AN autumn stroll along Suzhou Creek is a welcome respite from the roaring traffic of the city center and an opportunity to trace the city's history along the flowing water.

Along the revitalized Suzhou Creek (sometimes called Suzhou River), walkers can appreciate historical buildings, a number of them converted stylishly for contemporary, creative uses.

The creek, once called Wusong River, was one of the city's two "mother rivers" along with the Huangpu.

The best starting point for a three-hour westward stroll is Waibaidu Bridge, or Garden Bridge, an all-steel landmark structure and the city's first all-steel bridge. It was inaugurated in 1908 and has been rebuilt several times.

It stands at the confluence of Suzhou Creek and the Huangpu River and the view is spectacular, taking in Pudong New Area, including the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. The prominent white building with a bright red roof on the north side of the creek is the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Shanghai; it stands out against the deep blue sky and clouds.

As for the bridge itself, the first Waibaidu Bridge was built of wood in 1856, replacing a bridge that had collapsed. It was also called the Wills' Bridge after British businessman Charles Wills, who gathered 20 investors into the Suzhou Creek Bridge Co.

The steel bridge standing today, considered city heritage architecture, is the second Waibaidu Bridge, replacing the wooden city-built Garden Bridge demolished in 1906. The refurbished bridge was reopened in 2009 and had actually been removed for its final renovation.

Across Waibaidu Bridge to Suzhou Creek Road N. is the well-known Astor House Hotel, opposite the Russian consulate. The luxury hotel opened in 1858. It's one of a cluster of famous buildings in the area.

Just off Waibaidu Bridge is the famous Broadway Mansions Hotel, or Shanghai Dasha. Designed by Palmer and Turner and completed in 1934, the 19-floor Art Deco structure overlooks both sides of the Huangpu River.

On the south side of Suzhou Creek is the former Union Church; the original was designed by British architect W.M. Dowdall in 1886 in the Romanesque style. Its 33-meter-tall octagonal tower made it the tallest building on the southern bank of Suzhou Creek at one time.

From 1949 to 2005, the church housed the Shanghai Lighting & Lamp Co. In 2007, a fire destroyed most of the building. The tower and east chapel were rebuilt in time for the Shanghai World Expo 2010.

Walking just a few minutes westward, one comes to Zhapu Bridge, and then Sichuan Road Bridge. Zhapu Bridge was called the Erbaidu Bridge when it was built in 1873 out of wood. It was rebuilt with steel and concrete in 1927. The Sichuan Bridge standing today was completed in 1923 and serves as a major passage to Hongkou District.

North of Sichuan Road Bridge is the General Post Office of Shanghai, opened in 1924. It was built in the classical style, with a baroque clock tower. The facade features sculpture in Greek and Art Deco styles; the Deco features are a locomotive, aircraft and telecommunications cable symbolizing progress in transport and communication. All the sculptures are replicas because the originals were destroyed in the "cultural revolution" (1966-77).

On the second floor, a postal museum is open to public.

There's a free roof garden offering a spectacular view.

A short walk away is a residential apartment building, the Riverside Building, or Hebin Dalou built in 1935.

Nearby (a few minutes) is Henan Road Bridge. The original bridge was wood, the Sanbaidu Bridge built by the Shanghai Municipal Council in 1875. It was torn down in 1925. The next steel and concrete bridge was completed in 1927. Eventually, it too was unable to handle the traffic and was torn down. A new bridge opened in 2009.

Walking another 2 kilometers, strollers pass the Xizang Road Bridge and reach the famous Sihang Warehouse area. That's where the Defense of Sihang Warehouse took place in 1937, marking the end of the Battle of Shanghai (Battle of Songhu, August 13-November 9, 1937) in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-45). The Chinese solders who took part in the defense are known as the Eight Hundred Heroes.

The six-story warehouse was built by four banks ("Si Hang") in 1931. Before the battle, the warehouse was stocked with food, medicines and ammunition. It's still used for storage today.

Proceeding westward along Suzhou Creek, walkers encounter many other old warehouses and factories; quite a few have been converted to creative spaces including artists' studios and galleries.

In late 1998, designer Deng Kunyan from Taiwan was the first to move in, taking a 2,000-square-meter old storage unit near Xinzha Road Bridge. The Moganshan art hub at 50 Moganshan Rd contains many artists' studios and galleries, as well as cafes and design companies in original factories and warehouses. Much of it used to be an old textile and carpet factory. It makes for an interesting intersection of art and industry.

It used to be a place where struggling artists could pay low rent. Today it's very high end and most young artists have been forced to move elsewhere.

After walking for around three hours, covering 6 kilometers from Waibaidu Bridge, visitors may want to have a cup of coffee, relax and take in a few art galleries.

Though the creek is just a minutes' drive from downtown, there are fascinating sights and buildings that can't be found downtown area. It's filled with history and it's relatively quiet.

After years of industrial pollution, Suzhou Creek was dark, toxic and foul-smelling. It couldn't sustain fish or plants and no one wanted to live there because of the stink. In 1998 the city launched the Suzhou Creek Rehabilitation Project covering overing the entire creek, around 125 kilometers.

The environmental rehabilitation of Suzhou Creek is mostly done, the water is now clean and fish can live there. The bad smell is gone, there's lots of greenery and desirable residential communities have been built.

Instead of being a place to avoid, Suzhou Creek is a place to visit.

About Suzhou Creek

Suzhou Creek, flowing 125 kilometers (54 kilometers across the Shanghai metropolitan area), has been a witness to the city's history. It is the second longest river in Shanghai after the Huangpu River.

Originally called the Wusong River, the name Suzhou comes from the days of former foreign concessions, when foreign nationals often traveled by boat along the river to Suzhou in Jiangsu Province. As time went on, people started to call it Suzhou Creek.

Because of its location and transport advantages, China's early national industries sprung up along its banks.

It was filled with factories and warehouses and by 1949 there were more than 1,900 companies of all kinds in the Huxi industrial district. Eventually, industry moved elsewhere.

The area was dilapidated, foul-smelling, and shunned. After three phases of rehabilitation, the overall environment of the creek and quality of the water is significantly improved. Fish and shrimp have reappeared.

An 86,000 square meters environmental protection park was opened in 2004 at 130 Yichuan Rd on the south bank. Attractions include Moon Star, Qingyi Lake, Green Shade Square and manmade wetlands.

Mengqing Pavilion exhibits cover history, the costs of pollution and the future of the creek. It features multimedia exhibits and models showing the changes in the ecosystem. About trip planning

Walking west from Waibaidu Bridge affords the most sightseeing locations. Many famous buildings are clustered in the area and you can see them on both the north and south sides of the creek. Comfortable shoes are essential. Walkers should wear hats and sunscreen.

There aren't many convenience stories along the section (from Waibaidu Bridge to Moganshan), so it's a good idea to take water.

In addition to walking, visitors can take boat cruises during the day or night, from 9:30am to 8pm. Suzhou River Tour offers two routes. One is from Danba Road pier to Changhua Road pier. The cost for a day tour is 80 yuan (US$12.60) one way or 130 yuan for a round trip for adults. The night tour costs 100 yuan (US$15.70) one way and 160 yuan for a round trip for an adult. Children and seniors get discounts. The tour takes 45 minutes. The second route is from Changhua Road pier to Waibaidu Bridge pier, which costs 100 yuan for a round trip for an adult. Night tours cost 120 yuan and the whole trip takes 1 hour. Call 40-0880-0862 for more infomation.