There is a street in Suzhou that runs along the grand canal that is called Shan Tang Jie.   Jie means street.  There is a touristy part of the street but the street runs for miles along the canal.  Most of it is just regular Chinese people living in really old houses.  It's a cool place.

Ummm...  This is not where the regular people live.  This is where they keep the touristy shops and restaurants.

This is part of the old town wall.  They sure like walls in China.

Pretty cool huh!

Here's another part of the wall.  This is not the grand canal.  It's just one of many side canals.  This theme is not unique to Suzhou.  Many cities in China have extensive canal systems.  Ningbo has an extensive canal system.  Suzhou has somehow become famous for it's canals though.

The grand canal.  Those brown things are canal boats.  During the day they are taking tourists up and down the canal.  There are streets running along both sides of the canal but the street on the right side of the canal is "Shan Tang Jie".  That is best for walking.  The one on the left is not as easy to follow.  Not that that bothers me, it just was not as interesting over there..

Here I'm still on the touristy part of the street.  I'm walking north away from the town center.

Now I'm getting away from the nick-nack shops.

Here's a fuzzy picture of two men doing business.  I don't ask, I just snap and go.  Anyway, this is what a lot of the shops look like inside.

No more tourist's.  I'm starting to get the "Hey, this one has strayed away from the heard"  looks.

This woman is working in a small scale garment factory.