Sunday, April 5, 2009

Saturday In Suzhou

I was perhaps a bit hasty in my assessment of the people of Suzhou and their appreciation of the sculpture that surrounds them as they go about their business in Suzhou Industrial Park. I discovered that perhaps they just do not have time through the week to enjoy the art work provided for them to enjoy.

Saturday in Suzhou dawned cloudy, misty, foggy and/or raining depending on when you looked ou the window. By lunchtime, it did not look like any real improvement was eminent, so not wanting to completely waste a free day, I unfolded the umbrella, and ventured out. On the previous days adventure I noticed that the other side of the lake running perpendicular to my walk also seemed to have some interesting parks, and a map of the area showed extensive parkland there as well. Today, ignoring the dampness I explored this area.

First thing I noticed was more statues and sculpture. As you walked through the pathways, you would come across interesting sculptures, again, with little or no explanation. On this walk I found a huge crocodile who I believe was being zapped by a spell from a witch. I saw a very hip fellow roller-blading with his dog on a skateboard. Yes I'm still on the sculpture thing, both he and the dog were in bronze. There was an entire brass bank made of red metal on a big white quarter moon, and there was the usual assortment of interesting abstract items.

The difference today was that the Chinese were enjoying their parks and their statues, I gave up waiting for the statues to be clear of people, and started trying to include the people having their picture taken beside the sculpture. One family was very interested in the roller blader and his dog. I watched them trying to convince the little boy to sit on the dog to get his picture taken. He seemed reluctant, but I couldn't tell what his objection was. Finally his mother produced a Kleenex, and he carefully wiped the moisture from the dog and happily sat down for the “photo-opp”.

It was a day for photography, and I came across two sets of newly weds having their wedding photos done. I felt sorry for them trying to look happy and festive as someone held an umbrella over them and someone else tried to keep the rain off the photographer. I can just imagine them years from now sitting together looking through their wedding album and remembering that day trying to stay dry while posing for the pictures.

Again, I was amazed at the expanse of perfectly maintained parkland. Everywhere I went there were beautiful broad walkways, made not out of ordinary concrete, but paving stone or even artistically arranged polished stone. There would often be large areas of polished marble like surface (Very slippery in the rain). There were always neat rows of trees, perfect hedges without any gaps, flower beds with perfectly evenly spaced plants all with perfect blooms. You might see the occasional spot where a path had been worn in a lawn, but other than that even the grass was consistently perfect green. Of course everywhere there is greenery or flowers are the ever present maintenance people; sweeping the sidewalks and bike paths, picking up litter, weeding the lawns, and picking dead flowers out of the gardens. They are there rain or shine, seven days a week, keeping everything perfect.

Actually, as I walked back from this damp adventure, I suddenly realized as I passed a forest of trees all planted in dead straight even rows, that I had actually never seen anything that wasn't completely created by man. None of the parks were preserved natural land, they were created from scratch. I do not recall seeing one area in this part of Suzhou that was not designed and built. I do not know what was here before someone decided to build this Industrial Park, but I don't think there is much left of the original land. This is not really a criticism, because I do not know what was here before – it could have been a waste dump, or a gravel pit, and now it certainly is a lovely place for the people to live and work, and I am enjoying exploring it bit by bit during my time in China.

1 comment:

  1. I think I love these pictures best so far. The blossoms are incredible, and the rain/mist/fog leaves you with a melancholy, mellow mood.

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