the river that runs through the city. We spent most of the day exploring the defense structure before grabbing lunch and heading to the train station.
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