Suzhou, City of Gardens

Sunday, 13.05.2018

Suzhou, like Hanzhou, is one of the 'water towns' in China. The old town is crisscrossed with canals, as goods, especially silk, used to be transported here. With its narrow alleys and bridges, it is also known as the 'Venice of the East'. Every visitor can judge for themselves whether this is true.

But Suzhou also has a lot of gardens that were created several hundred years ago by wealthy people. These gardens are always worth a visit in the afternoon.

So the Muhsens also set off after their afternoon nap to visit the 'Master Of The Nets Garden'. The garden was created by a retired official who devoted himself to fishing during his retirement and thus became a master of the nets. 'Fish garden' could also be a name, but it would be un-Chinese as firstly it is not a metaphor and secondly it does not contain a lofty, awe-inspiring description.

The journey to the old town of Suzhou, much of which is fortunately still preserved, then shows the contrast to the new residential areas where we also live. Houses and alleys have an 'ancient' flair. Everything is not so fresh anymore and there are plenty of small food stalls and shops. However, we would not want to live here.

Outside the entrance, there is an alley with tourist trinkets. Magnets, t-shirts (with 'Maobama' on them), jewelry, hats, and so on. A man immediately jumped up and pulled out a sign with the inscription 'Welcome My Friend ... cheapest in town'. They are certainly entrepreneurial. It's funny to hand Philip the camera and let him do his thing.

The garden itself is really beautiful. It is laid out in a winding manner, almost like a labyrinth. You walk through semi-open rooms and from one 'backyard' to another. Everywhere, there is an artistic interplay of stone and flower arrangements. The centerpiece is a pond. At the end of the two-hour tour, there is a nice backyard café waiting with tea and coffee.

After the beautiful garden tour, during which we unfortunately lost Jule's hat, we went to the 'Yang Yang Dumbling' recommended by a friend, right across from the entrance. A truly delicious conclusion to a beautiful Chinese day.