Old, atmospheric canal district just oozing with character

Suzhou is a historic town situated on the Grand Canal (wiki that, it’s fascinating) and about 100 km from Shanghai. The entire city has either been designated a UNESCO world heritage site, or it happens to have an assload of them in the city — I can’t really tell because all the brochures I get in English make about zero sense.

However, you wouldn’t really know it if you weren’t in the right parts of the town. It’s a city of about 4 million, and this is a city on the rise, construction everywhere, new apartments being built, the usual. One really gets the whole “new China” thing when you’re in one of these smaller cities. So it’s full of the usual crap I’ve seen in Shanghai–Yet, it also has an absolutely charming old town district centered around canals.

Thankfully, our hostel (Mingtown Suzhou) was located in the historic district because otherwise Suzhou would be a whole lot less interesting. Luckily, we got to take leisurely strolls down narrow alleyways, get stared at by wandering old men wearing nothing but wife-beaters and boxer shorts, and just be enchanted by this bit of peeling wall or that roof with grass growing out of it (I am very easily amused.) I found a pile of dressforms (you know, mannequins without arms or heads) and took a picture of it and an old man laughed and said stuff in Chinese which I’m sure was, “you stupid little girl! Why are you photographing trash?!”

Pingjiang Lu at dusk, the view across our hostel

The canal district is being renovated and gentrified and there’s lots of cute little inns, galleries, and upmarket cafes. I love the mix old and new.

I wouldn’t be surprised if I returned in 5 years and this place was totally different… but for now, I absolutely love its old, worn, gritty feeling, yet while having all sorts of interesting cafes and shops to peruse. Gentrification can be nice, but I’ve never been a fan of Disneyfication. There’s got to be a way to bring economic progress without bulldozing over cultural heritage. It’s nice that this hasn’t turned into the newest Starbucks-infused strip (I mean KFC-infused. There’s a KFC every 100 yards here).

Thankfully, even the renovated buildings in the Pingjiang area have retained the qualities that make the area feel so authentic (well for now). And I doubt that much can be done to rid the canals of the smell of sewage, so you know, it may stay like this until YOU get the chance to visit.

Anyways, we leave for Hangzhou today. Hope the weather is better. Here’s a few more pictures of Suzhou’s historic Pingjiang Lu area.

Birdcage on a wall

Hugh walks towards a teahouse

Night-time along the canals, love those lanterns...

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