Job Discussion Forums

[kev7161]

Hi all,

I'm only in the VERY preliminary stages of talking with a school in Suzhou about the possibility of coming there next September (instead of going home, can you imagine? The money offer's quite good though) but I don't know a heck of a lot about Suzhou itself. I know it's somewhat near Hangzhou and Shanghai so the weather is very similar but:

Is it a clean city (compared to Shanghai, Hangzhou and other cities in this area)?

What is the population/size?

Are there modern conveniences such as western restaurants, Carrefour(s), movie theaters with English movies, etc?

I'm not a real "night-life" sort of guy, but is there a night life?

At the risk of sounding dumb (because I know that any activity in China is pretty limited), what are some other activities offered in this city?

Finally, do YOU like Suzhou? Why or why not?

Really, a lot of times I am pleased as punch to settle in at home every night watching a DVD or my satellite TV, playing on the computer . . . just like every Chinese student I've ever had . . . but I still like to venture out from time to time. So anything you could tell me would be appreciated. Thanks a lot.

[amandabarrick]

Hi Kev,
I have been to Suzhou, but never taught there. It is very clean and has the most beautiful gardens in China. The zoning law doesn't allow any commerical high-rise constructing in the downtown district, only traditional Chinese architecture, which adds to the ambiance. It has many modern coveniences and western goods, but not as many as Shanghai. The good thing is that you are just an hour away from Shanghai if you need something you can't find in Suzhou. It is fairly small in size compared to other cities. some people prefer a more bustling city with more night-life. Besides the gardens and the silk market, I am not sure what else there is to do there.
Hope this helps.
AB

[Zero Hero]

Take a look at the signature of 'brsmith15'.

[Roger]

I've only explored it as a tourist, but was slightly disappointed (those famous gardens were, well, swamped by the rest of a concrete jungle that wasn't China's most architecturally bold or aesthetically-pleasing!).
And I didn't find Suzhou particularly clean, nor was it filthy. It was just like any other city. Size? Several million... quite spaced out, it seemed to me as I came from Shanghai by bus.
BUt if you like the offer you should seize on it. It does have western-style amenities and supermarkets. Besides, Shanghai is butjust one hour by train away.

[nolefan]

I spent one week in Suzhou this past january and Iwas quite impressed by the city. It is quite modern and fairly cosmopolitain for its size. There is a huge number of expats because the number of foreign firms that have opened in the city's SIP (singapore industrial park) and you can find pretty much whatever you want there.


you should get in touch with voodikon or MyraG as both of them live there. I believe that brasilstu spent a year there before moving to my neck of the woods.

I remeber walking in the streets late at night and how surprised I was at the number of folks hanging out at the little holes in the wall, the cafes or the bars.

P.S: it's one of the few cities where camel lights and cloves were readily available

[Babala]

Kev,
I go to Suzhou about once every 2 months. I really like it there. There is a good nightlife, plenty of pubs and such. As Roger mentioned, the supermarkets carry alot of western products. It isn't too dirty, it is considered one of the cleanest cities in Jiangsu. It's close to both Shanghai and Nanjing by train. It has some great markets, I go to Suzhou to pick up gifts to send home for my family, lots of paintings, and silk.

[Jolly]

I spent a year teaching in Suzhou and really liked it there. The population is around 6 million or so. After coming back from Shanghai, I got out of the train station in Suzhou and said" Where is everybody." I like Shanghai, but it's so crowded there. It takes away some of the joy.

I found Suzhou to be a friendly city and will go back some day. As far as polution goes, it's not as bad as some cities, but it's noticable until you get used to it!

I agree somewhat with Roger about the gardens. If you like rocks, you'll like the gardens. Checking out the many little gardens tucked away in small neighbors of Suzhou can be fun though. The Chinese are crazy about them and each garden is different. Some are quite stunning, depending on the time of year.

You'll find plenty of canals in Suzhou. Although interesting, I'd hardly call Suzhou the Venice of China, which the Chinese do. I've been to Venice (Italy), and Suzhou in no resembles it.

One note: ask a lot of questions about housing, questions that are important to you with regards to where you will be living.

Have fun! Definitely take the job. Suzhou won't disappoint you.