CHINA

People Languages Mandarin On the Net Transport Food Climate Suzhou Communication People

Languages
CHINA Page 1


Mandarin
Guide to Pin Yin

Mandarin
There are a few terms for the Chinese language used in Chinese. One is (Zhngwn) as spoken of in this lesson. Other terms include: (P tnghu) (Guy ) (Hny )

Pin Yin = Starts high and stays flat. = Starts low goes high. = Starts high, goes low and comes back high again. = Starts high and goes low abruptly a = No tone

Pin1 Yin1 1 = Starts high and stays flat. 2 = Starts low goes high. 3 = Starts high, goes low and comes back high again. 4 = Starts high and goes low abruptly. 5 = No tone

Basic Conversations
CHINA Page 2


Xi xie. Thank you. Du xi. Thanks a lot. Thank you very much. xinshng xi oji Mr. Ms.

.... W jio ..... I am called ....., My name is ..... .... W sh ..... I am ....., My name is ..... (This pattern is used with first names.) N your name? jio shnme? What are you called?, What is

W xng Wng. My last name is Wng. Hn goxng rnshi n . Nice to meet you. You're Welcome![ Don't be polite] B kq. Please Say it Once Again Q ng zi shu ybin. Where Is the Convenience Store? Binldin zi n r? Money qian2 How much is it? dou1 shao3 qian2 Taxi chzch fpio.
CHINA Page 3


receipt W yo fpio. I need a receipt. I want to go to Xi'an Station. W xi ng q Xn zhn. I want this. W yo zhge. "Hn l ma?" This means "Is it spicy?" "Hn" means "very." "L" means "spicy." "Ma" is a particle that indicates that a sentence is a question. Literally, this phrase is: "Very spicy?" If the waiter/waitress says "B. B l." ("No. It's not spicy.") then you're good to go. ! M idn! Check! Xi yc w q ng n . Next time I'll pay for you. X yc w q ng n . Next time I'll pay for you. Numbers Character
CHINA

Pinyin y r sn s w li q b ji sh rsh

English one two three four five six seven eight nine ten twenty snsh thirty ssh forty w sh fifty
Page 4


lish sixty qsh seventy bsh eighty ji sh ninety y b i one hundred snshr thirty two [li ng 2 of something]

Simplified Chinese , / , , , , , , Pinyin y b i, r b i / li ng b i, s b i qsh, li b i qsh y, y qin, sn qin w b i ji sh, q qin b b i bsh, y wn English 100, 200, 470, 671, 1000, 3590, 7880, 10000 Vocabulary

Q ng gi w n de dinhu hom. Please give me your phone number. Q ng gi w n de dinz yuxing. Please give me your email. email Q ng gi w n de email dzh . Please give me your email address.

CHINA

Page 5


? xian4 zai4 ji2 dian3 le5 Now at what time? What time is it? Ji2dian3zhong1? At what time? Wo3 xia2ng yao2 lia3ng bei1 pi2jiou3. I would like 2 beer. On the Net

,...
Loading, please wait ... . () W xu Zhngwn. W h ch. W jio Zhngwn. W b xu Zhngwn. W q gngyun. Mngtin w q gngyun. Xinzi w q gngyun. Zutin w q gngyun le. y bn sh s ge pngyou n (y) zhng zh I study Chinese. I drink tea.
CHINA Page 6


I teach Chinese. I don't study Chinese. I'm going to the park. Tomorrow I'm going to the park. Now I'm going to the park. Yesterday I went to the park. one book four friends that piece of paper N sh shnme? What is that? W q gngyun. I'm going to the park. Zutin w q gngyun le. I went to the park yesterday. Mngtin w q gngyun. Tomorrow I'm going to the park. Xinzi w q gngyun. I'm going to the park now. Zutin w q gngyun le. I went to the park yesterday.

Guide to Pin Yin

CHINA

Page 7

hnh o
Literally "hnh o" means "very good." "Hn" means "very" and "h o" means "good." You may start to notice, however, that you never see "h o" without "hn." The Chinese never use "h o" by itself, they always add "hn" or some other word that changes t he degree of "good"ness. This is because the Chinese usually favor two character adjectives and nouns over monosyllabic ones. [Pimsleur:Chinese adjectives are inherently contrastive,--Comparison or contrast is implisit--for this reason adjectives are not used on their own in Chinese when no contrast is intended. To cancel out the contrast, a qualifier such as hen3(very) is added to the adjective. ] They add "hn" to "h o" to make it sound better. "Hnh o" is the most basic configuration of "h o" and can be considered to mean just "good."

CHINA

Page 8

Transport
China Railway High-speed (abbrev. CRH); simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Zhnggu til gos) is the high-speed rail system operated by China Railways.

