problem for riverside residents and affected their daily life. Since the 1980s, the city government has begun to ban night voyages along the Shantang River to ensure that nearby residents get a good sleep.

"It was really a disturbing experience when you wanted to sleep, but the noise kept bothering you. Sometimes the babies woke up because of the noise and cried so loud that it was very difficult to calm them down," Zhu recalled.

Zhu opened a small home restaurant several years ago at which the customers can sit by the river.

"The water is getting cleaner and there are no more noisy and smoky ships. My customers like it when a tourist boat quietly passes by. They say hello to the tourists on the boat, " Zhu said.

Apart from banning cargo vessels on some of the city's waterways, the local government has taken other measures to enhance the river environment. These include sewage reduction, silt clearance, water diversions, and flood control.

The city's overall planning blueprint (1996-2010) sticks to the principle that the traditional look of the old town should be preserved while its infrastructure, living conditions and public services should live up to modern standards.

"As an outsider, of course, it's the old and traditional look of the city that attracts me most," said Li Qinghe, a migrant from Yangzhou City in Jiangsu Province. She runs a teahouse by the riverside in Pingjiang Road. "Water is the soul of the city. If you love the city, you have to protect its water."

The city's transportation bureau has submitted a list of another 100 or so channels to be retired to the municipal government. These channels involve six county-level cities of Suzhou. "If everything goes as planned, these rivers can be officially retired by the end of this year," said He.