I arrived in China a week or two earlier to stay in Shanghai in 青浦 where I thought it was in city of shanghai but it was the outer area of Shanghai which from car another 1 hour away and there I stayed with my friend. During that time I visited many places in Shanghai including places like 豫園 famous for its 城隍廟 and little desserts while I await for the arrival of the date of the course.
上海城隍廟 Old temple in ShanghaiI remember on the day that we met up was on the 8th and I travelled from my friends house and it took me 2 hours to get to Tongji University metro station by that time I could not catch up to the group lunch, from there I went and ate and waited for the group. The first impression of the group was we had an international group that consists of people from Europe countries and local students, which some did urban design rather than architecture studies like UNSW students it was there I greeted some. We left Tongji guesthouse to the train station, the experience was interesting because we were in the VIP lane. The train was so fast that it was only 20mins when we arrived in Suzhou, on the way I saw many repetition high-rise building that I thought was something grand to me. Arriving by night I saw my roommate and good friend Edwin it was happy to meet him again. At night we set out to this fancy restaurant which I thought Stan our tutor while ordering looked similar to the high officer while the subjects surrounded him with questions.
Shanghai train station
Alot of money spend on this trip
Stan Fung our teacher at the dinner tableAfter there we started our awesome journey, in the morning with 9 minutes of collage making presentations in two different rooms where I was placed in-group one. It was very interesting and informing while seeing all the possibilities and techniques that was available in collage making. Finishing the session we set out to our first Suzhou garden in walking distance, during the walk I found very unease of how the people crossings and traffic is so complicated and rushed. The cars made plentiful of colorful noises that was a first timer and of course eventually got use to it and during the tour everyone made funny noises impression of it. We arrived in the first garden named ‘怡圓’ it was very fascinating compared to the large garden I been to in Shanghai, Suzhou gardens was very detailed and rich. Then to the bookshop at ‘觀前’ it was the most popular street for shopping, from many local Chinese friends they told me Suzhou has many pretty ladies which made me put on my scouting spectacles interesting enough there wasn’t many. During that week in Suzhou it was pretty much the same routine, in the day we went and visited gardens and ate at a big group while during the night we did collages which made our hotel rooms a mess I must confess it was a nightmare I remember the first night doing 3-4 collage took us to 2am in the morning!!
Garden view
Class presentations
Garden view
Garden view
Classmate photo
Garden view
Garden view
Garden paths
Water pond
Interior buidling
Pattern work
Bridges
Class waiting outside of gardenOther interesting parts in Suzhou to me was in the free time we had we were able to go to see the famous ‘虎丘’ with Shahab it was a great experience in comparison to the small gardens this was big and grand which I really like. The experience was something new and refreshing while walking listening to many great historical stories in the ‘春秋戰國’ I was excited. The important scene that 虎丘 had was this tower situated on top of the great hill, as we walked the funny thing was it was closer to us than it really is, then it clicked that the cleverness in design of this garden was genesis. While eyes focused on the hinted of stairs and walls and trees blocked the view and leaving the head of the tower a sense of journey or pilgrimage was achieved.
In addition to fun at nights, which we were free as groups, we would go experience the nightlife in Suzhou. Because our hotel was close at the center the clubs were in walking distance where there were two clubs called 88 and emperor. Many good experiences and funny ones we had there of course meeting beautiful Suzhou girls and also met this very welcoming Suzhou businessman who offered our whole group drinks! Of course should not put too much detail in this part but what is done in Suzhou stays in Suzhou, I can recall by some other boys in the group, no names mentioned.
Apart from night clubs and grand garden one more thing was important to mention is the Suzhou Museum by I.M Pei I must say it was some great architecture as it explored many culture elements found in Suzhou gardens and its design is very modern indeed with materially and thinking the best part was it was free for entrance! From hearing from the security that they receive around 5000 visitors a day, which is a lot of people, visiting one small museum. The best part of the Museum is the outdoor space where the architect uses fake rockery and pond in expressing his view on Chinese traditional gardens.
All the visitors to Suzhou museum 
Ceiling
The courtyard with fake rockery and pondOn the 15th of December we set our foots back into Shanghai on bus, where we stayed into one of the most luxurious hotels starting on the 59th floor The Grand Hayat Hotel, which over looks the famous ‘東方明珠’ the marker tower of Shanghai. It was so good living in luxury after Suzhou gardens it was the lifestyle I must say. With that in mind an all you can eat morning buffet to top all that off, it was heaven unfortunately this experience was left only to UNSW students the rest of the group separated to their homes as there course ended. During the time in Shanghai we visited many romantic places such as the ‘田子坊’ where it was a renovation of the old public housing into cute coffee shops and art pieces. From the night hours we went and had great dinners like at ‘新天地’ where many foreign go for clubbing and shopping. After dinner we went away some partied in clubs while some of us went and did famous Chinese messages that was my first time, having the master standing on top of you.
田子訪 alley 
田子訪 interesting shopsIn comparison Shanghai to Suzhou was so different one with many culture aspects glued to the city while the other is all modern and international economical driven. More activities we had in Shanghai were visiting two famous Chinese architecture firms Neri and Hu while the second was Atelier Deshaus. Two different approaches in design while one is more cooperate and commercial while the other I would describe the Chinese Glen Murcutt with smaller projects but influential.
Neri and Hu architecture firmIn addition to this trip, I really learned a lot not only in Suzhou gardens the design but really experience the culture first hand and people some are really nice. The best part of this experience I must say is the interaction between students and later friends, of course not seeing any new couples emerging at the moment. I hope the relationships made during the trip could last and the memory could stay fresh.
Class photo
