Tiger shops
(Tourist shopping area: Tiger Hill, Suzhou)
This hectic scene is the exit of Tiger Hill scenic spot, and never has the term ‘tourist trap’ been so legitimate as here. To escape the Hill (which is a veritable haven from hassle) we ran this gauntlet of calls to lunch and armfuls of proffered fruit, beer, wine, tea and the now customary tourist goodies; traditional silk goods, various selections of Mao commodities and fans, amongst other familiar suspects.
You can see all the wares spilling out into the thoroughfare and how difficult traversing such a treacherous path might be. I have discovered that any eye contact I make with a shopkeeper results in a severe, but usually jovial haranguing in which I have to be pulled away by Ying to prevent me being hypnotised into purchasing a disastrously useless product. Unfortunately, due to a curious nature and generally wide eyes, this happens relatively often. I must adopt a more concentrated walking pattern when I return. The girl in the green top appears to be doing a sterling job, striding through with complete disregard for the treasures surrounding her.
Hey, do you know what the shops are selling? They sell silk products.
Suzhou is well known for silk, they have very beautiful silk scarfs
and blouses. The red sign with “100%” printed in white saying they
sell silk blankets.