Food
xi olngbo c yutio dujing yngru chun lmin di nxn steamed soup dumplings vinegar fried dough stick soy milk lamb kebab fresh handmade noodle dimsum Top 5 Chinese Foods to Try (xi olngbo) - Probably the most famous Shanghai dish: these small steamed dumplings are steamed in a basket and stuffed with meat and a tasty broth inside. You bite a little hole into them first, sip the broth, then dip them in dark vinegar ( cu) to season the meat inside. (yutio) lit. oil stick - Long, deep-fried donut. A very popular breakfast in China. Typically consumed in the morning with soy milk (dou jiang ), the youtiao is a long, deep-fried stick of dough.

CHINA

Page 9


(yngru chun) Barbecued meat skewers (Typically from street vendors) - Generally made from lamb, these Xinjiang-style meat kebabs are delicious. (lmin) Lanzhou-style lamian - Fresh hand-pulled noodles; look for a tiny restaurants with staff in Muslim dress, white fez-like hats on the men and head scarves on the women. These fresh noodles have a flavor very atypical of most noodle dishes you will find in China. (di nxn) Cantonese / Guangzhou / Hong Kong-style Dim Sum - The small snacks usually eaten for lunch/breakfast in these southern regions of China and in Hong Kong are a highlight. Signature Shanghai Dishes: (xi z d w shn) Stewed sea cucumber with shrimp roe (b bo l jing) Chili sauce with shelled shrimps, beans, chicken, chicken guts, pork, pig tripe, pig kidney, dried small shrimps and bamboo shoots (yu bo h xi) Deep-fried shrimps (shu jng xi rn) Sauted shelled shrimps / (qng cho shn h/xing yu shn h) Stir-fried eels with bamboo shoots (yn d xin) Stewed pork and ham with bamboo shoots (qng y t fi) Braised herring liver (j g jing) Stewed chicken (ku sn s) Steamed mixed shreds of chicken, ham and pork (hng sho qun zi) Stewed pig intestine (co tu qun zi) Stir-fried pig intestine with alfalfa (shng bin co tu) Stir-fried alfalfa (hng sho h mn) Braised eel (hng sho hu y) Braised fish (qng zhng sh y) Steamed shad (lo shng hi xn y) Shanghai smoked fish (bng tng ji y) Candy soft-shelled turtle (bi zhn j) Plain boiled chicken (ko f) Steamed gluten (tng c xio pi) Sweet and sour spareribs (qng cho jio bi) Sir-fried wild rice stem Soups: (d tng hung y) Braised large yellow croaker soup (j ci du fu gng) Shepherd's-purse and bean curd soup (sun l hung y gng) Sour and hot yellow croaker soup
CHINA Page 10


(xio pi dng gu tng) Sparerib and white gourd soup Staple Food: (m fn) Rice (cho fn) Stir-fried rice (mn tou) Steamed bun (min tio) Noodles (yng chn min) Yangchun noodles (zhng bn lng min) Sauced cold noodles Local Snacks: (nn xing xio lng bo) Nanxiang steamed stuffed bun (shng jin mn tou) Fried stuffed bun (s ci bo zi) Vegetable stuffed bun (xi k hung) Crab-yellow pastry (pi g nin go) Braised chop with rice cake (li sh yun) Leisha glutinous rice dumplings covered with adzuki bean powder (ji ning yun zi) Glutinous rice dumplings in fermented glutinous wine (gu hu tng u) Sliced lotus root with sweet sauce (hn dn) Wonton (zo n s bng) Date paste pastry (go qio sng bng) Gaoqiao Muffin (bi gu sng go) Fruit sponge cake (b he go) Mint cake (ni yu w xing du) Cream spiced beans

Climate
South:
South China is wet. The summers bring monsoons and typhoons with rain almost everyday. When it is not raining the air is sticky and the heat presses down on you. The winters in the South are short, only lasting from January to March. It doesn't get anywhere near as cold as the North, but you had still better bring some warm clothes. Lots of Southerners will tell you that the South is actually colder than the North because there is no heating. All gas heating in China is government controlled. Areas south of the Yangtze do not get gas heating. In the North, Southerners say, it is only cold outside. Inside it is warm. But in the South it is cold both inside and outside. When there is a steady drizzle falling, the areas around Shanghai can feel frigid. That said, if you go far enough south, to Guangzhou or Yunnan for example, the winters can be quite pleasant as long as you bring your hat, some long-sleeved shirts and sweaters for after nightfall. Spring and autumn are generally considered the best times to be in the south. Summer is to be avoided, especially from July to September, the monsoon season. CHINA Page 11


Beijing weather in March and May: Sandy, Sand storms from Gobi desert.

Communication Making economical overseas long distance calls

Making overseas phone calls dialing direct from your hotel will be expensive. There is an easy way around this. You buy a long distance calling card, known on the streets as an "IP Card". With it you dial a local access number from your hotel (which should be free or cheap), enter the card number and pin, then do the dialing.

