(13) SUZHOU - SHAN TANG STREET & GUAN QIAN STREET

Shan Tang Street

Ini jalan paling terkenal dan paling tua di Suzhou. Tempat ini sangat makmur pada masa dinasti Ming dan Qing. Sebenernya tempat ini baru tetapi jalannya sudah tua, soalnya jalan lama ini sudah dimakan umur dan direnovasi beberapa tahun yang lalu. Jadi mayoritas gedung-gedungnya sebenarnya baru.

It’s the most famous and oldest street in Suzhou. It was very prosperous in Ming and Qing dynasty. Actually this is a new but old street, because the old street was wormed out with the ages and it was renovated a couple of years ago. So the majority of buildings are actually new.

Dimanapun kita jalan di Jalan Shan Tang, banyak hal menarik yang kita jumpai seperti pemandangan canal yang indah, asesoris lampu-lampu merah yang fantastic, warung-warung makan traditional, lukisan-lukisan China (seperti kaligrafi China), sampai kesenian dan gallery tersedia di jalan ini. Luar biasa ya?! Sebenernya gue pengen beli lukisan kaligrafi China dan beberapa lukisan tangan lain yang memang gue koleksi setiap pergi travel ke nagara lain… tapi sayangnya penjualnya ngasih harga mahal banget dan susah ditawar. Mungkin bukan hoki gue.

Everywhere we turn Shan Tang Street, there are interesting things to see ranging from lovely canal scene, fantastic red lamp accessories, traditional shops a long the street, traditional street food, Chinese painting (like China calligraphy), until art and gallery, the street served all. It’s amazing, isn’t it? Actually I would like buy a China calligraphy and some painting, I always buy painting from every country where I traveled for my collection… but unfortunately the shop gave me very expensive price and very difficult to bargain the price. May be it’s not my luck.

Guan Qian Street

Ini tempat shopping favorite gue. Sepanjang jalan ini banyak macam-macam outlet, restoran, butik-butik merek terkenal, perhiasan, dan lain-lain. Seperti di Kuta Square tapi jalan ini hanya untuk pejalan kaki, nggak ada mobil ataupun taransportasi lain lewat sini. Kita juga bisa tawar menawar harga. Meskipun didominasi barang-barang merek local dengan banyak toko menjual sepatu boot kulit dan jaket musim dingin, kualitas barangnya bagus dan harganya pun sangat murah, meskipun kita nggak pinter nawar. Hmmm….ini bener-bener surganya wanita …. Ha ha ha ha ha….

It’s my favorite shopping center. A long the street is many various shopping outlets, restaurant, branded boutiques, jewelry, and etc. Looks like Kuta Square but the street only for walkway, no car or other transportation passing through. We can bargain the price as well. Even local brand names dominated with many shop selling leather boots and winter jackets, the quality very good and the price was very cheap even we are not a good bargainer. Hmmm …. It’s really women paradise…ha ha ha ha ha….

Gue beli jaket panjang warna putih dan sepatu boot kulit warna putih, soalnya guide kita bilang nanti di Beijing hawanya lebih dingin lagi sekitar minus 10 derajat dan gue pikir sepatu kets and jaket gue nggak bakal cukup untuk nahan dingin. Apalagi persediaan hokairu udah menipis. Makanya gue musti siap-siap untuk itu, kalau nggak gue nggak bakal bisa keluar dari bus nanti ….he he he he ….Gue dapet harga murah banget untuk jaket dan sepatu boot cuma RMB 180. Setahu gue di Indonesia terutama Bali untuk masing-masing jaket dan sepatu boot bisa keluar duit Rp 1.000.000,00.

I bought a long white jacket and white leather boot, because the guide said in Beijing the weather will be around minus 10 degrees and I don’t think so my sneaker and my jacket would be enough for me. Moreover my hokairu left couple pieces only. So I have to prepare it otherwise I couldn’t go out from the bus …he he he he… I got very cheap for both only spent RMB 180. As I knew in Indonesia specially Bali for each jacket and boot we have to spend around Rp 1.000.000,00.

Hal menarik ketika shopping dan nyoba beberapa jaket dan sepatu, pelayan toko selalu bilang I YO YO. Lokal dialek ini artinya “bagus atau cantik”. Dialek lainnya I YA YA yang artinya kebalikannya “jelek”. Hal lain yang menarik kita bisa ketemu chestnut manis paling enak di sini. Tadinya gue mau beli sekantong tapi temen travel gue satu bus udah beli dan ngebagi makan bareng.

The nice thing when I shop and try some jacket and boot, the ladies shop always said “I YO YO”. It’s a local dialect and means “beautiful or pretty”. The other dialect is “I YA YA” means not pretty. The other nice thing we can find the best sweet chestnut in here. I would like to buy but my travel friend Josie bought already and share to me.

Ahirnya kita tutup perjalanan hari ini denga dinner di sebuah restouran Chinese food dan kemuadian ke hotel E-Central untuk check in. Hotelnya bagus tapi gue nggak beruntung karena pemanas ruangannya nggak bagus. Jadinya gue nggak tidur nyenyak karena kedinginan.

Finally we closed our day by dinner at a Chinese food restaurant and then we go to E-Central hotel for check in. The hotel was nice but I was not lucky that heather in my room was not working well. So I couldn’t sleep well because too cold.