Suzhou, China
“Suzhou,” our tour guide Sam informed us, “is where the most beautiful women in China live. That is where men in Shanghai go to find a wife.”
Add that to the list of things to look forward to seeing, then. In addition to observing the local populace we also went to a silk factory that Bill Clinton had visited and walked around some gardens.
At the silk factory, I even purchased something… a silk comforter. As usual, we had lots of great Chinese food, and did a little canal tour. On the boat I also purchased a pack of playing cards with photos of Suzhou on each one of them. The photos are great, though of course not quite as good as being there in person.
The town seemed very pleasant and laid back with all the flower gardens around, and was a striking contrast to the big cities of China. And yes, the women were pretty good looking here.
![The Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou, a town that's home to "silk and China's most beautiful women", claimed Sam, our tour guide.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/s/suzhou02a.jpg)
![I loved these frog trash cans!!](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/s/suzhou02b.jpg)
![Circular passageway.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/s/suzhou02c.jpg)
![Little stream in the garden.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/s/suzhou02d.jpg)
![Flowers in the garden.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/images/s/suzhou02e.jpg)
![At the Suzhou silk factory, we got to see how silk was made and threaded.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/s/suzhou02f.jpg)
![Karen stretching balls of silk into thinner pieces using this strongarm device.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/s/suzhou02g.jpg)
![Factory workers creating a silk comforter by hand.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/s/suzhou02h.jpg)
![Now on a dingy going 2mph in the Gran](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/s/suzhou02i.jpg)
![Through more canals.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/s/suzhou02j.jpg)
![The Leaning Tower of... Suzhou!](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/s/suzhou02k.jpg)
![Caught, napping: Felix Wong and Karen together on the bus to/from Suzhou.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/s/suzhou02l.jpg)