Ships in the night New evening cruises

New evening cruises offer an entertaining and different perspective of Shanghai. Shi Yingying hops on board.

At Suzhou Creek's Danba Road Pier, the Suzhou Cruise No 1 cuts a delightful figure. The small boat's sleek lines contrast with the bulk of the much larger ships plying the waterway. Even before Emily Zhang and her family board the vessel, it has already won them over.

"Now we will have something fun to do on the weekends when relatives and friends come to town to visit," says the 30-year-old Zhang, who with her mother, her six-month old daughter and her wheelchair-bound mother-in-law is enjoying the slow ride along the Suzhou Creek.