suzhou

 Last shots from Shanghai, military giving haircuts in the shopping district.

 And an interesting take on fries. I still regret not trying the strawberry shortcake ones.


The second city I traveled to in China was Suzhou. I headed off to the train station, purchased a ticket using info written down for me in Mandarin by some helpful staff at the Shanghai hostel I stayed at and was on my way. It only took about 30 minutes to get there and made taking the train in China to be easy, quick, organized and a great way to travel. Which I would later realize, that for longer travel, really isn't the case at all.

 Suzhou has been called China's Venice since there are waterways throughout the city and it's incredibly beautiful. Here are some garbage collectors rowing on through Pingjiang Road.

 Suzhou bridge lit up at night and a souvenir shop.

 Market fresh meat section and a night food stand. Streets in China fill up with vendors, tables and chairs with all kinds of food as soon as it starts getting dark.

 The Beisi pagoda, which you can actually go inside, walk up the stairs and get a nice view of the city. The entrance fee was around 20 yuan or $3 Cdn.

 The Lingering Garden, lots of buildings surrounded by ponds, waterways and rocky mazes. Absolutely beautiful, but also incredibly humid when I visited. But visiting a garden is a must do while in Suzhou, it's another thing they're renowned for.

 And finishing with a boat tour around the city.