Cards are "valued" at 500, 200 and 100 Renminbi but are actually worth 1/3 that. So although the guy at the newstand may beg to differ, a Y100 card costs at most RMB40. You can easily get 3 x 100 cards for RMB 100. You can find phone cards at most newstands, groceries and from hawkers on the street. If you cannot get the card at a good price then try someplace else. Times change and there are many brands of IP cards but I have had the best luck with the China Unicom one, pictured below. This is not to say the other brands don't work - buy a low value card and try them. You can identify the China Unicom card because the access number is 17910. Other companies have different access numbers. Other warnings: Some phones may not be able to dial the access number. Cards will not work throughout China - you will likely have to get local cards in other cities.

CHINA

Page 12

Once you dial the access number number follow the instructions on the back of the card. Be sure and enter both the card number and pin. With some cards you may need to press # after entering the numbers. It will then tell you the value left on the card. When you dial overseas enter 00 + country code + area code + number. If you don't enter the "00" it won't work. For a card valued at Y100 and costing RMB 33 I was able to talk quite clearly to the USA for 37 minutes total. (Note Y = Yuan (dollar) and RMB = Renminbi (people's currency) and Yuan is just another word for Renminbi.)

You scratch the card to see the pin number - if it has already been scratched off then someone has used it. For international directory assistance dial: 100 Mobile Phone System More than 400 million Chinese people have a mobile phone, making China the country with the highest number of mobile phone users worldwide. Mobile phone services are cheap and of high quality, and the phones themselves are seen as a status symbol in Chinese society. The biggest mobile operators in China are China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom. Signing up for a mobile phone service in China is pretty simple: You just buy a SIM card at any store that sells phones, buy some airtime and you are ready to go. Mobile contracts are not common in China, so you need to buy a phone card for additional airtime credit every time you run out. Be aware that the city where you buy your SIM card is considered the hometown for your phone, and although your phone will work everywhere in China, you can only add airtime with a phone card from your hometown. If you plan to travel within China for a while, you should stack up on phone cards before you leave your home. Most mobile phone services offer national coverage without any roaming fees outside your hometown.

CHINA

Page 13


Cultural Insight Like any great old country, China is home to many strong regional identities, and there are certain traits that are associated with different regions. Beijingers ( Bijngrn) are considered by people from other places in China to be smooth talkers, cynical wits, and sometimes - to be too arrogant and lazy to do any real work. The Shanghainese ( Shngh irn), their sworn enemies in the contest to be China's greatest city, are known for their finesse in business, their compulsive internationalism, and the stereotype goes - their mercilessly fashion-obsessed women and uxorious bread-winners. The Cantonese ( Gu ngdngrn) are most famous for their culinary exploration: the saying goes that they will eat anything with four legs but a table, anything that flies except an airplane, and anything in the ocean except a submarine. In Southwestern China, the Sichuanese ( Schunrn) are known for their spicy food and quick tempers, but also for the slow, relaxing pace of life they enjoy. Northwestern China, particularly Shaanxi ( Sh nx), is known for wheat noodles and coal mining. The Northeast ( Dng-Bi), China's Rust Belt, is known for its hard-drinking, hard-loving, hard-fighting inhabitants. And so on and so forth. Happy Jellyfish:[Don't joke on the stairs] [...]Although thedifferent minorities of China, the Uyhgurs , Kazakhs, Tibetans, Mongols, Koreans and so on are technically Chinese, they cant call themselves Chinese. Only the ethnic majority, the Han, can. Thus a third generation Han Chinese born in the US who has never been to China and doesnt know a word of Chinese, is more Chinese than for example a Uyghur, born and bred in China and with fluent Putonghua. Its a question of looks. Phlegmatism They have achieved their high level of toleration by learning to cultivate a serene unawareness of other people's existence. A Chinese is able in an uncanny way to anticipate what you are about to ask or do - he reads your intention before you have consciously formed it. Shenzhen, the wild west city across the border from Hong Kong; the only place in China where there are more women than men. Tea Black tea is called Red tea in China. Practical Information

SHANGHAI
French Concession: CHINA Page 14


In the French Concession, don't miss Song Ching-ling's former residence. Born in Shanghai to a wealthy family, she married the founder of the Chinese Republic, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, in 1915.Her 1920s villa, built by a Greek sea captain in the French Concession, served as her residence from 1948 to 1963. Or, if you prefer to just sit in a historical house and drink, you can go to her sister's place on Dongping Lu, which is now a bar/restaurant with a great outdoor patio (called Sasha's). The best way to see the French concession is by just walking around.You'll find tons of small shops, restaurants, and tree-lined streets. A cool street in the French Concession is Taikang Lu; here you will find art galleries and cafes intermixed with traditional Shanghai residences.Though the locals seem to be gradually priced out, old men still walk by in their boxers while you are enjoying your glass of wine. Go to any big park in Shanghai-Renmin Park, Zhongshan Park, etc.-and you will see lots of action.There are activities galore:dancing, plastic hamster-like bubbles in the lake, tai chi, parents soliciting matches for their adult children, old men playing Chinese chess, and people painting Chinese characters on the ground with water. Moganshan Lu - art galleries, etc. Xintiandi - refurbished shikumen houses, restaurants, and shops Xujiahui - crowded shopping area, but a good place to buy electronics The main intersection at Xujiahui is a transportation hub. It is served by dozens of bus routes, and by the Xujiahui metro station on Lines 1 and 9 of the Shanghai Metro. Fake markets - In Pudong at the Science and Technology museum stop, Nanjing Lu Food Southern Barbarian - Yunnan food Di shui dong - Hunan food Dong bei ren - Dongbei cai, on Shanxi lu near Yanan lu Xiaolong bao - everywhere Element Fresh - good Western food, best cappuccino (multiple locations) Popular Areas

