JOURNEYING THROUGH JIANGSU

Tim Pinnegar explores golf, culture, and scenic sites in Suzhou and Wuxi.

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A DYNAMIC REGION

Jiangsu Province, located on China's eastern coast, is one of the country's most economically developed and densely populated regions.

Two of its major cities, Suzhou and Wuxi, are centres for electronics, textiles, and manufacturing. Suzhou is also well known for its massive industrial park-originally a joint venture between the Singapore and Chinese governments it is now home to hundreds of multinational and domestic companies. But step beyond the boardrooms and business parks, and you'll discover UNESCO-listed gardens, peaceful lakes, historic streets, and some excellent golf courses.

GETTING THERE

From Singapore, Jetstar flies direct to Wuxi's Sunan Shuofang Airport four times a week.

The flight departs early in the morning, and with a flight time of five hours, you arrive in time for lunch-or, for those eager to hit the fairways, even squeeze in 18 holes in the afternoon. From the airport, it's a 40 minute drive to Suzhou and 30 minutes to Wuxi. The return flight leaves at lunchtime and arrives in Singapore early evening.

If you require more flight options, consider flying into Shanghai and continuing by road or rail. At 110 km and 140 km respectively, Suzhou and Wuxi are within reach of Shanghai, making it possible to incorporate time in either city into a Shanghai visit.

WHERE TO STAY

As an international business hub, Suzhou offers a range of quality international hotels, including well-known brands such as Shangri-La, Hyatt, and Pan Pacific-all at very reasonable rates. On this visit, I stayed at the Crowne Plaza Suzhou, an IHG hotel located on the shores of Jinji Lake.