Handmade in China
Months ago, during my travels in China, I took a day trip from Shanghai to the city of Suzhou. My main reason for going was to meet one of the partners of The Bookworm, Peter Goff, who was hard at work prepping for the opening of the bookstore’s third location in China. (The Suzhou Bookworm is now open.)
That afternoon, I also had time to explore some of the city’s famous gardens and visit the Suzhou Museum. Although an older portion of the museum has been around since the 1960’s, an entirely new structure–designed by I.M. Pei–opened in October 2006. The collection housed within this contemporary masterpiece focuses on the ancient arts and culture of the region. And the emphasis on authentic local craftsmanship carries over from the exhibit space to the first-rate museum shop, where I had the good fortune to meet its owner (and I.M. Pei’s nephew), Gee Pei. A short piece I wrote about the Suzhou Museum shop appears in this month’s National Geographic Traveler:
Not a great scanning job — so why not buy a copy of the current May/June issue? No better time for some travel daydreaming! There are wonderful features on Guatemala, Portugal and a special photo section on one of my favorite places, Slovenia. And when you go to Shanghai and find yourself with time for a day trip, I strongly recommend Suzhou — for the museum shop, and much, much more.
That is so cool!! You are in Nat Geo! Yay!
We have some friends coming in a couple weeks. I think I will try to take them to Suzhou and following your suggestions. I am so impressed that you seem to find the coolest little local places during your trips.
Hi — SO good to hear from you. I have been thinking about China so much since the earthquake. Glad you guys are all okay. I do hope you get to go to Suzhou with your friends, there is lots to see and do there, and the museum is a special treat.