Suzhou City

Suzhou is a city located in the lower area of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Lake Taihu in the province of Jiangsu, China. The city has gorgeous stone bridges, pagodas, and meticulously designed gardens which have contributed to its status as a great tourist attraction. Since the Song Dynasty, Suzhou has also been an important centre for China's silk industry and continues to hold that prominent position today. The city is part of the Yangtze River Delta region.

Suzhou is one of the oldest towns in the Yangtze Basin. 2500 years ago in the late Shang Dynasty, local tribes who named themselves "Gou Wu," lived in the area which would become the modern city of Suzhou.  In 514 BC, during the Spring and Autumn Period, King Helu of Wu established "Great City of Helu", the ancient name for Suzhou, as his capital.  When the Grand Canal was completed, Suzhou found itself strategically located on a major trade route. In the course of the history of China, it has been a metropolis of industry and commerce on the south-eastern coast of China.

Suzhou has developed into one of the most prosperous cities in China. In the wake of the rapid economic development, a major demolition and reconstruction program has been carried through in the central parts of the ancient city. Where narrow streets, alleys and canals once existed, multi-lane highways and shopping malls have been constructed. Similar developments have also taken place in Beijing and Hangzhou, where very little classical architecture now remains.

International travelers will find it easiest to get to Suzhou directly by flying first into Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport, which handles most of the international traffic into China.  Direct flights to the United States are frequent, with the most common American destinations being San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. Flights from Canadian cities such as Toronto or Vancouver are commercially available.

If you are already in China, it is best to fly into Shanghai’s Hongqiao airport, which handles the majority of the domestic traffic for Shanghai (though some domestic flights land at Pudong as well). Shuofang Airport and Guanfu Airport are also close to Suzhou, but they have very limited services unsuitable for most tourists.

From Shanghai’s Hongqiao Airport, the easiest way to get into Suzhou is to take the Jinghu Rail, which runs between Shanghai and Nanjing. Express trains from Shanghai take less than an hour and run many times every day. Trains to Nanjing (the capital of Jiangsu province, in which Suzhou is located) run quite frequently as well, though they take about an hour longer than trains to Shanghai.

Suzhou, as one of the fastest-growing cities in China and has a fairly advanced transportation system. The best way to get to nearby cities is probably by train. Trains are reasonably priced and run quite frequently, especially to the two major nearby cities of Shanghai and Nanjing. It takes about an hour to get to the Shanghai and two hours to get to the Nanjing.

Suzhou is also located on the Yangtze and the Grand Canal, so river travel is sometimes used, especially by tourists. Rooms on overnight boats to Hangzhou, another prime tourist destination, are available for a few hundred RMB, depending on quality of the vessel and room.

Most locals get around the city either by walking or bicycling. Though automobile regulations are somewhat stiffer now, most cars still assume the right-of-way and do not stop for pedestrians or cyclists. Jaywalking is extremely commonplace and often necessary, but make sure you are alert when crossing the streets and try to follow other groups of people to avoid getting hit. Taxis are also fairly cheap and an extremely convenient way of getting around.  Many tourists also rent a bicycle or motorbike.

Today, Suzhou continues to live up to the old proverb. The city is filled with gardens, parks and all sorts of traditional decorations such as pagodas or arched stone bridges that attract vast numbers of tourists each year. The city’s silk and other manufacturing industries are not slouching either; Suzhou, along with the nearby cities of Shanghai and Nanjing, make up one of the fastest-growing regions in the country.

Besides silk crafts, Suzhou is also known for many other arts, among them Chinese opera, wood and jade carving, embroidery, painting and calligraphy. If you want to bring back a souvenir, samples of such works are widely available from local markets and small shops. It is relatively cheap to buy artwork from someone who crafts it while you watch, but be prepared to haggle for goods from small store vendors. This is both beneficial for you and expected by the sellers. If something does not have a tag, the price is negotiable.

Mengintip Gudang Emas Terbesar di Dunia !!

Federal Reserve Bank of New York terletak di 33 Liberty Steet, Manhattan, New York, Amerika Serikat. Di buka pada tanggal 16 November 1914. Di sinilah terdapat vault (ruang penyimpanan) emas terbesar di dunia. Di vault tersebut diestimasi terdapat 10 % dari cadangan emas di dunia atau sekitar 5000 metric tons emas deposit, yang bernilai USD 270 Milyar atau setara dengan Rp. 2.430 Triliun !! (1 USD= Rp. 9.000,-). Cadangan emas selain berasal dari Amerika Serikat sendiri juga merupakan titipan simpanan dari 36 negara lainnya, yang mempercayakan penyimpanannya di The Fed Bank of New York.

Tampak Luar The Federal Reserve Bank of New York

Inilah bangunan luar dari The Fed, dari luar tampak seperti gedung perkantoran biasa, tetapi siapa yang tahu bahwa di sinilah tempat penyimpanan emas terbesar di dunia berada.

Tampak sisi lain dari gedung The Fed, Gedung tersebut diapit oleh banyak perkantoran lain di sekitarnya.

Pada gambar di atas adalah tempat keluar masuknya truk pengangkut emas dari luar menuju gudang penyimpanan dan sebaliknya yang dijaga oleh beberapa petugas keamanan.

*Vault penyimpanan emas*

Selamat datang di vault penyimpanan emas terbesar di dunia. Di sinilah pintu tempat keluar masuknya emas yang disimpan di Bank tersebut. Pada pintu vault tersebut terdapat lorong sepanjang 3 meter yang terbuat dari 90 ton baja silinder dengan berat pintu mencapai 140 ton yang terdiri dari campuran baja dan beton

Inilah ruangan-ruangan tempat menyimpan emas, ada 122 kompartemen di lokasi ini. Pada gambar tersebut tampak kompartemen penuh diisi oleh emas batangan.

Close Up!!

Pada gambar di atas, petugas The Fed, sedang mencatat dan menginventaris emas yang ada di salah satu ruang penyimpanan.

Emas yang disimpan diberi nomor registrasi pada emas sesuai dengan kemurnian dan kepemilikan emas tersebut.

Setelah diregistrasi kemudian emas ditimbang dengan seksama dan dicatat inventarisnya

Pada gambar di atas, tampak petugas keluar dari vault penyimpanan emas

We Wish You

Today...we wish you a day of ordinary miracles-

A fresh pot of coffee you didn't have to make yourself.

An unexpected phone call from an old friend.

Green stoplights on your way to work or shop.

I wish you a day of little things to rejoice in...

The fastest line at the grocery store. 

A good sing along song on the radio.

Your keys right where you look.

 I wish you a day of happiness and perfection-little bite-size pieces of perfection that give you the funny feeling that the Lord is smiling on you,

holding you so gently because you are someone special and rare.

I wish You a day of Peace, Happiness and Joy.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person, 

an hour to appreciate them, 

a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them

Send this phrase to the people you'll never forget .

It's a short message to let them know that you'll never forget them.

If you don't send it to anyone, it means you're in too much of a hurry and that you've probably forgotten your friends.

Take the time!

Me and My family also Wishing you all the very best for 2011

and....

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