Between Shanghai & Suzhou

The drive between Shanghai & Suzhou was an illustration of vast differences.
Shanghai is built as a 3-ring roads system. The inner road is pricey: only ~12% of the population can afford to live there. We were told a 2bd/1ba apartment, ~1200 sq ft can be >US$1mil. Purchased real estate can only be owned for 70 years; however what happens then is not yet known (our guide said the rule went into place in 1990, but Uncle Google suggests the Property Law went into effect in 2007. Either way, both are less than 70 yrs, so the "next step' has not yet passed).
Shanghai's population is ~25mil people (!!); Suzhou is ~13mil. Many people retire to Suzhou for a more affordable lifestyle.Read more