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The story of the Suzhou Creek
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SHANGHAI trivia question: Does the Suzhou Creek come from Suzhou? Of course it does and it has a fascinating history, to boot.
The 125-kilometer long Suzhou River, which flows from Qingpu District to the Waibaidu Bridge, is the biggest tributary of the Huangpu River.
Originally known as the Wusong River, a reference to Wu, the historical name of the region, it began to be known as the Suzhou Creek after Shanghai became a treaty port in 1843. The newly arrived foreigners discovered that what was then known as the Wusong Creek was a convenient route to Suzhou, and began calling it the Suzhou Creek. The new name first appeared in an official document between local authorities and the British expanding the latter’s Concession in 1848.
The first bridge across the creek was a wooden one, built by a British businessman, Charles Wills, who charged a small toll. In 1873, the International Settlement’s governing body, the Shanghai Municipal Council, bought out the owners of the Wills Bridge and eliminated the toll. Locals called it “Waibaidu Qiao” meaning “outside the free ferry bridge,” and foreigners called it the Garden Bridge, after the adjacent and newly-built Public Gardens.
In 1906, the Shanghai Municipal Council replaced the old wooden bridge with an impressively engineered steel one, large enough to accommodate both trams and automobiles. It quickly became a landmark, featuring prominently in postcards and photographs of Shanghai. Waibaidu Bridge still stands today, its century-old steel girders a favorite photography backdrop for Shanghai’s 21st century brides.
When the bridge was built, the waters of the Suzhou Creek were clean and rich with fish and shrimp. It was a favorite destination for outings and recreation like rowing. As industry and population began to grow along the river, however, it began to suffer. Compounded by slow currents, the Suzhou Creek was unable to self-purify, and sections started to stink in by the 1920s. By the 1980s, the entire creek was polluted, and crossing the creek was done only while holding your nose. It was clear a solution was needed, and suggestions included simply filling it in.
In 1997, a comprehensive environmental overhaul of the Suzhou Creek was launched. Households and docks were removed, greenery was planted, and sewage treatment implemented. By 2000, the Suzhou Creek was once again clean, with fish and duckweed once again thriving in the river. Today, as it was a century ago, parks and a green belt run alongside the river, returning the river once again as a place of recreation and enjoyment.
Editor’s note:
During the early 20th century, Shanghai was the largest and most prosperous city in the Far East — and one of the wildest. Though the city wasn’t the largest in the country in terms of space, it was often referred to as “Big Shanghai” by out-of-towners due to its unique traits and sophisticated culture. A fascinating mix of East and West, this column based on Shanghai writer Ma Shanglong’s “Made in Shanghai” looks at what the city is made of, from old lane houses and long gone transportation to typical food and fashion.
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