List of attractions in Shanghai

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_attractions_in_Shanghai Visa extensions Entry-Exit Bureau, 1500 Mingsheng Rd, Pudong District.

Work List of economic and technological development zones in Shanghai

CHINA Page 15


China National Economic and Technological Development Zones

Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai

Baoshan Industrial Zone Caohejing Export Processing Zone Caohejing Hi-Tech Park Chemical Industry Park Chongming Industrial Zone Comprehensive Industrial Development Zone China Fengpu Industrial Park Fuhua New & Hi-Tech Park Hengsha Island Tourist Holiday Resort Hongqiao Development Zone International Automobile City Jiading Industrial Zone Jinqiao Export Processing Zone Jinshan Industrial Zone Lujiazui Finance & Trade Zone Minhang Economic & Technological Development Zone Minhang Export Processing Zone Pudong Economic and Technological Development Zone Pudong Kangqiao Industrial Zone Qingpu Export Processing Zone Qingpu Industrial Zone Songjiang Export Processing Zone Songjiang Industrial Zone Spark Development Zone Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone Xinzhuang Industrial Zone Zhangjiang High-Tech Park Zizhu Science-based Industrial Park

Health

Shanghai Hospitals Before leaving for China, make sure to have a complete physical exam, including a dental and vision check-up. Bring copies of medical records including the generic names of all medicine you are currently faking, allergies to food and drugs, past surgeries and illnesses, and immunization records. Plan on Bringing six months to a year`s worth of medication routinely taken and leave all medicine in the original container. American-Sino Ob/Gyn Service This hospital is co-founded by a New York based Ob/Gyn medical group and Huashan Hospital. All the system and the service style are based on international standards, or more specifically, US standards. Such as private doctor services. Tel: (0086-21) 6249-3246 (8am-8pm) / 2288-2373 (24hr) Website: www.americanobgyn.com Shanghai East International Medical Center

CHINA

Page 16


Providing world-class family healthcare to Shanghai s international community, Shanghai s most comprehensive foreign medical facility offers outpatient, inpatient, and surgical care by experienced, full-time expatriate medical staff. Address: 551 South Pudong Road Pudong, Shanghai 200120 Tel: (86 21) 5879-9999 Website: www.seimc.com.cn United Family Hospitals Updated! Shanghai United Family Hospital & Clinics (SHU) is a sister organization of Beijing United Family Hospital & Clinics, which is the first foreign invested general hospital in China founded in 1997. SHU is proud to be the first international standard general hospital in Shanghai with its opening in October 2004. It is a joint venture between Chindex International Inc. and Changning District Central Hospital. SHU offers the complete spectrum of high quality international inpatient and outpatient healthcare services, including the LDRP western birthing center. Add: #1139, Xian Xia Road, Changning District, Shanghai Tel:(021) 6291-0917 Fax: (021) 6291-0927 E-mail: shumarketing@ufh.com.cn Website: www.unitedfamilyhospitals.com ParkwayHealth Medical Centers ParkwayHealth, renowned for superior medical quality, is now the largest private healthcare provider in Asia. With 6 state of the art facilities in Shanghai, ParkwayHealth provides you and your family with high quality international healthcare through a wide range of services and specialties. We have over 60 dedicated internationally trained doctors with multilingual capabilities. Our medical centers offer direct billing with more than 20 international health insurance companies. All of our services are accessible and reachable through our 24 hour Appointment Service Center 6445 5999. Website: www.parkwayhealth.cn E-mail: enquiry@parkwayhealth.cn New Pioneer Medical Center 2F Ge Ru Building, 910 Heng Shan Road, Xu Hui 6469 3898 Fax: 6469 3897 Huashan Hospital (19th floor) 2 Wulumuqi Zhong Road, Jing An 6248 3986 Fax: 6248 8476 Sino-Canadian Shanghai Dental Center 639 Zhi Zoo Ju Road, Nan Shi 63133174 Fax:63789156 Int`l Peace Maternity Hospital 910 Heng Shan Road, Xu Hui 6438 2452 Shanghai Medical University Children`s Hospital 183 Feng Lin Road, Pudong 64047129 Pager: 127x2037979 Dr Anderson & Partners General Medical Clinic Room 1001, Block D New Century Plaza, 48 Xing Yi Road, Hong Qiao 6270 3263 Fax: 6209 6099 Sheng Da Dental Hospital No.1, Lane 83, Tai Yuan Road, Xu Hui 64377987 Rui Jin Hospital 197 Rui Jin Er Road, Lu Wan 6437 0045 IMCC First People s Hospital 85 Wu Jin Road, Hong Kou 6306 9480 CHINA Page 17


