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A future that floats
Li Jian
Shanghai_Star
page12 2006-4-27
When the sunlight ceased playing on the water of Gold Rooster Lake in Suzhou, sparkling dragon boats, illuminated by huge lotus lanterns, and slim gondolas from Venice, Italy, glided around a radiant platform in the middle of the lake where a group of ballet dancers from Russia performed as swans. A poetry-filled night in the city dubbed the "Venice of the Orient" had begun.
The "water feast" is just one of the activities of the 9th Suzhou International Tourism Festival, which will last for a month through the Labour Day holidays. Dragon boat races and special water tour events will be held in the city's peaceful watertowns of Mudu, Luzhi and Tongli.
Zhou Weiqiang, vice-mayor of the Suzhou municipal government, told the Shanghai Star that any tourists to Suzhou could expect to have a wonderful time if they had a chance to experience the special tour featuring the festival's unique water feast.
Water-centred
According to Zhou, the festival would be comprised of seven big events featuring water tours and water entertainment.
In Changlang and Pingjiang districts, thousands of people rushed to the canals to see the dragon boat race and fishing contests. Observers will have a chance to witness the unique lifestyle of local residents who have long relied on the canals for their simple but colourful lives.
Among the small bridges and numerous canals, traditional local marriage ceremonies and other activities will be held in the watertowns.
In Suzhou Amusement Land, China's largest amusement park featuring a water world and water theme activities, tourists can take a dive from a 50-metre high platform into a pool of water.
The festival organizing committee has invited more than 10 kite clubs from all over the country to attend a kite-flying event along Gold Rooster Lake.
Taihu Lake will be the scene of yachting and dragon boat races. The Suzhou Taihu National Tourism Resort lies 15 kilometres from downtown Suzhou.
Real watertown
Sitting in a boat gliding on the Grand Canal, Zhou said the city was considering to strengthen its efforts to make itself into a real water city, like Venice. In recent years, the local government has been working to prevent waste emissions into canals and to preserve the ancient buildings on both banks of the canals.
A forum was held last Saturday to discuss how to build a real water city. Representatives from world famous water cities, including Venice and St Petersburg, Russia, attended the forum and recommended a preservation and environmental protection programme to be adopted immediately.
Suzhou is like a tightly enclosed island encircled by a wide canal, which used to be the main access route to Beijing. According to Zhou, water dominated 60 per cent of the city, leaving 10 per cent for farmland and 30 per cent mountainous areas.
With ancient streets and alleys extending alongside canals, the old town is reminiscent of Venice. White walls, dark grey roof tiles and small stone bridges add tranquil elegance to its beauty.
Yet today, boat traffic is scarcely seen on these local canals. The reconstruction of the city and the waste water pouring into the canals day and night has made canal tours unpleasant and dangerous.
The canals look pretty on film and TV screens, yet visitors are tempted to hold their noses while snapping pictures.
The only travellers on the canals now are the workers trying to clean them with pumps and long wooden hooks, picking plastic bags, paper and other debris out of the water.
Residents on the banks of the canals were considering migrating to other locations to avoid the filthy water. Many of the ancient houses have been levelled and high buildings have been built on the banks of the canals. Poetic scenes have surrendered to factories and apartments to meet the appetite of a rapidly growing economy.
Canal tourism
Although promoting canal cruises now seems a "mission impossible," the local government is betting its future on the potential of the canals to attract more tourists.
The canals in the city's satellite towns, including Zhouzhuang, Tongli and Mudu, which luckily escaped the massive destruction of the 1990s, will host most of the water events during the 9th Suzhou International Tourism Festival.
According to Zhou, a tourism and recreation resort will be completed beside Taihu Lake for holidays, sightseeing and health restoration.
Zhou said he was confident about the water tour in Suzhou. According to the local tourism bureau, the Taihu Pearl Entertainment Park, a theme park featuring water tours and water activities, has already received 1 million tourists. |
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