Suzhou, December 15th
Trip to China 2019-2020

I have a ticket from Shanghai Hongqiao railway station to Suzhou. I could have departed from Shanghai station as it is closer to the hotel. But, tomorrow I will leave at 8:15 from Hongqiao station, and I prefer to know how it looks in advance.

After getting out of the metro, I find the ticket office in a couple of minutes. There, I choose what seems the exchange window as the purchase windows have a long queue. I show the code that I got on-line and my passport to get my ticket. I have not yet decided at which time I will come back. So, I will purchase my return ticket at Suzhou. I run to the gate, as I am short of time, and get into the high-speed train.  

At Suzhou, I take the subway to the city centre. I have a few places marked on the map to start the visit. I am open to change the itinerary. I like to have a place to start.  

I see a high pagoda from far away. When I am close by, I decide to visit it even that is not on my list. The pagoda is part of the Bao’en temple. A sign indicates that visitors should circle the pagoda three times clockwise. I oblige. Afterwards, I continue enjoying the rest of the temple. There is a small garden with trees and some traditional buildings.  

I start to walk towards the closest marker on my map. After a few minutes, I decide against it. I will spend more than twenty minutes to get there and a similar amount to get back. So, I will not be ready in an hour. With less than an hour left, I decide to follow the people flow with excellent results. I pass by what seems a historical neighbourhood with traditional houses. The place looks a little neglected, but that is part of its charm.

I enjoy wandering thru this part of the city. It feels like a small town if you forget about the six million souls living close by.

After a short walk, the street opens to a beautiful water canal. Here is where all the stream of people was going. I merge with the flow of families, couples and people shopping and taking pictures. I notice that just a couple of them are western tourists.

When it is time, I enter the Museum. It is of medium size and shows ancient items group by epoch and material. The place has a unique architecture and is well maintained. In the center of the building, there is a beautiful Koi fish pool with a modern design. I am happy that there were tickets available.