suzhou

www.lostlaowai.com — Recent chatter on the sinoblogosphere has brought to my attention a rivalry of which I'd previously been unaware. Now living in Shanghai, I am all to familiar with the idea that there are two parts of China, namely Shanghai and then the countryside. And I also know there's much talk about whether

holidayfu.com — Online travel guides to Chinese cities are generally bad, either too cursory or written in barely readable Chinglish. This guide is different: it's well written, thoroughly researched and, I think, contains enough to keep you busy for quite a long stay in China's Venice.

www.chinatravel.net — People enjoy a good horror story. In fact, travel writing often feeds on the negative aspects of a place rather than the positive. A guest lecturing journalist at my university once said that good travel writing is full of horror, the unexpected and the absurd.

silkrc.typepad.com — So, y'know that guy wanted for allegedly raping his daughter who turned out to be hanging in Suzhou, not really hiding at all? Bill Dobson of This is China knew him, had lunch with him, and says he gave few signs of being the extremely creepy individual we've heard about in the last week.

silkrc.typepad.com — Though this story happens in Suzhou, it's an interesting peek into the seedier side of the crime and punishment on tap in China. It has all the makings of The Shield: China.