Suzhou: GDP Clout & Tourism Power - What's the Status?
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Alright, let's talk about traveling in Suzhou, without using too formal or complicated language!
One question that stands out among so many tourists to Suzhou is why the travel service on the internet receives so much criticism.
This situation has an important reason: Suzhou is largely industrial and manufacturing oriented, with tourism acting as more of a "secondary industry."
Consequently, the tourism development relies heavily on things left by our ancestors — such as gardens and ancient towns – cultural historical heritages that are rich but not very many newly created attractions which attract a lot of attention.
In addition, compared to Nanjing, another city in the same province of Jiangsu, it falls short in areas such as advertising, creating novelty, and enriching tourist experience.
Talking about Nanjing, one might immediately associate it with the Six Dynasties' Ancient Capital (or even Ten Dynasties' Capital), referring to when it was the capital of a number of dynasties in the past, giving it a heavy historical flavor.
Comparatively speaking, Suzhou, known for its garden waterscape and Wu culture (special local cultural features), differs from Nanjing in terms of the historical foundation. Hence, during various national statutory holidays, the number of visitors to Nanjing often ranks among the top eight in China, while Suzhou, although also crowded, ranks between the 8th to 12th places.
️ Attention: This can be troublesome for foreign friends since Suzhou does not have its own civil airport! For international visitors or those wishing to fly directly to Suzhou, this is definitely not convenient for them.What then? You may need to fly to Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) or Pudong International Airport (PVG), or Wuxi Shuangfeng Airport (WUX), and then take the high-speed train or long-distance buses to Suzhou. A trip from Shanghai to Suzhou by high-speed train takes only half an hour.
Generally speaking, although Suzhou carries an industrial flavor, it can well make use of its beautiful landscapes and historical sites. I hope the tourism industry can become better and better in the future!