In Suizhou, Even the Silence Felt Carefully Preserved: Fiona's Story

It is striking how much of a place can still remain unfamiliar, even after many years of being close to it. What Fiona offers here is not simply a travel record, but a carefully observed journey - one that brings together history, landscape, and everyday life with clarity and attention to detail.

Reading it creates a quiet sense of recognition, but also a sense of distance - as if places I thought I knew are being gently re-seen from another perspective.

I stayed in Suizhou, a city in Hubei Province, from 29 to 31 October 2025 as part of the same hosted programme that brought our group through Shiyan earlier in the journey. After a four-hour coach transfer from Shiyan City, we arrived in Suizhou for a programme designed to introduce us to a range of cultural, historical and natural sites across the city and its surrounding counties. Over the following days, the itinerary moved between urban spaces, heritage landmarks and, increasingly, landscapes shaped by forest, mountains and water.

After a delicious lunch, we stopped at the Suizhou Boruisi International Hotel, one of the most impressive hotels of the trip. The rooms feature wide panoramic glass walls offering expansive views across the surrounding area. Recently opened, the hotel combines contemporary design with a high-rise breakfast restaurant serving a broad selection of Chinese and international dishes. Its location opposite Wanda Plaza places guests within easy reach of the city centre.

Our visit to the Suizhou Museum that afternoon began with a strong sense of scale. The vast central atrium rises above the entrance, and at its centre a large screen presents an immersive 3D digital projection, where images of key artefacts appear to move out from the screen toward the viewer. The effect is immediate and sets a clear visual tone for the museum. Beyond the atrium, the galleries trace Suizhou's archaeological importance through displays of ritual bronzes, jade objects and replicas of the renowned bronze chime bells associated with the State of Zeng and Marquis Yi. While the original bells are housed at the Hubei Provincial Museum, the presentation here places them firmly within their historical and cultural context, illustrating the role of music, ritual and political life in early China.

From the museum, we travelled to the Yan Emperor's Hometown Scenic Area in Suixian County. The sheer size of the site is immediately apparent, and visitors are transported between its main sections by small shuttle vehicles. At the ceremonial heart of the complex stands a monumental statue of Yan Emperor Shennong, whose scale and placement underscore his symbolic importance as a foundational figure in Chinese civilisation, closely linked to agriculture and herbal medicine.

In the evening, we joined the Baiyun Lake Night Cruise. The hour-long route runs from Shunjing Bridge to Bianzhong Bridge, unfolding through a series of themed scenes that combine lighting, water effects, music and live performances positioned along the lake. References to the Yan Emperor, the State of Zeng and the tradition of ancient chime bells introduce key elements of Suizhou's history through contemporary visual techniques as the boat moves steadily across the water.

We left our hotel the following morning to continue the journey. Our first stop was Naked Home Grand Ginkgo Valley - Suizhou, a high-end resort set within a secluded natural environment. The name refers not to nudity but to a philosophy of simplicity and closeness to nature. The property offers tree houses, lake villas and forest residences integrated into the landscape. Interiors are defined by large windows, natural materials and open layouts, while dining areas overlook the lake. Even as a short visit, it left a strong impression of how luxury and environmental sensitivity can work together.

Later that day, we explored the Millennium Ginkgo Valley in Yongxing Village, one of the world's most concentrated ancient ginkgo communities. The valley is home to hundreds of trees over a thousand years old, alongside thousands more that are centuries old. Visiting in late October meant walking through a landscape marked by the first signs of autumn, with leaves beginning to turn gold. Despite its scale, the experience remains intimate, shaped by footpaths that wind through farmland and groves, highlighting the close relationship between nature and rural life in this part of Hubei.

We stopped for a meal at Ginkgo House, a destination restaurant set within the ginkgo landscape. Designed as part of the area's slow-travel concept, the space combines local food with restrained, traditional styling, offering visitors a place to pause and rest rather than simply pass through.

After several days packed with visits, we chose to slow the pace and head directly to our final hotel for a longer rest. Our accommodation for the night was the Suizhou Zizai Valley Hotel, located within the Dahong Mountain Scenic Area. Built against the mountainside, the hotel is closely integrated with its surroundings through natural materials and open views. The atmosphere differed markedly from the city hotel, calmer and more immersed in nature while remaining comfortable and well organised. Rooms opened onto forested slopes and water features, and meals focused on local ingredients prepared with simplicity and care.

Waking up refreshed from a longer rest, we visited White Dragon Pool in Zengdu District, a site linked to a local legend involving the scholar Zheng Xie. According to tradition, he once dreamed that he had transformed into a white dragon and bathed in the pool, a vision believed to have preceded his success in the imperial examinations. From the pool, we continued along a wooden walkway beside the water. On one side of the path, trees rose directly from the pond, their trunks emerging through the surface. The area was silent, broken only by our footsteps, and walking there created a strong sense of immersion in the natural setting.

From there, we continued to the Two Kings Cave, also known as Liangwang Cave, the most distinctive karst cave in the Dahongshan area. Named after Wang Kuang and Wang Feng, leaders of the Lulin Uprising during the Western Han Dynasty, who are said to have stationed troops here, the cave extends for approximately 1,200 metres. Entering it meant stepping into a completely different environment. The air was cool, the light dim, and the space enclosed, with stalactite formations stretching overhead and along the walls, creating a strong contrast with the forested landscape outside.

A visit to the Golden Summit of Dahong Mountain was planned as part of the programme, but heavy morning fog prevented the ascent. Located in Changgang Town, Suixian County, the summit is one of the core landmarks of the Dahong Mountain Scenic Area and is closely associated with Buddhist culture, with Ci'en Temple standing at its peak. In clear conditions, the climb offers wide views across the surrounding mountains and cloud layers, and it remains a significant site for visitors to the area.

Later that morning, we met with a second group of local travel agents from Suizhou at Dong Qing Quan Pan, a small coffee shop set beside greenery and water. The informal setting provided a calm space for discussion away from formal meeting rooms, allowing open exchanges on tourism development and future cooperation. Together with the earlier meetings in Shiyan, this session formed an important working element of the journey, grounding the itinerary in practical dialogue.

With the programme in Suizhou complete, our journey came to an end as we travelled on to Wuhan Tianhe International Airport for our return flights. Looking back, what stood out was the care with which the itinerary had been curated and the constant presence of the Chinese team who accompanied us throughout. Guides, coordinators and volunteers were attentive without being intrusive, ensuring that each visit unfolded smoothly. Experiencing China in this way, through carefully chosen places and thoughtful guidance, deepened my understanding of the country, and as on previous visits, it left me with a strong desire to return and explore further.