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30th March, 2001.
Wuxi City, North-West Of Shanghai: Jichuang Yuan Lakeside Tea House, Hill Top Pagoda: Spinning Machines And Luxurious Woven Silk Materials
Wuxi, or "Youxi" as it was known centuries ago when the local tin mines were being worked, was named Wuxi when the tin mines became depleted, and the name Wuxi means, "no tin" ! Does anyone know a town or city named after its local industry ? I can't think of one myself.
An interesting way to arrive at the city is by boat on the Grand Canal from Suzhou. There is the Jichuang Garden to visit, which is different to Yu Yuan in Shanghai or Liu Yuan in Suzhou, as the garden incorporates views of the surrounding landscape. You can take some refreshment at the tea house at the side of a lake, or climb to the hill-top pagoda.
There is the chance to inspect silkworms at close quarters, the cocoons they spin, the workers at their machines winding the silk onto spools or into skeins, and then silk being woven into luxurious materials, but be warned, the process is quite noisy !