Sometimes, you just need to get off campus and take a walk. On October 31, nearly 90 NYU Shanghai students, faculty, and staff took a day trip to Suzhou for this semester’s Chancellor’s Discover China Series, a 16 kilometer walk around Suzhou’s city wall.
The series has previously brought community members on bike trips to nearby Chongming Island, Hengsha Island, Yuandang Lake, and along the Huangpu River. This edition was redesigned as a city walk, inviting participants to slow down, explore an ancient city, and experience the traditional heritage of a historic Jiangnan water town.
The event kicked off with warm up stretches at Xumen Square, where Chancellor Tong Shijun welcomed the group to Suzhou, a city with nearly 2,500 years of history. “I hope everyone enjoys today’s walk and conversations,” he told them. “We might only recognize each other’s faces right now, but by the time we finish the walk, I’m sure we’ll truly get to know one another.”
The group set off, walking along the historic canal and city wall ruins. For Leonardo Antonio Navarro Labastida, a postdoctoral fellow from Mexico visiting Suzhou for the first time, the city’s blend of history and natural scenery was a welcome change of scenery.
“Suzhou is quite different from anywhere I’ve traveled before,” he said. “The canal surrounded by trees and flowers makes for a beautiful landscape. I was also drawn to the ancient gate structures and the statue of Wu Zixu adjacent to the square—it made me really curious to learn more about his legacy here.”
First year students Richard Moshiri ’30 was excited to walk along the old city wall. “It’s like the ‘Great Wall of Suzhou’,” he exclaimed as they took in the sweeping view from Pingmen gate tower.
His friend Lyusi Gevorgyan ’30, also from Armenia, said she appreciated the relaxed pace. “It’s so flexible—you can pause anytime to chat with classmates and professors, or just explore on your own.”
Participants split into small groups to visit the Suzhou City Wall Museum to learn about the historical evolution of the city walls, the Luohanyuan Twin Pagodas site to appreciate Tang and Song dynasty architecture, or Pingjiang Road for some watertown window shopping.
Right: Heading to the Luohanyuan Twin Pagodas site
AJ ’29, a sophomore from New York, filmed the walk while chatting with Chancellor Tong and Dean of Arts and Sciences David Atwill along the way. “Back on campus, we’re usually so busy with classes and student clubs that we rarely get a chance to step out and see the real, dynamic side of China,” he said. “This walk not only helped me make new friends, but also gave me a chance to connect with professors I don’t usually get to talk to.”
Chancellor Tong said that’s exactly what he hoped community members would get out of the excursion. “For me, this is also a rare opportunity to re-discover and understand this land alongside colleagues and students from all over the world,” he said.