Suzhou Reflection

At 7:30am, I boarded a train to Suzhou, around 30 minutes away on a high speed rail from Shanghai. Famous for its ancient canals and historic silk production, Suzhou is often known to be a weekend getaway from the bustling city of Shanghai, which could immediately be felt right out of the train station. I only allocated one full day in Suzhou, so I checked into my hostel, dropped off my bags, and made my way to the first watertown of the day: Tongli Water Town.

Around a 30 minute DiDi ride from downtown Suzhou, Tongli is known as the ‘Venice of the East,’ renowned for its vast network of canals and large overhanging trees. When I arrived at the gate, you actually need to walk about 10 minutes from the main road into the watertown, traversing a stone-paved road lined with food vendors, souvenir shops, and stone bridges. Once you make your way to the watertown, the streets become more raw, the buildings more historic, and the sounds more serene. For a second, it feels like you’ve been transported into the past, dropped into a scene from a Chinese drama only to find yourself in modern clothing. You can actually change this fact however, as China often has vendors at these scenic spots that allow you to dress in traditional clothing, known as Hanfu. They dress you, do your makeup, and can even take photos for you, depending on your budget. I decided to skip this, but it did look like a fun experience, and a nice way to memorize and match the timeless scenery. After walking across countless small stone bridges, I found myself at the largest straight portion, the one I’d always wanted to see. The view was phenomenal. Because I arrived at an earlier time, combined with the fact that they were doing construction (which slightly ruined the view) there was no one else at the spot, so I could enjoy it and photograph it for as long as I pleased. The water was slightly choppy but created this beautiful haze of green reflecting the large pine trees that completely envelop the canal.

After a quick lunch, I headed to the Suzhou Silk Museum, about a 20 minute drive from the ancient water town. With over 2000 years of history, Suzhou is one of the ‘four great embroidery capitals’ of China. Cultivating one of the oldest embroidery cultures in the world, Suzhou was prolific in its silk production during the Song, Ming, and Qing Dynasty, hitting its peak during the Qing. The museum highlights the progression of silk production, such as the evolution of the silk loom, dyeing techniques, and harvesting of silk. They had on display some of the most detailed and ornate silk Shenyis, which is a one piece robe most often worn by high-ranking government officials and the royal family. Imageries of plum blossoms, cranes, and spiritual animals adorned these robes with incredible precision, showcasing a variety of vibrant colors and textures. Clothing was a reflection of power and status, being able to wear the most expensive and delicate fabrics during a time without large-scale manufacturing or accessibility. The museum reflects how powerful and advanced Ancient Chinese civilization was, affording such luxuries for its highest class.

Only a 5 minute walk away was the Beisi Pagoda, an octagonal 250ft tall pagoda, draped in a yellow and red exterior. Unfortunately, the pagoda was under construction, so I was only able to see the exterior. I lit some free incense at the base and left for the next temple.

About a 15 minute subway ride away was Dinghui Temple, a recommendation from my aunt the morning of. This temple wasn’t originally on the itinerary, but I decided to stop by. The front of the temple was unassuming, with simple stone and wood gates centered with a plaque detailing the name of the temple. Walking into the complex involved walking through two structures, both of which were filled with Buddhist statues and offerings. When you finally reach the back of the second building, a courtyard opens up, displaying these two enormous Ginkyo trees, colored with the most vibrant yellow I’ve ever seen. They sat parallel in front of an ancient temple, which was colored in yellow and red accents. That first look when entering the courtyard was magnificent, with the wind gentling blowing the trees back and forth, slowly shedding its leaves. The closest thing I could attribute the feeling I felt was a Studio Ghibli movie, the sense of nostalgia and comfort. The contrast between the yellow leaves and blue sky were unlike anything I’ve ever seen, perhaps the best part of my visit to Suzhou.

Along the same road laid another temple, or perhaps another section of the same complex. This one had two tall pagodas, similar in design to the Beisi pagoda I saw earlier. These were much skinnier, as their bases weren’t as wide and their height not as tall. However, they were right next to each other, guarding a courtyard that once held columns, but were now destroyed. They were conducting a elderly dance class right in the center, which was amusing.

Feeling a bit burnt out, I returned to my hostel and rested for a few hours. After feeling refreshed, I then set out to the most iconic place in all of Suzhou, The Suzhou Ancient Grand Canal. As the world’s longest artificial waterway, the Grand Canal stretches over 1100 miles, connecting Hangzhou and Beijing. Intersecting with Shantang Street, the canal was covered in white lights, red lanterns, and night-time canal rides. I purposely left this for the end of the day, as I wanted to see the accent lights shine at night, reflecting their gleam across the dark water. The stone bridges that crossed the canal were super congested, with people wanting to take pictures above the water. This even led to police prohibiting people from stopping, making it difficult to enjoy the view. However, the canal was still absolutely stunning, a standing 2500 year old trade route, vital to the history of China.

While at my hostel, I met a fellow solo traveler named Elliot, who was from Germany. We met in the laundry room, where we both didn’t know how to pay for our laundry and had to strugglingly ask the front desk for help. She was a bit older than me, around late 20s to early 30s. This was her 3rd time in China, an almost yearly tradition for her. She worked at Lufthansa, an airline group based out of Germany. She said her job made it easy to get flights, and because she had visited so often, she made quite a few friends in Nanjing and Suzhou. We spoke for almost 2 hours, talking about our solo adventures and lives at home. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, which she said proved difficult in her childhood. She detailed stories of her mom being accused of kidnapping her, as her mother had brown hair and brown eyes. She described the constant state of accostment and attention from the public, with some even calling the police on her mom or physically separating the two. She also described her struggles with education and finding a path in life, transitioning from a comp-sci tech position that was unfulfilling to her current job. She felt conflicted about her identity, not speaking completely fluent German while having an accent while speaking English, causing issues in finding jobs or even making friends. She even hated the structure of German society, as she described it as ‘analog’ or ‘old-fashioned.’ This was in part what made China so attractive for her, as the advent of super-apps such as WeChat and AliPay alongwith the streamlined structure of Chinese society seemed to fit her identity better than Germany. It was a super interesting conversation, and a part of why I love the concept of hostels. Hostels are a place where individuals all on separate journeys are able to meet in a common place with those on similar adventures, sharing stories, connections, and memories. While at the end of the laundry cycle, I even stumbled across another traveler that I briefly met in Shanghai, a Colombian solo traveler whose name I can’t recall. I do remember he spoke pretty good Chinese, alongside fluent Spanish and English. These hubs of social interaction were such a fun and inviting place to be, especially being a solo traveler. I collected my laundry and exchanged information, then said my goodbyes.

Suzhou was an incredibly inviting, warm place to visit. With the combined history found in its museums, waterways, and culture, Suzhou adopts a slower pace compared to the mega-city of Shanghai, and invites visitors to take their time and stroll through its streets. While it was a fulfilling day trip, I definitely wish I had spent more time here, as Suzhou deserves much more than the one day I gave it.