Suzhou’s water grid as urban heritage and tourism resource: an urban morphology approach to a Chinese city

Historically, many cities were served by water transport as an important mode of circulation. Suzhou in China is a case in point. Its orthogonally designed water-based grid was connected to the Grand Canal and the Tai Lake. Merchants and travellers entering into Suzhou would go through city gates serving both waterborne and road traffic. The water grid once played an important role for commercial activities and social interactions in the city, but over time, more and more canals were filled to pave roads and build houses. The transport system has by now almost entirely switched to the street grid. Drawing on historical maps, chronicles, artwork and existing studies, this paper employs urban morphology as a method to understand the significance of waterways for the identity of Suzhou. The authors argue that the waterways have a high heritage value, but lack practical functions. Tourism development is then presented as a chance to reactivate the water grid for heritage conservation, transport and the enhancement of tourist experiences. The paper supports this argument based on concrete findings, and it critically reflects on the meaning of heritage and discusses the appropriateness of the urban morphology approach for heritage research.