"My father told me that when he was young, he used to swim in the canal with his friends. When ships coming from Zhejiang province brought watermelons and sugar cane to sell, they usually swam after those ships."

Though few people swim in the canal now, running along it has become one of Suzhou's most common fitness regimens. The route has just been selected as "the most beautiful in Jiangsu".

Zhu Jingwen contributed to this story.

cangwei@chinadaily.com.cn