The Subway Opens

 For most of our time in Suzhou, the city has been torn up due to construction of the subway.  The trip into Old Suzhou was a 30 to 40 minute taxi-driven ordeal of congested traffic and honking horns.  Most of the East-West main road had been narrowed by half to make way for the construction. Sidewalks were torn up and everything was covered with concrete dust or blocked off by construction barricade walls.

In March and April, though, things began to change a bit.  Most of the main roads suddenly were made whole again, almost overnight.  In other areas, the construction barricades came down and revealed new public spaces shopping areas.  And every four or five blocks, there appeared a pile of curved steel which was destined to become a subway entrance.

 The first line of the Suzhou Subway officially opened on May 1.   We were still in Indiana, wrapping up our visit after Amanda's and Dave's wedding.  When I got back the week following, Suzhou was operating as if it had never been without underground transport.  The trip to downtown is now only 10 or 15 minutes.  Above ground, the buses are a bit less crowded and taxis are now almost plentiful.

 The top photo shows the subway entrance which is closest to our apartment - about a 5 minute walk.  Our station is named "DongFangZhiMen", which translates into "Gateway to the Orient".   It takes its name from the large skyscraper that is being built directly above the station. (a.k.a. the "pair of pants" building)

The second photo shows the view from the platform.  The design and equipage of the station is almost identical to the Shanghai Metro System.   Passengers are separated from the tracks by glass walls.  The walls have sliding doors which align perfectly to the doors of the train.  Both sets of doors open when the train arrives, allowing passengers to get in and out.  It's not as charming as the old, open subway tunnels of Japan and Paris and Madrid.  But it cuts down on the number suicides and other accidents.  Also helps with the air conditioning, I suppose.

There is also English.  All the signage is in both Chinese and English.  The station names are written in both English and traditional Chinese characters.  All announcements - whether in the station or on the train - are made first in Chinese and then in English.  This makes the subway the first and only mode of public transport in Suzhou to accommodate non-Chinese speakers. It may not be as adventurous as taking the bus or a taxi, but sometimes you don't want any more adventure than necessary.

 Not everything is in English, though.  There are tons of video terminals in the stations and on the trains.  These terminals stream what appear to be public education cartoons - all in Chinese.  Even if you don't speak the language you can still figure them out.  Don't throw trash on the train.  Give up your seats to the older and disabled.  Don't play loud music.  Don't light fireworks on the train. Don't get stuck in the doors when they close.

It's all about WenMing or 文明.  Google translate and most dictionaries translate this as "civilization" or "culture".  In China, you see it all over the place and almost always in a context that means "proper behavior".  On the roads, you see signs that remind drivers to be "WenMing" and not to speed or run over pedestrians.  If you enter a park, you might see a sign that encourages people to be "WenMing" and then reminds them not to be rude to others or to spit or to urinate in the bushes.  Good WenMing makes for good neighbors.