Yet, the disgusting things the 'Bluebirds' do seem to be totally fine.

Nope, only those with Fujian household registration can.

People who come to work in big cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen just love to nitpick. That 'unidentified liquid' under the pillar? It's probably just rainwater or water from cleaning that hasn't dried yet. Is that really worth complaining about?

Same here. My 'monthly salary' went from 15,000K in March to 960,000K when I 'left' in May. I've got to get out of this city. I mean, on Xiaohongshu, everyone's supposedly worth over 100 million. I wouldn't dare show my income or tax slips if anyone asked!

Haha, glad I could help everyone out!

Friendly tip: Don't eat the West Lake Vinegar Fish (Xi Hu Cu Yu)!

Seriously, if you're just going to complain about Hangzhou, then don't bother coming. Hangzhou locals would really appreciate it (sarcastically).

Hello, dear travel enthusiasts!

During the latter half of National Day holiday (which is an important long vacation in China, usually starting in early October), I spent two days exploring Qiandao Lake with a leisurely and relaxed "lying flat" mindset. To be honest, the overall experience was just so-so, and I'm unlikely to return there specifically for another visit. Nevertheless, I still want to share both the positive and negative aspects of this journey with you all as a point of reference and to avoid any pitfalls.

• Accommodation:

  • We stayed at the "Peninsula Times Hotel", located in Building 6 of Red Town Resort Apartment, enjoying views of the lake from our room.
    • The environment was decent and comfortable.
    • Caution: Make sure to close the windows tightly before bedtime! Otherwise, the moisture from the lakeside may lead to uncomfortable feelings upon waking up.
    • Breakfast was a buffet with plenty of food options. If booking through the same hotel, I recommend choosing a view-on-the-18th-floor or above, as such rooms provide better vistas.

• Scenic Spot Exploration:

  • As part of a low-maintenance trip, we did not go on small islands around Qiandao Lake（literally translated as "a lake with numerous islands", the classic method of exploration is by boat but we were too lazy to venture there).
  • Our itinerary mainly comprised: Tianyu Mountain Scenic Platform – Around-the-lake biking – Beer Town & Qiandao Lake lighthouse – Dragon Alley.
• 1. Tianyu Mountain Scenic Platform
     • This place is worth visiting.
     • The entrance fee is 50 CNY; the price for a sightseeing escalator ride to the top is around 30 CNY. Preordering tickets can be done via travel booking platforms such as “Ctrip”.
     • That escalator is the savior for lazy souls like ourselves! It takes only about ten minutes to reach the summit. One should also note that the views vary due to different elevations.
     • Unfortunately, we went there on a cloudy day and missed the sunset, so I suppose it would’ve been better if we could view the scenery under clearer skies.
     • On the way down, you could choose the shuttle bus (10 CNY), or try out the forest water slide (150 CNY). Getting both the entrance ticket and the water slide pass together could potentially save you money.
     • Thrilling Experience Caution: According to my husband, who experienced it, the slide was quite fast with sharp turns, so make sure to hold onto the handle!
• 2. Around-the-lake biking:
  • Our route: Starting from the hotel, we biked southbound, towards the city center and the middle of Qiandao Lake.
  • Points of interest along the way include: Qiandao Lake Museum, Menggu Lake cultural park, docks of Central Lake, Xiujiang Theatre stage, Xiaoke Valley, Tianqing Station, a bike bridge, and a nearby spot with a promising sunset view, known as "Yun Du Coffee".
  • We stopped to take photos, and this trip took us around 1.5 hours each way.
  • Tip: Make sure to bring some dry food and water. Bikers, stay alert!
  • How to rent bikes: At most rental points, like outside Red Town Apartment, Central Lake docks, and adjacent to the bike bridge, there are various options available – family-sized, covered bikes, the electric version of "hellobike", and regular shared bikes.
  • Some hotels offer 1-hour free ride credits. We eventually chose "Ding Da" shared bikes by paying an initial deposit of 200 CNY via app download. After the first hour, each half-hour increment was charged as per the pricing policy; we paid a total of 14 CNY after riding for about 3.5 hours.
  • Minor inconvenience: Since “Ding Da” bikes can be rented/returned within the downtown area, it was necessary to ride back there after covering other spots.

• Beer Town & Qiandao Lake Lighthouse:

  • A decent photo-taking spot. However, the photos we took there were merely decent because of the cloudy weather.
  • Beer Town also features a small motorway car-racing area and a miniature amusement park, suitable for children's visits.

• Dragon Alley:

  • The alley can be fully toured within 10 minutes, despite it being said that one could spend 15 minutes!
  • The promotion called it “a small version of Chongqing in Qiandao Lake” (Chongqing is well-known for its mountainous city layout and stairs). But honestly speaking, there only seem to be a few narrow staircase streets resembling that description here.
  • “Second Sister’s Food”, a local eatery here, serves freshly-made tofu pancakes which taste nice. Otherwise, the other shops around don’t leave much impression.

