Living Transparently | Let's Go to Taicang to Watch the Sunrise~

August 24, Saturday. Woke up at 4 a.m. to walk the dog. It was still dark, the streetlights were dim, and after the dog finished peeing and pooping, it refused to go back home. It knew I was going out to have fun today. Pushed its butt, shoved it inside, and closed the door, hearing its wails from inside. This season, taking the dog out is very inconvenient. It's too hot to leave it alone in the car. 1. Watch the Sunrise! Drove all the way to the riverside pier. At 5:25, just in time, the sun peeked over the horizon, and the crowd watching the sunrise let out a gasp. It's strange, the sunrise is not a new sight, but it always stirs the heart. In front of nature, humans always seem like naive children. Many small crabs were scurrying in and out of the cracks in the seawall. You couldn't catch them; they were very clever. As soon as you got close, they would crawl into the narrow cracks and then poke out their little claws to tease you, "Come catch me~" When the sun rose high, the surrounding air became hot and humid, and the crowd began to disperse slowly. 2. Time for Noodles! After watching the sunrise, I was hungry. I remembered an old shop in the city called Nanyuan Noodle House, known for its authentic Su-style soup noodles, especially the fried pork chop, which is crispy and fragrant, very popular among diners. A forty-minute drive later, I saw the shop and knew it was a neighborhood place for regulars, with no decorations, just a bright open kitchen. The slightly chubby face of the noodle-cooking auntie was full of smiles. I ordered a bowl of red soup noodles, with vegetarian chicken, fried egg, and double mushrooms, plus a fried pork chop. "I'll add some shredded pork and water bamboo for you, it tastes great." The auntie's Suzhou dialect was soft and gentle, like an old neighbor living next door. The old saying goes, "Smile three times when you see someone, and the customer won't leave." Hmm, the auntie's smile perfectly made up for the simplicity of the shop. A piece of fried pork chop, not big, coated with a thin layer of flour, fried in hot oil, crispy and fragrant with each bite. Couldn't help but give a thumbs up. The red soup base of the Su-style soup noodles was perfectly seasoned, and the thin noodles were chewy. The round vegetarian chicken, tender and soaked with soup, was very satisfying with each bite. For this bowl of noodles, I decided to come to Taicang again next time. 3. Visit the Garden! After eating and drinking, I headed straight to the nearby Nanyuan Garden. Typical Jiangnan garden style, not large, with winding paths leading to secluded spots. Small bridges, pavilions, rockeries, bamboo groves, and lotus leaves were arranged harmoniously, small but beautiful, with changing views at every step, without any sense of crampedness. Sat idly in a pavilion for a while, enjoying the late summer breeze, watching the goldfish swim leisurely and forage among the water plants. I remembered a poem by Monk Huikai from the Southern Song Dynasty. "Spring has flowers, autumn has the moon, summer has cool breezes, winter has snow. Don't let idle matters hang on your mind, and every season is a good time." If it weren't for the thought of going to the museum to see an exhibition, sitting idly for half a day would have been very pleasant. Travel around Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai You must see a sunset once Cultural attractions sharing The taste deep in memory Outdoor hiking Taicang food One-day trip Travel notes Independent women Love life and food