Today, being our last day in Suzhou, my class mates and I were to visit Eaton, the Silk Factory, and then take a Canal Boat Ride.After the conclusion of our day, we will pack up and board the bus to Shanghai, which is about 60 miles from Suzhou (about an hour’s drive away).
Suzhou, which is home to more than six million people, has managed to preserve the old town at its heart. Enclosed by walls and moats, the grid layout of this area has barely changed for a thousand years. Suzhou itself has existed for 2,500 years and is now one of the most popular tourist destinations for Chinese visitors. It’s famous for its canals, its silk, its tea, its opera and its gardens.
Eaton Corporation
Eaton is a global technology leader in electrical systems for power quality distribution and control; hydraulics components, systems and services for industrial and mobile equipment; aerospace fuel, hydraulics and pneumatic systems for commercial and military use; and truck and automotive drivetrain and powertrain systems for performance, fuel economy and safety.
After ASUS Technology, our next company visit was Eaton, which was another company that really impressed me. Being highly prepared for our arrival, we were treated to a presentations about the company and also given safety and protocol procedures. To me, this meant everything because the company really strived not only to better themselves but also keep their team safe. After the presentations concluded, we were split into groups and suited up with vests, glasses, and steel- toed shoe. We then were taken around the place and I found it so interesting that they split the work between woman and men. This was done by placing women with lighter lifting and also more technical responsibly, where the men were tasked with heavier lifting and controlled the output of items.
Silk Factory: Threading the Silk Journey in Suzhou
In 1276 Marco Polo visited Suzhou and wrote that, among the city’s other wonders,
‘they possess silk in great quantities, from which they make gold brocade and other stuffs‘.
Silk has been Suzhou’s lifeblood since the beginning of time. Therefore, Suzhou has devoted a museum to the history of the craft. The entrance hall is decorated with reliefs showing the trade on the Silk Road, while the first gallery preserves ancient samples of silk excavated from tombs and shown alongside modern reconstructions. It made me realize how colorless our view of history is, with no idea of the vibrant, detailed and elegant fabrics our ancestors would have worn.
Probably the most enjoyable part of the Museum was the section where we got to follow the making of silk from worm to weave, literally. A basket of mulberry leaves contains a happy community of silkworms, while pupae nestle on a shelf at the corner of the room.
Next, we were guided through the entire process of making silk!
Finally there are galleries showing further samples of silk, all the way through from the Ming dynasty up to the Qing period and the Chinese Republic, featuring silk embroidery and cut velvet as well as flat patterned silks. It was a true riot of color and pattern, and a very interesting glimpse of Suzhou’s ancient craft.
Canal Boat Ride
Suzhou known as the “Venice of the East” is a famous water town. The town has a rich history, with 60% of the main area spanning half-a-square-kilometer was built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, which go back as early as 1368. When in Suzhou, one can see oriental boats floating romantically down the narrow canals. They pass under the round arches of aged stone bridges, past blood-red lanterns and glowing Chinese text. The modern neon lights clash with the serenity of the ancient water town.
Taking the boat ride, I was impressed with the cultural and historical richness of the town. While floating down the canal, my class and I were surrounded by the old town on one side and the new town on the other. Just seeing the differences in time really amazed me!
Shanghai
Despite the chilly night, the air temperature was intensified by countless neon lights. Bodies were everywhere. Before coming to China I had known this country was home to over one billion people, but until I stepped out of the bus the number had never meant anything to me. Suddenly, swallowed up by a mass of humanity, I understood the reality of living in Shanghai (上海), China, the most populous city in the world.
The best part of the day was arriving in Shanghai. Honestly, the place was like New York, but on steroids. With a population of over 24 million, it is three times bigger than New York. If you combine Shanghai’s population with the 8 million who inhabit the city of Suzhou which is just two hours away, it almost equals Canada’s population which is just over 36 million.
Here, I believe is where I experienced interacting with locals and the feeling of being an “American” abroad. Honestly, I do not think I fully realized how many people could not understand and speak English. At this time is when I truly began to identify with being an American.
Once again, pictures are unable to capture the vastness of Shanghai. There is so much capital wealth injected into this city that it’s unreal. The level of consumerism here is virtually unmatched, and unlike any place I’ve ever been to. My Chinese friends have always told me how rapidly materialism is overtaking the newly emerging middle class, but this is beyond anything I expected. Around every corner is either a restaurant, clothing store, electronics store, etc., and I just cannot fathom how so many places are able stay in business even when you have three or four stores next door to each other selling the same exact thing. Then again, this is the largest city in the world, with more than 23 million people, and then are thousands upon thousands of what the Chinese call 富二代 (fu er dai, children who became wealthy under Deng Xiaoping’s economic reforms) driving around in expensive sports cars without a care in the world. This is simply not the China it was 30 years ago. This place is a sensory overload and it feels like I am living in a dream.
Hands down the most iconic part of Shanghai is the Bund and the city skyline across the water. When you hear ‘Shanghai’ you think of the iconic Pearl Tower.
Next, I have included a few pictures of the scene across and around the Bund! Hope you enjoy!
Tales of Traveling Sole Sisters 