As is typical of any trip I take to a big city, I like to get out of the city and take in the countryside. After doing some research I thought I’d go to the city nicknamed as the Venice of the East. Being someone who loves canal lined cities, this was a no brainer. SuZhou is about 100 kms northwest of Shanghai and is also considered a “commuter town” to the city of Shanghai. Commuter town? Really? Su Zhou home too over 10M people making it larger than New York City proper. Meaning, NYC would be a “suburb” of Shanghai! That makes me laugh just thinking about some of the high minded New Yorkers who rip on New Jersey’s “tunnel rats” who take on the tunnels to go to work in NYC every day.
SuZhou has over 2,500 years of history, all of which include prosperity and commerce. Today, it remains one of the most prosperous cities in China, not only due to its proximity to Shanghai, but also it is the high-tech center of the region. Think Silicon Valley of the east. Much like Amsterdam, the canal system was designed into the city to manage water flow and protect from flooding. Outside of the city, you will notice kilometers of rice fields and traditional farms that the canals deliver water to in support of both SuZhou and Shanghai’s food supply.
Not only did the canal system support farming, it supplied, and still does, water to some of the most magnificent Chinese Gardens in China. Eight of which were added to the UNESCO World Heritage sites. I visited the Master of Nets Garden which was built 1140 and designed thematically around a fisherman’s concept. And like all Chinese gardens, it’s actually an ancient residence for what was the Deputy Civil Service Minister for the region. It’s this garden that became a model for future gardens in the region.
The Grand Canal of the city is host to what was once the gate to the old city, both by land or by water. It was from this position that access to the old city was controlled to ensure the safety of the citizens. From the top of the gate, there is a wonderful view of the Buddhist Beisi Pagoda and the Puji Bridge crossing the Grand Canal. SuZhou is an amazing city that is worth coming out of the shadow of Shanghai and an easy day trip!