DAY 7: SUZHOU

July 10, 2017

7/10/17

Hi World,

Suzhou is a city on the outside of Shanghai. It went from a rice patty population of about 500,000 to 13 million in the last 15-20 years. We took the bullet train in the morning for a short 30 minute ride to Suzhou. We first met our tour guide named Ming and we went to a garden. The wall that the Ming Dynasty built was in the 516th century BC to protect the city and then some of the parts of the garden was built not long after. There are many modern parts added, but we additionally saw the walls that protected the structure from falling. Next, we went to traditional Asian restaurant, as usual, before heading to a the silk factory where we saw the process from eggs to larva to worms to moths and how silk was made. It is a long process in which the cocoons must be boiled to detach the gelatin inside and make the silk string easier to obtain. Then, patterns are slowly put together string by string to make a pattern or clothing, but to make comforters, you take the extra fluff from the outside of the cocoon which is rougher and easily able to stretch. Next, we went on a boat ride on a man made canal similar to the gondola rides in Italy. Side note* Italy and Suzhou were allies in negotiations and in order to honor their friendship Italy delivered a gondola to Suzhou. Finally, we visited another garden to witness the artifacts from the old Ming Dynasty.

Be Brave Today

XOXO

Lyricallivi