(Photo from Jiefang Daily) Suzhou will open water bus service during the Spring Festival holiday that takes passengers to travel around the moat from Xiangmen Gate Pier to Xumen Gate Pier. The nearly 7-km-long trip takes about one hour. Such service is not new in the Yangtze River Delta, though it's difficult to make profit due to lower fares, few passengers and other reasons. Suzhou's two water bus routes lost more than 2 million yuan in about three months after opening on September 28, 2019. Then COVID-19 outbreaks shut down the service since the number of cruise ship passengers dropped to less than 10% of the usual level. However, it is believed that the resumption of the water bus service can not only ease traffic congestion in the old city area but also effectively reveal the city's water charm and canal heritage. The old city area has a history of 2,500 years and its roads and alleys still keep the original styles and unique layout in harmony with beautiful waterways. The bricks, tiles, paths and stone bridges, together with the scenery on both sides of the river, make a best view of Jiangnan landscape and culture. Over the years, Suzhou has upgraded its water tourism products to meet diverse needs, such as adding workshops on the ship to introduce the canal's history and leasing the ship to host meetings and events. There are also professional performers of Suzhou Pingtan, storytelling and ballad singing in the soft Suzhou dialect, working on the ship too. Xu Jinsheng, general manager of Suzhou Water Tourism Development Co Ltd, said the water bus service will be mainly in trial operation and it will be evaluated and adjusted three months later. The bus route not only considers needs of sightseers who prefer to be slow paced but also residents who want a ride to go shopping, according to Xu. He also said the growing number of tourists in recent days has increased his confidence of the new service. "Efforts will also be made to get feedback from residents and tourists, so the service can last for a longer time," Xu said.