Suzhou, China, Mar.16 – 17, 2025
City of water transportation, people’s life and Chinese fried chicken with not-cold beer
There was no adventure this time. As soon as I arrived at Hongqiao airport in the city of Shanghai, I got on a car the hotel arranged for me and headed to the city of Suzhou, about 100 km west. No trains, no buses, no walk. It is not my style of travel. I mean no adventure this time. But I decided to do so as I was not feeling safe six years after my last China travel. I know it is way expensive using a hotel car. This time it was business trip the company would pay. When I got out of the customs, a driver from the hotel was waiting for me at the lobby. I got on an large Chinese automaker’s EV with a panorama glass roof and headed for Suzhou. I remember I had been to Suzhou twice by car in the past in order to visit a factory. It was just an hour or so from Hongqiao area by highway last time if I remember correctly. Obviously, the traffic volume has got larger than last two visits. Large empty land had expanded along the highway before. But now I saw they have been replaced with a lot of factories, warehouses and houses. The driver was driving the car at the speed of 100 to 130km/h for some 100km. We reached the hotel in about an hour plus some minutes after leaving the airport.
The hotel I stayed the night was located along the large canal called “The grand canal” near the park area. You can see the canal from the hotel room. The hotel is surrounded by apartments. Large area of industry complexes lies behind them. The meeting was supposed to be held at the same hotel. Their newly built factory is just five minutes away by car from the hotel. It is a windy and still chilly Sunday afternoon near the end of Winter. Plum blossoms were in bloom. There were young and old alike to spend time by walking, jogging, flying a kite at the park along the grand canal.
Suzhou is a city along the grand canal which stretches 1,794 km long between Beijing and Hangzhou. Canals had been developed and used for transportation across the China. Emperor Yang of Sui dynasty built the grand canal by connecting those canals between North part and South part of China in 610. The construction of the canal contributed in connecting those two areas. But he is not evaluated that much by historians. He has been even given an insulting posthumous name. It is said one million had been assigned to build a part of the canal mobilizing even females. Now Barges are frequently going down the canal. They transport steels, crops, oils, chemicals… It is indispensable artery of the economy. I did not know it is the longest man-made canal and listed as world heritage site. I learned those facts after I returned to Japan. People were watching those boats moving slowly on the canal. I wondered what they are thinking about while watching the barges and the face of the river. About the destinations the barges are heading which they never have been?
There was a small market of Chinese pickles, poultry, vegetables and fruits near the hotel. I like visiting markets as I can see people’s ordinary life. There was a section of meat in the market, where a man was cutting meat on a large cutting board. You can hear chicken crowing across the next wall. I think they slaughter when they got an order. There was a liquor store in the same building. I bought a 500 ml can of Tsingtao beer in the refrigerator. However, it is not that cold as the ones on the shelf. None of them are cold in the large refrigerator. I thought they do not like cold drink as matter of fact. I was served warm beer at restaurants before. I think a cold beer tastes good. So it is interesting to me why they do not drink beer cold. Anyway, I decided to buy one and put in the fridge of my hotel room till it gets cold. Next to the market sits a roast meat shop. I was looking at the menu hanging in front of the shop for a couple of minutes not being able to decide whether I should go inside. The woman noticed me through the window and came out of the shop to invite me inside. She realized I do not speak Chinese. She was trying to speak English, instead. I got inside and I ordered some deep fried chicken and chicken feet for snack. Later I leaned Beijing Duck is one of her specialty .
After taking shower, I got a cold beer from the room’s fridge and ate fried chicken and chicken feet. They were not that bad. I regretted I should have ordered Beijing duck. I had woke up at 4:30 in the morning. Toshi-san, my younger bro took me to Yokohama station by his jeep in the rain. I took Keihin Kyuko Line to Haneda airport at 05:24. I arrived at the third terminal building at 05:50. I picked up my wi-fi modem at 06:00. I passed security check and passport control at 06:20. I sat in the chair of Sakura lounge by 06:30. I got on the plane on the offshore boarding area at 08:40. I spent time watching “Conclave”, a Hollywood movie, a story of choosing new holy sea in the Vatican, drinking a bottle of white wine. It hit at Hongqiao airport at 11:00. I got on the hotel car at 11:30 and arrived at the hotel at 13:00. What a busy day today was! My day in Suzhou ended with those food and cold beer in the hotel room.