Suzhou is known for its gardens and its good times; but a bit of exercise in between the work and the party is “de rigueur” if you want to keep healthy and trim. After the building mania, the rash of restaurant opening and the ever changing bar scene on Siquan Jie it is now the rise of the sports life style that is very much in fashion. This has spawned a variety of new clubs and venues to practice everything from Archery to belly dancing (Aesop International Belly Dancing - Tel: 65722412). Of course we have many golf courses, driving ranges and even a virtual driving range but there is a jock’s paradise of new activities to help us keep fit, meet new friends and explore new kinesthetic worlds.

1) The Hash House Harriers
If you are interested in networking, sports, a beer or two, membership in one of the world’s biggest clubs…and all for free, Suzhou has its own chapter of the Hash House Harriers (SuzhouH3@gmail.com). The hash is an ad hoc running club known for its motto of “drinkers with a running problem”.  It has a reputation for being macho, grueling, and bizarre especially its sophomoric initiation rites. The Suzhou chapter is toned down with more of a focus on a pleasant day’s outing in nature for walkers and runners. The trails set by “hares” may be between nine and 15 kilometers with short cuts for promenading nature lovers. The path is marked with flower or chalk and there are also false trails to lead the faster runner astray while the rest of the pack catches up. After an exhilarating run through tea plantations or rice paddies the gang meets back up and shares a beer or three, gets silly and takes the Mickey out of each other.

The Suzhou Hash has a mixture of nationalities with about half being locals. There is no membership fee but participants pay 30 RMB to cover the cost of the drinks and snacks and transportations costs for the bus is added to the run fee. The Hash is a not-for-profit, non-incorporated, freewheeling fun fest organised and managed by a “Mis-management Committee”. There are thousands of Hash clubs around the world and if you are travelling and want to have an instant circle of like minded people, just look up the name of the place you are travelling to and add the words Hash House Harriers and presto…instant friends! For more serious runners Suzhou has the annual spring half marathon around Jinjihu.

2) Gaelic Football
If you are into contact sports there is the Suzhou GAA Gaelic Football club (www.suzhougaa.com). Gaelic football is a lot like rugby and they invite men and women of all levels to join in and …have some contact!

3) Cycling Clubs
There are several bicycle clubs in Suzhou. The Taiwan bicycle club has been running the longest. These enthusiasts meet on Sunday morning and it is a show of the best bike and fashion gear. They like their speed and might do 100 kilometers in an outing. Not for the beginner cyclist. Pedaling enthusiasts can also join the Trek Cycling Club (Tel: 65215152) for a relaxed mix of social exchange and discovering Suzhou’s hidden corners. For a gentler ride you can rent tandem and four person pedal cars for promenades along the Jinjihu boardwalk.

4) Sports Centres
There are two big sports centres in Suzhou, the Xing Hai Sports Center in the S.I.P and the Dushu Lake Sports Center in the new education town where you can get information in English from Mr. Chen at 13912784411. These offer swimming, basketball, badminton, squash, and ping pong.  Swimming in housing estate pools is sketchy. It appears these pools are more for appearance than swimming. They don’t open until June, close end of August and are often closed for technical problems. With the hot, sticky weather in Jiangsu more needs to be done to lengthen the season and improve the quality of the facilities.

5) Bowling
If bowling is more down your alley, you can get in the gutters at Suzhou Jia Fu Bowling Center, Dushuhu (Tel: 68278080) or Let’s Go Bowling (Tel:  68182888) in the S.I.P. open 24 hours a day. In winter this is a popular alternative to cold weather and KTV so you need to book well in advance.

6) Gyms
There are a number of gyms including the popular Powerhouse and Bodi’s health clubs which are both next to the Xing Hai Sports Center. Here you can find squash and badminton courts as well as state of the art exercise equipment. Don’t be afraid to try and negotiate your membership fees. There are often promotions especially at the beginning of the school year in September. The cozy health food bars make these places ideal for games of a more social nature as well.

7) Hiking
Hiking in the countryside is delightful in China thanks to the ban on privately owned real estate. You can walk through fields and people’s back yards without encountering the unpleasant “Private property KEEP OUT!” signs  so common in the West (with the exception of the U.K. and Scandinavia which have traditions of open trails). Suzhou has public bus services to almost everywhere. With 10 RMB and a packed lunch you can spend a day wandering the villages and tea, citrus and pipa covered hills around Taihu. Catch the bus on the east side of the south bus station. The tree covered hills of Shihu, Tianping  and Wangshan  Scenic Areas are all lovely and if you get off the beaten path there is nobody in sight. With the city’s rapid urbanization, most of the remaining nature spots have been “zooified” with fences, admission fees and have an excess of trinket and noodle shops, but once you get away from the crowds you can enjoy being alone in nature. For the more adventurous the justifiably famous Huang Shan is only five hours away by car or bus. You can camp on top of the mountain or stay in one of the hotels which are reasonable especially if you share a dorm room. Do take some warm clothing however as it can get cold at night and bring your own fruit.

The new Youth Center in the S.I.P on Modern Avenue (Tel: 69995288) offers many facilities in one venue. They have a swimming pool, table tennis, virtual sports center and the arboretum next to it has three excellent children’s play grounds and walking paths.

8) Archery and Tank Club
We haven’t forgotten arrow enthusiasts. Call the Cowboy Country Club (Tel: 66377050) on Xishan Island at lake Taihu for a full range of archery activities. And for those with more dollars than sense you can also find a Tank 4X4 Club (www.tank4x4.com) in Suzhou, for off road excitement.

In short, there is an abundance of facilities and sports clubs in Suzhou to entice you to turn off the video player, get off of the bar stool and get out there to start improving your fitness and your social life.  And, it goes without saying that by getting out of the house you’ll inadvertently start discovering more of this surprising country and its people.

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Keywords: Sports clubs Suzhou hash house harriers Suzhou fitness options Suzhou