Another Tai-Tai Outing--March 9th.

Okay...I guess I owe people an apology. My lovely sister Katie has informed me that it was extremely rude and wrong of me to post an "I'm busy, talk to you soon" kind of entry. So, to Katie...and everybody else this happened to annoy...MY SINCEREST APOLOGIES!!!

I miss you my sister!!! This pic is from Thanksgiving 2009...the most recent i have of us together. We obviously need to rectify that when I get home this summer!
Well, let's see...a lot has been going on with me these last couple of weeks... On March 9th we had a "Tai -Tai Outing to the Suzhou Art School and we also went to a park/historical area:
Zhang Ji's poem put Han Shan Temple on the map of famous Chinese religious sites, it served to immortalize neighboring Feng Qiao, or in English, Maple Bridge.

Through much of the Ming Dynasty, Maple Bridge and its crossing over Iron Bell Pass had been a military position outside the city walls, contributing to Suzhou's defense against marauding pirates, at least some of whom were of Japanese origin.

Zhang Ji's poem assures us that Maple Bridge dates back at least to the Tang Dynasty period when he penned his famous verses. In that earlier era, the bridge served a small but apparently prosperous town of Fengqiao. Sitting alongside the Grand Canal, the town was likely a center of local business and commerce related to the sizable product movement north and south along the canal. Maple Bridge itself connects the local district to a small, elongated island sitting along the eastern edge of the Grand Canal. The single-arched bridge spans the Iron Bell Pass, while another ancient bridge, Jiancun Qiao, sits just to the south and provides a second crossing onto the island.

Since 2000, the Suzhou city government has transformed the Maple Bridge area into the Feng Qiao Scenic and Historic Area. Visitors enter through a stone gate topped with a traditional-style guard tower overlooking the famed, single-arch bridge. On the other side of the bridge now sits a collection of small arts and crafts shops as well as several buildings evoking life and commerce in the Qing Dynasty era. These occupy either side of Fengqiao North Street, which runs to the northern end of the island and terminates at a pavilion-like structure called the Awesome Rainbow Pier.
Here are a few pitures:

It was a very picturesque park with a lot of history. It was also a beautiful day to be out walking! Spring is starting to make an appearance:

We also went to the Suzhou Art School. That was very interesting and entertaining. This is like a performing Arts School where they learn dancing, singing and the intricacies of Chinese Opera. A few visuals here:

It was a very enjoyable afternoon that included a Chinese lunch. I also bought a few gifts to take back home. I was glad to experience this and I'm fortunate to be able to do these things.