Huadong Hospital 221 Yan An Xi Road, Pu Dong 6248 4867

Kowa Dental
Add: 3N1-3N3, J-life Center , No.88 Century Boulevard, JINMAO Tower , Shanghai , 88 3 Reservation toll-free: 800-988-1120 Tel:02151082222 Fax:02150479889 Zip code: 200121 Email: service@kowa-dental.com suggestion call: 13795403333(Ms.Rebecca) opening hours: 900-2030 Monday - Sunday

SUZHOU
See SIP

SUZHOU 2010

See Landmarks
Freebies

Ping Jiang Road CHINA Page 18

Soochow (Suzhou) University's Main/Original Campus Take Bus 8 from the train station or along North Renmin Rd (south bound) to the end of the line, get off and walk about 300-400 m to the east. There are also many cheap and good small restaurants westward on Shizi St (the direction the bus came) that are monitored for their cleanliness by university and health people. Ping Jiang Road A beautiful walk along an ancient road paved with hand-cut stones over a thousand years old and lined with shops maintaining traditional architectural styles. The Kunqu Opera Museum and School & the Pintang Museum are along Ping Jiang Rd -- admission is free and you can get a cup of tea for 3. Kunqu Opera performances are at 1:30PM on Sundays -only 10 for tea to sit and watch. There are a surprising amount of western style coffee shops with full English menus, internet and English books at the Bookworm Cafe. Relax and get a drink along the river. If you get further north on this road, but south of the museum area, the shops eventually run out and it just becomes a quiet neighborhood again. This may be the best part of all.

Bai Ta East Road Baita Road (Bai2 Ta3 Lu4) --> Dong Zhong Shi This isn't a tourist attraction just a street that hasn't been developed. On the east end (Baita Road) there are many trees covering the street. The western part maintains old-style store fronts as they have always been. The east end start at Renmin Rd and head east on Baita West Rd and the west end is west from Renmin Rd. When you cross Lindun Rd it becomes Baita East Rd; you might want to take a look at the Zoo on the east end. It's only 10 and relatively tolerable by Chinese zoo standards.

[edit]Temples

North Temple Pagoda

CHINA

Page 19



North Temple Pagoda, Renmin Lu (Bus #4 from train station, second stop). Viewable from the train station, the peak of the pagoda is Suzhou's most famous. A garden and temples are on the grounds. 25. edit The Twin Pagodas. edit The Hanshan Temple. edit The Mysterious Taoist Temple. edit Confucian Temple, (Located in the south west of the old town, near to Canglang Pavilion garden.). edit Huqiu Tower (; Hqit; also known as Yunyan Pagoda or Tiger Hill Pagoda). Built during the Song dynasty from 959 to 961. Previously a Buddhist temple, the site was burned during the cultural revolution. Some buildings have been reconstructed and the is a 48-m tall brick pagoda with seven stories and eight sides remains, though now shy of its wooden outer skin. The pagoda one of the few remaining examples of pagodas of this type. Tiger Hill is of enormous importance historically and culturally, but much of its significance will likely be lost on foreign visitors. 60, tours from 60-100 are negotiable. Also for those less able to climb the hill, electric carts make the journey for 20 per person.. edit

[edit]Waterside townships

Tong Li [6] Lu Zhi [7] Mudu [8] Zhouzhuang

[edit]Classical Gardens

The Humble Administrator's Garden (Zhuo Zheng Yuan ), Dongbei St (Located in the NE corner of the old city), +86 51267537002, [9].7:30AM-5:30PM. Said to cost a boatload of silver and taken sixteen years to build : Tours through the garden start every 5-10 minutes. Included in the tour is a "Chinese marriage", a look at carved tree roots, followed by a boat ride through the garden canals. The incredible collection of bonsai trees ('pen cai' or 'pen jing' in Chinese) at the end of the garden furthest from the main entrance is worth a trip all by itself. 70, 50 off-season. edit The Garden of the Master of the Nets (Wang Shi Yuan ), (Down a small ally off of Fenghuang Rd in the south of the old town), +86 512 65293190. Originally created in 1140, and recreated in 1770 by the bureaucrat Song Zongyuan. The enclosed complex of house and garden is one of the smallest, most beautiful, and most perfectly proportioned in Suzhou. Don't let the small size deceive you, this garden has enough to occupy you for half a day or more. On certain evenings there are demonstrations of many traditional performing art. 30. edit The Lingering Garden (Liu Yuan ). One of the largest and most important classical gardens in Suzhou and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997. edit Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty (Huanxiu Shanzhuang ). Considered to be among the finest rock and water garden constructions in Suzhou. edit The Lion Forrest Garden (Shi Zi Lin ), (Just off Lindun Rd, near to the Humble Administrators Garden), [10]. 7:30AM-5:30PM. One of the four great gardens of Suzhou and is admired for the incredible collection of pitted, eroded rocks that were greatly appreciated by classical Chinese scholars. It was originally part of a Buddhist monastery. The gardens are a reminder of the Buddhist story of the lions. The layout of the garden follows many twists and turns. It is easy to get quite lost in these winding paths. 30. edit The Surging Wave Pavilion (Canglang Ting ), (Just off Renmin Rd on the S side of the old town. Near the Confucian Temple), +86 512 65293190. One of the oldest of Suzhou's wonderful collection of private or "scholar's" gardens. More densely forested than other Page 20

