【正文】
was renovated as a steel truss structure in 1907. Because nearly 40 bridges have now been built over Suzhou Creek, the bridge is no longer a traffic artery but is more of an observation deck for tourists. It is a tradition in Shanghai for a grandmother to walk across a bridge with their grandchild when he or she reaches one month. This represents that the newborn has overe all the twists and turns and its journey will be safe and smooth throughout his or her life. Waibaidu Bridge is always the best option because it’s the icon of Shanghai. The picture of my daughter when she was a baby held by her grandmother was also taken here. It’s like a family tradition, says Wang Xuefen, a Shanghai native who has a newborn grandson. Changning Riverside There is a 5km stretch of waterfront by Suzhou Creek in Changning district on Changning Road from the intersection of Hami Road to Jiangsu Road. It has bee a popular place to take a walk and sunbathe on the lawn. There is an overpass at the intersection of Changning Road and Gubei Road for people to enjoy the view of the creek and a 3km plastic runway on both sides of Changning Road, which attracts people of all ages, Chinese and expat. Jogging on the two sides gives a different feeling because the north side is next to the creek, and the south side is adjacent to the residential highrises, which is like jogging in the jungle, says Xiao Xu, a 27yearold woman who lives nearby. The riverside used to be pletely different. Dozens of textile mills, chemical plants and machine manufacturing factories were set up along the creek in the 1920s. They brought industrialization but also pollution. From the 1930s the creek could no longer be used as a source for tap water, and no living fish or shrimp could be found. Suzhou Creek in my memory is dark and smelly. I used to go to the riverbank to watch the sewage disposal running out from the chemical plants when I was a little girl. We didn’t know it was pollution. We thought it was a red waterfall, says Huang Qi, a 57yearold Shanghai resident. So the residential houses along the creek were unpopular