WTF?! China Street Food Beats Michelin Stars? Mind Blown!
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Hello, fellow travelers!
Next Wednesday, I'm heading off to Suzhou, and I'm starting to get excited! Suzhou is known as the "Venice of the East," famous for its beautiful waterways and ancient gardens.
So, I'd like to make this trip to Suzhou an amazing one and seek advice from those who are originally from Suzhou or have traveled there before:
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Local Delicacies:- What authentic Suzhou street food or restaurants that local people love but tourists might not know about should I try out?
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Must-Hit Tourist Spots:- The gardens and old towns in Suzhou are well-renowned, such as the Humble Administrator's Garden and Pingjiang Road. Where are the best spots for photography?
- Aside from these well-known places, are there any less-traveled but truly captivating destinations that exude the essence of Suzhou?
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Local Experiences:- To experience the slow-paced life in Suzhou, what recommendations do friends have for listening to Kun Opera (an ancient form of Chinese opera) or watching embroidery performed?
️ Key points: Travel Warnings & Tips ️* 🚫 **Don't Fall into These Traps:** * Are there any sights that are not worth visiting after trying them out despite being advertised as great? Any that are too commercialized? * When buying souvenirs, like silk products or local specialties, what do we need to be wary of? How to avoid buying fake goods or being misled? * 💡 **Practical Advice:** * What's Suzhou's transportation like? Is taking a taxi more convenient, or should one ride the bus or take the subway? * Are popular sights crowded, requiring a ticket reservation online beforehand? When should one visit, and how many people would be around? * What local customs should one be mindful of to avoid unintended slips?Thank you all so much in advance for your help, and I look forward to all the valuable advice!
#SuzhouTrip #TravelTipsAndTricks #DeliciousFoodRecommendations #ExploreSuzhou
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- Avoid staying near Guanqian Street or Pingjiang Road. Instead, consider hotels near Xiyuan Temple or Hanshan Temple. 2. Don't buy qipaos (cheongsams) at tourist spots or trendy 'influencer-hyped' shops; they're overpriced there. 3. Many attractions are close to each other, so don't bother with taxis for short distances. What might be a 10-minute walk could easily become a 30-minute drive due to Suzhou's many one-way streets. Shared bikes or e-scooters are great for getting around the city center. 4. If you're heading to the 'Gate to the East' (the 'Big Pants' building) in the Industrial Park, don't rely on a small e-scooter; it's quite a distance from the city center. 5. For qipaos, check out Hengyuanxiang on the 3rd floor of Jinmen International Commercial Plaza near Xiyuan Temple. It's a factory outlet for qipaos and silk. The shopping experience is fantastic: you can try on anything, the staff are incredibly helpful, they offer on-the-spot alterations, and they'll even gift you freshwater pearl earrings if you post about them on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book).
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Why not stay near Guanqian Street?
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You absolutely HAVE to try Xinzhenyuan, I'm begging you! It's way better than Yaba Shengjian. I'm still dreaming about it.
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Got it! I'm going to try it tomorrow.
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I just got back. I thought I'd avoid the holiday rush, but the few gardens I visited were absolutely packed, just seas of people, shoulder to shoulder. I don't get it – it's supposed to be the off-season! Where did all these people come from? Don't they have jobs, or are they all like me, taking time off to travel? And it's expected to get even warmer next week.
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Reading this makes me want to pause my travel planning. Is it really that exaggerated?
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As a Suzhou local, I'm telling you: seriously, don't come to Suzhou during the May Day holiday. You should really listen to this advice.
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Is this week okay?
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Avoid popular spots like Pingjiang Road and Shantang Street. They get incredibly crowded. I'm not exaggerating, it's enough to make you feel sick from the sheer number of people. When in Suzhou, you MUST try the Suzhou-style vegetarian noodles – they're amazing! Also, the Kaiyang wontons on Suyuan Street are incredible. If you're visiting Suzhou, you absolutely have to try these!!!!
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I think if you really want to see the popular attractions, you should go. Otherwise, you might regret it. Personally, if I travel somewhere and miss out on the famous 'Instagrammable' spots, I feel like I haven't truly visited, even if I know they might not be all that exciting.
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Definitely steer clear of crab roe noodles from places like Li Baixie; old-school Suzhou locals don't really eat those 'glutinous-textured' trendy dishes. If you want to try a local specialty noodle, go for Three-Shrimp Noodles (San Xia Mian) – it's a long-standing classic. Crab roe noodles have only recently exploded in popularity; we'd barely heard of them before. For traditional rice cakes (gaotuan), get them from well-established brands like Zhu Hongxing, Huang Tianyuan, or Wanfuxing. Make sure to eat them warm.
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Could you recommend a good place for Three-Shrimp Noodles? I'm planning to try some tomorrow. Thanks so much for the info!
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Just stumbled upon Xiaobao's post!
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Just stumbled upon Xiaobao's post!
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I'm going on April 27th. What should I wear? I'm in Nanjing right now, and it's a bit hot today. Not sure about the temperature in Suzhou.
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I'm heading there tomorrow. It's 24°C in Nanjing and 23°C in Suzhou. A short-sleeved shirt should be fine during the day, but it gets cooler at night.