Blogs from Suzhou, Jiangsu, China, Asia - page 9

Tag 1 Am Mittwoch haben wir uns auf den Weg auf eine 5-Tägige Reise gemacht. Es ging nach Suzhou und Hangzhou, zwei Städte die in China als "Himmel auf Erden" bezeichnet werden. Meine erste Begegnung mit dem chinesischen Bahnsystem. Kommt man am Shanghaier Bahnhof an, so fallen einem gleich die Menschenmassen auf, die in den Bahnhof strömen oder davor stehen/sitzen. Um diese Massen wenigstens etwas unter Kontrolle zu bekommen, damit alle ihren Zug bekommen ist das chinesische Bahnhofsystem ein sehr durchorganisiertes. Am Eingang des Bhfs wird das Zugticket kontrolliert, so dass Menschen ohne Ticket nicht den Bhf betreten können. Dann begibt man sich durch eine Sicherheitskontrolle, wo das Gepäck kontrolliert wird. Danach wirft man einen Blick auf sein Ticket. Dort befindet sich die Zugnummer. Große Anzeigetafeln im Vorraum zeigen den speziellen Wartesaal für diesen Zug an. ... read more

This is a city with beautiful canals and gardens. It was a rainy day and we just wandered. We had the best dumplings in China here!... read more

The time is different but the places and people are not. I return to my Chinese hometown of Suzhou after 5 and a half months of personal change beyond their comprehension. I can’t even begin to explain my job to the people I know here because here there is nothing like it. No job like it, no culture like it, no knowledge of that kind of school or job. Suzhou is a town of more than 6.5 million yet it resembles nothing like any city in the UK. After a morning poking in the old city of Shanghai, Patti and I caught the 14:21 bullet train to Suzhou. There is even more security here in the stations since I left. More electronic scanning machines to put your bags through - even on the underground - everyone ... read more

As quoted by Marco Polo in a passage describing the two places as the most beautiful cities on Earth; "The Sky has heaven, and Earth has Suzhou and Hangzhou”. Suzhou lies approximately 100 km west of Shanghai. It has been inhabited for over 5000 years and due to its many canals, hump-backed bridges, cobbled streets, Chinese traditional gardens and white-washed houses it is known as the Venice of the East to this day. Now, I’ve never been to Venice, but I imagine the Chinese version is a bit more ‘out there’; where in Venice can one witness goats being slaughtered on the sidewalk? Suzhou was the capital of Jiangsu province during the Song dynasty for the birth of the silk trade, and with that in mind, the first stop was the Suzhou Silk Museum! I walked ... read more

Hi Peeps Just a quick one today, a cold day spent wandering the old side of Suzhou dodging the manic motorcyclists! They have E bikes (electric) so you can't even hear the buggers coming! They just appear! Looneys! much love all... read more