CHINA



gardens, so ideal for hot days when you want to escape the sun. This garden is best viewed from within its many pavilions, with windows framing different views. 20. edit The Retreat and Reflection Garden (Tui Si Yuan ). Located at town of TongLi (), which is about 30 km away from Suzhou. edit Small Classical Gardens. Large classical gardens are great to see their majesty while small gardens are quite good for a quick look or relaxing with a cup of tea in relative quiet. Often local folks are seen enjoying their tea and chatting. The small garden is a living part of the local, yet ancient, culture. edit The Former Residence of Poet and Scholar Yu Yue in the ancient Liuhuafang Block , (Central part of the old city near Guanqian St. Cross Renmin Rd to the southwest corner, go south maybe 100 m along the west side of Renmin Rd, turn west at the KFC and you will see it on the north side of the alley). Make sure to go all the way towards the back inside the garden to see the best part. This tucked away place is a little tough to find but totally worth the effort if you want to find a quiet, unpretentious place visited mainly by locals. 1.5, 3-7 for entrance and tea. edit The Garden of Cultivation (YiPu Garden), (In the northwest corner of the old city -- inside the encircling canal. Ask local shop keepers for help since it is in an ancient block with small alleys/streets.). Make sure to go all the way towards the back inside the garden to see the best part. 10. edit Tarrying Garden (Wufeng Xianguan). is located outside Changmen Gate in Suzhou City was established in the Ming Dynasty and many parts of it were rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty. "Wufeng Xianguan" of the garden is also called "Nanmu Hall" in which there are different kinds of rarely seen furnishings made of nanmu. Mandarin Duck Hall is divided into two parts by a meticulously carved partition.There are varieties of doors and windows in other structures. 10. edit The Garden of Pleasure (Pleasence) (Yi Yuan ). Very small garden located at the heart of down town area of Suzhou City. Good place to have a cup of green tea and usually visited by lots of local elder people. edit The Couple's Garden Retreat (Ou Yuan ), (Quietly hidden in the small lane off of Pingjiang Rd. Not easy to find it. Alternatively find the gate at the south end of the Zoo's carpark). Built in early 20's century by a couple. Many small garden rooms lead you from view to view. Each window or hall perfectly frames a set of plants, rocks or trees. Every inch of the garden has been carefully thought out. Most of the garden consists of covered walkways, even though it may rain you will be able to enjoy this garden without getting wet. 20. edit

City Gates

Pan Men is 2,500 years old and was first built by the state of Wu in the Warring States Period. It is renowned for its unique structure as a combined water and land gate. The remaining wall is 300 m long and 5 m high. Visiting Pan Men includes access to a large and rather lovely garden with ponds and pavilions (feed the koi for 2), a boat ride, the city water and land gate, and an original foot bridge over the grand canal. You can also climb the 2-storey, 53-m high Auspicious Light Pagoda which was built in 1004 B.C. This however is for an extra fee of 12.

[edit]Hills

CHINA The East Hill [11] The West Hill [12] The Flat-top Hill The Heavenly Pond Hill The Commander-in-chief Deng's Hill The Delicate Rock Hill Page 21


[edit]Walking tours

The Garden of Pleasure/ Pleasence/ Joy (Yi Yuan), Yu Yue's Residence (Yu Yue ), Yi Pu Garden, the North Pagoda (Bei Walk form the center of old town, go to east follow Ganjiang east road, then turn left when you go to Lindun road. You will spend one hour and get to Suzhou New Museum. After visit the museum and visit Zhuozheng Garden, you walk follow Baita West Rd, then turn right Pingjiang Rd, you can visit the Kunqu Opera Museum, Pintan Museum, the two museum tickets are free. After visiting the museum, you can watch a show of Kunqu Opera or Pintan,you can go back to Ganjiang East Rd. At night, you can go back to the Water Town Youth Hostel in old town.

