Me & City (Suzhou, China)

I always feel I have too much words for my hometown. That’s what I’m doing:)  But I guess some of  you must want one line, maybe no more than 140 words like twitter  to figure out a general concept for this city first.  Let me try to find one for you, though it really challenges me, haa.

Okay, may be this one. Suzhou is a city where you will be amazed to feel the different levels of time and development happening simultaneously, both old and new,  peace and vitality,  ancient and contemporary all at once.

If you find a little bit lack of imagination upon above words, maybe you would like to read something more tangible in my previous post Suzhou at a glance including the basic statistics,  geographical location and culture & history for a vivid image of Suzhou.

I also want to hear what’s in your mind on Suzhou?  Leave your message here if you have one sentence for Suzhou:)

Art Museum of Suzhou Art Academy is a new museum opened recently. It locates in the east of Jinji Lake, SIP close to the Times Square. The background of AMSAA is Suzhou Art Academy so this museum mainly focuses on the art works from Suzhou local and peripheral artists. To some degree, the art works show and represent local art style. It’s really a good place to enjoy if you would like to feel something about local art.

click to view more photos

The museum will operate art works show(Chinese painting and Chinese calligraphy) periodically. A show of  The Masterpieces From The Ancient and Modern Famous Artists is held at present (Until the end of Oct.) to celebrate the opening of  AMSAA.   If you have time, rush for the day:)

Address:  Xinghu Street (Southern Square E-103)
Open Hours: 9:00 AM- 5:00PM
Admission: Free

Kunqu, also known as Kunqu opera is one of the oldest form of Chinese operas.  Originated in Kun Shan(a satellite town of Suzhou)  from the late of  Yuan dynasty about 600 years ago, Kunqu is recognized as the mother of a  hundred Chinese operas such as Jingju (Peking Opera).    And in May 18th, 2001,  Kunqu was added to the Intangible World Culture Heritage List  by UNESCO.

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Kunqu combines speaking, singing, dancing and some acrobatic accompanied by Chinese traditional musical instruments including Dizi (a bamboo flute), Sheng (a reed pipe wind instrument), Xiao (a vertical bamboo flute), Suona (a kind of horn), Sanxian and Pipa. Kunqu actors speak and sing the old dialact in Kun Shan. The singing and dancing style of Kunqu is slow, lyric and delicate. And the dancer’s posture matches the dancing so perfect that I feel really wordless to have you imagine the real feeling when you enjoy Kunqu.

Suzhou Kunqu Museum is the place where you can not only know about Kunqu from history to culture but also enjoy by  yourself. There is Kunqu performed every afternoon(Start at 2:00 PM )  on Sunday.   It usually contains three opera highlights that lasts about 100 minutes.  The ticket is 10 RMB and there is no need to book in advance. But I suggest you arrive early for a good seat place to enjoy.

Suzhou Kunqu Museum
No. 14  Zhong Zhang Jia Lane

Total solar eclipse of 2009 is near the corner!  We all know it’s a very rare opportunity that may be enjoyed only once in a life time. It is reported that the eclipse of 2009 is one of the longest in the past 2000 years with the maximum of totality reaching 6 min 39 s.

China is one of the lucky countries that have the wonderful geographical location to observe the wonder. You may check here for the 2009 Eclipse Path Through China Even luckier, Suzhou stands a so good position in that path.

I’m looking forward and getting preparation to enjoy the great moment. A special obversation glasses are must I think and then is a good watching site has to be decided.  Here are  several  obversing sites in Suzhou recommended by the bureau of astronomy I collected.

1. Dushu Lake High Education Town (SIP)
Bus No: 118,142, 146, 166, 178, 218,812
Bus Stop：Graduate Town or Dushu Lake High Education Town

2. Baitang Arboretum (SIP)
Bus No:  28
Bus Stop：Nan Shi Street

3. Ligongdi (SIP)
Bus No:  100，142， Jinji Lake Tourism Line
Bus Stop：Ligongdi

4. Avenue of Jinji Lake (SIP)
Bus No:  138, 307, Jinji Lake Tourism Line, 47, 28, 68
Bus Stop：Avenue of Jinji Lake or International Hotel

5. The plaza of Suzhou International Expo Center (SIP)
Bus: 28， 47， 106， 129， 812， 2， 100，108， 138，156， 158， 206，219
Bus Stop： International Expo Center or Northern International Expo Center

6. The plaza at the front door of Suzhou Amusement Land (SND)
Bus No：33，38，51，68，69，89，303，304
Bus Stop: Suzhou Amusement Land

7. Guihua (Osmanthus) Park （Down Town）
Bus No: 27， 26， 42，52， 53， 60， 108， 168， 202，218， 514， 900， 935，Tourism Line 5
Bus Stop: Guihua Park

8. Tongjing Park (Down Town)
Bus No: 4, 45, 54, 88, 305, 315, 319, 325, 900, 923, Tourism Line 5, Tourism Line 2, 60. 67, 70, 108, 305, 319, 504
Bus Stop: Tongjing Park or Western Tongjing Park

Keep updating…

It is also advised by the experts that there is no need for all the fans crowding into these places which may easily cause over congestion that is terrible to enjoy such a wonder.  As long as a place in which there is no  high building and other obstacles at it’s  east, it’s a good site to enjoy your solar eclipse observing.

Museums are always the great places to feel and explore local culture and history directly and intuitively. Experiencing the brilliant civilization in such a concentrated site is really deserve your time.

Suzhou has quite a lot of museums and the main of them is Suzhou Museum. Suzhou Museum is located in the old district of the city, Zhong Wang Fu Palace complex. Founded in 1960, the museum has been highly regarded as a regional museum with a substantial of significant Chinese cultural and historical relics.

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In 2006, a big innovation happened to Suzhou Museum. Designed by world famous architect I.M. Pei, who has crafted only one other edifice in China, a totally new museum was completed in October, which covers more than 10,700 square meter and located at the cross of Dongbei Street and Qimen Road.

The design of this new museum is really impressive having a perfect match of modern and tradition. Fusing traditional Suzhou architecture with modern finishing touches, the three-wing museum replaces carved lattice windows with modern glass panelling and metal sunscreens. It also visually complements the traditional architecture of the neighboring Zhong Wang Fu.

Currently the new museum houses over 30000 cultural relics — most notably for excavated artifacts, Ming and Qing Dynasty paintings and calligraphy, and arts and crafts from Neolithic pottery and jades to contemporary art. The museum also hosts different exhibitions regularly, which make visitors always have opportunity to look something new.