In Kunshan, Yangcheng Lake, we went to the
hotel that is built and owned by government in the large lake area. State hotel
always has best location.
We came there nearly in the end of the
hairy crab season, a specialty in the lake, which is appreciated highly that no
boats except for primitive boats of fishermen, with their trained birds, are
allowed hunting on the light blue and peaceful lake. The small restaurants cook
seasonal crabs to serve tourists, and close when the entire population of small
city temporarily moves on the inland to avoid freezing. However, Fairmont
Yangcheng Lake hotel stands still while other area has difficulty. Managed by a
Canadian hotel chain, it must always be ready for official visit - one block is
reserved for officials. Many of them come for dinner suddenly… a half will be
canceled later. Hotel staffs rush to prepare, smile and shrug with rapid change
at last minute.
Fairmont
Yangcheng Lake hotel
They can smile, because in return they have
a vast area and unparalleled view by the lake, in a "small" city (1.7
millions) in large Shuzhou, as well as having full heritage of culture and
history, a modern business opportunity and the delicious food. It is the best
bargain of the hotel owner. In the view of high speed railways, this suburban
outpost of Shuzhou is very beautiful with the red roof villas of the rich who
work in Shanghai and return home in Kushan. Resort includes one farm suppling
70-80% of the demand of the kitchen, a small beekeeping, a rowing place and a
lot of rooms for sports from climbing walls to the 18-hole golf course.
When the sun rises in a cool day, the bees
are in the nest, we put some fresh honey in tea. In the two room house of the
beekeeper, there is the kitchen where she poured us fresh, sweet soy milk and a
multipurpose room where she shared with her family - we have talked a lot about
catha tree, dogs, and put our hands around the bowl of bread pudding.
In the fields, rice paddies are moving,
many local farmers are working. At dinner, we taste other fruits - jeera aloo
(dry fried potatoes with fennel seeds and spicy), which is made with incredible
purple potatoes, along with "makhanii" eggplants. Customer will be
served gnochhi pumpkin with tomato soup and India spicy. Three Indian modern
desserts are followed, gajar ka halwa is excellent, banana potli is amazing, and
milk pudding is also delicious.
Right now, on the other side of the
beekeeper, you are on a shortest canoe trip in the world to one island that is
full of sleepy white rabbits sitting on red-brown leaves, which are flying
because of the wind of the Rabbit year. However, the birds in the warehouse on
the other side of the honeycomb are considered good thing - do not like their
friends finding food on the lake, their throats are not tied and they can catch
fish for themselves instead of basing on the owner.
The highlight results of the human efforts
and the chasing of power are still the topic of the trip to modern Shuzhou trip
in the next morning. Again, we are afraid by the majestic height. The shopping
malls has the size of big buildings in Lutyens' Delhi city, the giant glass
office buildings and the wide eight-lane intersection make us keep silent in
new economy sector.
Far away for 30 minutes driving, in the
ancient Suzhou town, we come to the gravel road with humble, more familiar
width. The cyclo is brighter than the home cyclo. The famous cake shop of the
area sells the cake stuffed pork with hard shell by lard. The vendors invite
visitors to buy embroidered handkerchief, the small mobile shirts are made of
Shuzhou silk ... etc. All located on Humble Administrator's Garden.
The
ancient Suzhou town
Originally, this area is home of a scholar
of the Song Dynasty, this 13-hectare area is the biggest reason for the reputation
of Shuzhou, like Unesco world heritage. As an extreme example of classical
Chinese garden, this ambitious park was founded by the king's envoy cum poet
Wang Xiancheng in 1513, when he occupied the property from one monastery. Many
roads meander around the garden; finally, most will lead you to the seat of
"happiness in all directions" - a modest house with one door each
side, a window in the middle and a semicircle traditional long chair, a stream
flows into a quiet lake.
It is reasonable that the locals think a
sight is worth. This is true with Zhouzhuang. 1000 years old and is probably
the most famous "water city" of China, it owns the name "Venice
of the East", despite other competitors also compete this title, including
some at our home country. Founded as a halt in upstream from Shanghai port,
this small village still uses waterway for trade.
Tourists
enjoying a boat tour through Zhouzhuang's ancient canals
Tourism brings much money. This place is
not only beautiful with many canals, which are crossing by small stone bridges
and rounded gates, suspended with the willow trees, decorated with lanterns.
The women sell shrimp and crab harvested from canals and dried fish. The barges
still carry vegetables to the kitchen. Some houses are turned into teahouses.
The ancient houses of the rich in the past are still available for tourists to
visit.
At the top is the house of Shen Wansan,
Jiangsu's first millionaire. Actually, his house has many halls. In addition to
living areas and kitchen, courtyards and corridors, the altar of wealth god and
Confucius. Kitchen steamed dumplings for you to eat, as the tour of this house
is very long.
Outside, there are pumpkins with drawings (the cover is scrawled characters
when they are young to keep the scars), the Buddha is painted in peanut shells,
the drawings (or photos) of the bridges, dragons, roosters and straw locusts,
gloves, scarves and other things to buy - it likes any market in the country, a
little bit flashy and expensive, and a little interesting.
However, there are many things can not be
defeated in Kunshan. Such as opera. Kunqu is one of the oldest forms (600 years
old), the mother of opera and perhaps godmother of Italian opera. The recent
recovery efforts have witnessed the foundation of Kun opera museum in Tinglin
park, which also contains three treasures of Kunshan - the Kun jewel, Chinese
hydrangea and Tinh De lotus. So does the Qiandeng ancient town, the Ming and
Qing buildings has 80 thousand square meters in wide, is the largest flower
center of China. About agriculture, there is a long controversy between China
and Japan about the first country where planted rice - the latest architectural
excavations discovered the rice fields of the Neolithic in Chuodun, it proved
that Kunshan may be the rice granary of the world.
The
women sell shrimp and crab harvested from canals and dried fish.
However, at the bottom of my happiness cup,
there is still Chinese crab. Female crab has roe, male crab has sharper shell
with more meat, so you should eat both. However, I have not eaten any crab in
2220 tonnes mined from the lake during spawning season in Yangtze, which is
announced by the chef.
Locals agree that I have attractive reason
to come back in May, just as the terns and the rain will come in the spring.