[edit]Riding tours
Riding Shantang street and Tiger Hill Hire a bike from the water town youth hostel, which is located at the center of Suzhou Old Town, it will cost 25 for whole day including a bottle of water. Follow Yangyu Ln, riding north. Through the Ganjiang West Rd, you turn left when you get to the Xizongshi Rd. You will go through the old stone Chang gate, then you will turn right through the bridge of Dusunqiao. When you get to Shantang St, follow it. After half an hour, you will get to Tiger Hill, after visiting the sight, you will turn back to the Suzhou water town hostel. Riding Pingjiang Road and Suzhou New Museum At morning, you start form water town youth hostel, turn left and go north following Renmin Rd, then at once go to the east following the Ganjiang East Rd, you will turn left and go to north following the Lindun Rd. It will take you half an hour you will get to Suzhou new museum. Check and put the bike to bike keep store, visit the Suzhou new museum and Zhuozheng Garden. Take the bike and ride to Yuanlin Rd, go to the Baita West Rd, you go to east and follow Baita West Rd, and turn right and go to Pingjiang Rd, you can follow the old street and go to Middle Zhangjiajie Ln to visit Pintan museum and Kunqu museum, the two museums are very special and are free to visit. You will maybe spend 5 or 10 to watch a show of Pintan or Kunqu. Return to Guanqian St to have a supper, at night you go back the water town youth hostel and finish the riding.

Hotel choices: Budget 100 Happy Hotel, 201 Shiquan St, Canglang District, +86 512-68017999, 65600796, 68017788 or 6137-7646, [18]. Few English-speaking staff. edit Dongwu Hotel Wuyachang, 200 Shi Quan St, +86 512-65193681. edit Hengdeli Hotel, +86 512-65115788, [19]. Offers small but clean rooms at cheap rates. Also unadvertised is the fact that all standard rooms are equipped with (extremely slow, but free) "broadband" access for laptop users. Breakfast is included. Staff are very friendly and speak English well enough to take a telephone reservation or give directions. A short walk from central Suzhou, but still very quiet. price. edit Mingtown-Suzhou Youth Hostel, No.28 Pingjiang Rd, +86 051265816869. In the most ancient block in Suzhou downtown area. Ping Jiang Rd keeps the old pattern of road paralleling to canal on its original site Town giving you aboriginal water town feeling, which makes it the most attractive

CHINA Page 22


ancient block in old Suzhou Town. Hostel is rebuilt based on an old building and have a nice garden with fish in the pool. 10-min walk to Humble Administrator's Garden, Suzhou Museum, Lion Forest Garden, Shan Xi Assembly Hall, Couple Garden, Guan Qian St and there are also many buses to other sight-seeing spots in Suzhou city from here. Bed Price:40-200. edit Suzhou Hostel, 186 Zhuhui Rd, +86 512-65180266. Beds from 45. edit Suzhou Minghantang Youth Hostel (,), 61 Tongguiqiao, Xiatang, Shantang St Guangji Rd, +86 51265833331, [20].Centrally located, in a traditional Suzhou block-house more than 400 years old in Shantang St, Internet access, WiFi, coffee shop. From 40. edit Suzhou Watertown Youth Hostel, 27 Dashitou Ln 27 , Renmin Rd, +86 512-65218885, [21]. Centrally located in a traditional Suzhou block-house with all the modern conveniences, including Internet access. From 40. edit Suzhou Youth Hostel, 178 Xiangwang Ln (Next to Shiquan St and the Dong Wu & 100 Happy Hotels), +86 512-65109418 or 65188734, [22].beds from 40-50. edit

[edit]Mid-range

Bamboo Grove Hotel, 168 Zhuhui Rd, +86-51265205601, [23]. Comfortable rooms, lots of smokers. Rates are reasonable. The internet connection is serviceable. Bamboo Grove is an older and more 'Chinese hotel' than other places. It is still very clean and comfortable and has plenty of character. English is spoken well by staff. It is within easy walking distance from Shi Quan St, Guihua Park, 'Master of Nets' garden and 'Jack's Place' Italian restaurant. edit Gloria Plaza Hotel, 535 Ganjiang E Rd, +86 512-65218855, [24]. Nice hotel. Decent restaurant, clean rooms. Close to the center of the city and a short walk to the pedestrian mall area. Good internet connections, cost is reasonable. edit Guibinlou Hotel, No. 888 East Ganjiang Rd, Pingjiang District, +86 51265217888, [25]. Located in the Guanqian Commercial Area, 3 km from railway station. Rooms have en-suite bathrooms, cable TV and free Internet. 400. edit Mercure Suzhou Park Hotel (), (In Suzhou Industrial Park), [26]. edit Suzhou Nanlin Hotel, No. 20 Gunxiufang, Shiquan St, Canglang District, +86 512-68017888, [27]. Located in the Shiquan St bar strip. 210 rooms with safe, toilet and TV. Gym, pool, sauna and, alas, karaoke. 500. edit Wealth Center Hotel, 938 Ganjiang E Rd, Pingjiang District, +86 51265091688, [28]. A 4-star-quality hotel right inside the Guanqian Business Center. edit
Page 23

CHINA


[edit]Splurge Aster Hotel Suzho, 156 Sanxiang Rd, +86 512-68291888, [29]. Nice hotel, but a bit out of the way of the old town. Claims to be either 4- or 5-star depending where you look. Perfect for the business traveller, except that the in-room internet connection is only 10Mbps. There is an outside swimming pool that is not heated so is closed in the colder months. The ground floor restaurant 'Venice Cafe', serves really good breakfasts. Good level of English. edit Holiday Inn Jasmine, 345 Changxu Rd, +86 51265588888, [30]. Western-style hotel with excellent amenities in-room that rival amenities in other countries (of any price). While somewhat out of the way of nightlife, the Holiday Inn would probably suit business travelers well. Free Internet in-room. edit Renaissance Suzhou Hotel, 229 Suhua Rd, Suzhou Industrial Park, +86 512-67618888 (fax: +86 512-6767 1888), [31]. checkin: 2PM; checkout: noon. edit Sheraton Suzhou Hotel and Towers, 259 Xin Shi Rd, +86 51265103388, [32]. Nice western style hotel, pool, gym, old restaurant, but somewhat expensive. The tap water is filtered and drinkable. Good internet connections. There is a large and very nice garden right behind the Sheraton which is nice to visit.

Budget Eating in Suzhou()

Harbin Dumplings on Shizi Jie. The dumplings are much cheaper than the better-known Yang Yang Dumplings, and just as good. Sicily, In the Guanqian (walking street) area very near Renmin Rd and Ganjing Rd. Very good Italian food at near Chinese prices. Vegetarian Food, near corner of Gong Xiang and Furenfang Xiang, across from Christian church. Awesome vegetarian menu (especially the noodle dishes), served at insanely low prices (i.e. hearty dinner for two for 70.) A Bing Cangshu Mutton Soup, 332 Pi Shi St. Has a long history. People in Suzhou like the soup very much. It is delicious but very cheap--only 20. Eat it once you will twice. Let's Rock Hong Kong Restaurant (Hao3 Yue4) , 403 Shi Quan St. A fun, modern little restaurant with great Hong Kong/Cantonese food. Good dim sumthese folks make a serious Barbecued Pork Bun (Cha Shao Bao). The menu offers lots of quick, inexpensive dishes. - recent name change but same owners & chef Good Eats, now in Shamrock Irish Bar, ShiQianJie. North American fast foods like wraps, hamburgers, etc. Arguably one of the better hamburgers-n-fries sold in China. The Baltimore and California burgers are strongly recommended. intermittent hours of operation Meimei (), at - very affordable dimsum and Chinese food

CHINA

Page 24

 Coffee Shops and Book Bars

The Bookworm [15], Right off Shi Quan St, near The Shamrock. Good coffee and food. Free wireless Internet. Good selection of English books to read in the shop or to borrow if you get a membership. A very nice alternative to relaxing at a bar. This place has become a major focal point for the resident expat community. The Minghantang Cafe [16],+86 512-65833331/655565221 in Santang St, Belongs to Suzhou Minghantang Youth Hostel (), a old traditional house more than 400 years old. Good coffee and food. Free wireless Internet. You can meet a lot of friends all over the world. Provence Cafe about 200 Shiquan St in the Dong Wu Hotel complex. Good coffee and food. Free internet for 30 min with a meal. SoloCafe [17],+86 512-6572-0696 Good coffee and food. View right over the canal. Very cute place with a Lotus theme (the milk in my mocha was lotus shaped). Cross the bridge over the canal across the street from the Suzhou Hotel and it is next to the north side of the bridge on your left.

SUZHOU 2010
Work

The Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) and Jinji Lake

The SIP is best described as a masterpiece of urban planning. Developed jointly between the city government and a Singaporean urban planning committee it was built to accommodate over 300 (mostly Japanese) electronics manufacturers. Most of the area is wide, tree-lined boulevards lined with new high-rise apartments, office buildings and factories. May not sound attractive but the recreation facilities of the area are worth a visit. There are several parks, shopping malls, eating and drinking streets (Check out Times Square behind the Exhibition Centre for a modern contemporary replication of a traditional Suzhou street lined with bars and restaurants) and of course the large Jinji Lake. Surrounded by some interesting contemporary parkland, this lake's attractions include Li Gong Di (a lakeside bar/restaurant street), Ferris Wheel Park (a rather small, uninspiring amusement park: it's main draw is the huge ferris wheel offering views across Suzhou) and Peach Flower Island (accessible by ferry from Ferris Wheel Park - the ferry is included in the park's ticket). Expect to pay about 15 for a taxi from the old town to the SIP. Several buses go there the most convenient route is #2. An open-top sightseeing bus runs every 45 min from outside the Expo Centre and runs around Jinji Lake for 2.

CHINA

Page 25