• Food:

  • As locals, our dining options were limited to two restaurants - “Xiao Tuanyuan” and “Cuo Ditu”, both were nearby to the hotel.
  • Overall, food quality couldn’t match our expectations. I grew up near the sea, so lake fish did not appeal much to me. The flavor of the fish soup was fresh, but the taste of the fish meat seemed somewhat earthy. Other dishes prepared locally tend to have flavors that complement heavy food and are a little too salty.

• Transportations:

  • To reach the hotel from the station named "Qiandao Lake Station" (most probably the bullet train stop), we opted for the hotel-provided shuttle bus service, which can alternatively be requested through apps like "Didi" (China’s version of Uber).
  • For getting around various scenic areas at Qiandao Lake, we mostly hailed ride services, with fares generally not exceeding 30 CNY.

How did you get the impression that it's 'high and mighty'? That's a bit baffling. I've always found it very approachable and down-to-earth.

It was a real letdown. Since it's raining today, I guess there won't be as many people.

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:

• Local Delicacies:

  • What authentic Suzhou street food or restaurants that local people love but tourists might not know about should I try out?

• 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?

• 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

Aside from the food, I feel Tokyo surpasses Shanghai in every other aspect.

It is pretty good. Once you get used to the cost of living in Shanghai, everywhere else feels inexpensive, and you don't get that uncomfortable feeling of being ripped off. BTW, Si, you're seriously talented at photography—it's gotta be you!

Great!! I love hot springs!

Urliving's cats are just incredibly cute!

Sweetie, you should really consider getting a license and a scooter. Just watching you makes me tired!

Shenzhen Muwu BBQ.

Indeed, this experience is so outrageous it deserves to be aired out! I will give you a detailed account of the situation in clear English, with hope that our foreign friends can also understand exactly what happened, and help spread awareness so that others don't fall into similar pitfalls!

---

Oh my goodness, I need to complain about the HanTing Hotel! They actually secretly called me on an employee's private number, and shouted at me for half an hour! This is too much for words!

Furthermore, it is said that when some other teachers checked out on Sunday afternoon, they were asked to ask for some small assistance to pack their luggage and send a courier, but the hotel staff complained behind their backs saying these customers were hard to serve.

• I really have no idea where I should complain about such matters so that it would make any difference. This time, I am taking advantage of CP31's popularity (a major comic exhibition held in Hangzhou where many people book hotels in advance) to post about it, and also to apologize to my teacher friends who traveled with me, as this not-so-pleasant event has now been brought up.

• The story goes like this: My friend and I originally booked a room for two nights (from the 16th to the 18th), as we planned to attend CP31. However, due to the despicable "ticket scalpers" (those who use unfair methods to snatch tickets and resell them at high prices), we failed to buy the tickets for the exhibition and thought about cancelling our hotel reservation.

  • But the hotel phone was unreachable. As I had work throughout the day, I could only wait for the confirmation call or email from the hotel, which never came.
  • After work on Friday, I called back the hotel to inquire if cancellation was possible.
    • The receptionist immediately retorted, "What if we can't sell the room after cancellation?"
    • Then, incredibly, he demanded that I add him on WeChat (the most popular messaging app in China)! And:
      • Warning: hotel employees refused to use official landline phones for communication.
      • Note: all further communications via WeChat voice calls, rather than typing out texts.

• Throughout the entire conversation, which lasted for half an hour, he claimed at one point that he couldn't find my order, asking me to share screenshots of the booking and write down my name.

  • After a long while, a manager actually used his private mobile phone to contact me, even proudly confessing that it was his personal number!
  • Upon answering the call, he started yelling, insisting that whether or not I check in, the money was not refundable.
  • I told him that I had hearing issues (with injured eardrums, my hearing is rather sensitive), but he ignored me and continued to yell for twenty minutes, causing persistent ringing in my ears.

• I asked if fees could be deducted and the remainder refunded.

  • He surprisingly stated that he didn't know the fee amount!
  • Additionally, he found excuses like not finding my order because “CTrip” (a popular ticketing app; C here is pronounced like see, pronounced as "see-trip") orders are usually in pinyin names (for instance, Zhang SanFeng), hence he assumed it was a foreigner's booking.
    • Please! It is completely normal for all ticketing platforms, including CTrip and online booking systems, to use pinyin! Are you, the HanTing, not familiar with handling bookings made through CTrip? This lame excuse is treating us like fools, right?
    • I really doubt if your hotel has collusion with those room scalpers?

• In the end, it took me three hours to proceed with the complaint process.

  • Late at night, the customer service representative via CTrip responded, stating that the attitude from the hotel manager remained adamant, and because I did not have a call recording, the complaint regarding the service quality could not be processed.
  • Travel tip in China: When encountering disputes, whenever possible, record a phone conversation as evidence.
  • Nonetheless, thanks to the kind response of the CTrip operator, the cancellation policy according to their platform allowed a refund of the amount charged for the second night's stay, sincere gratitude to CTrip!

• This is basically how it played out. If anyone knows, does it work to place a call at 12345 or 12315 (two consumer complaint hotlines in China) when traveling outside and lodging complaints?

  • My demands are not high. I just want Han Ting to offer an apology and an official explanation for:
    1. Why employees can randomly use customers' personal information (e.g., cell phone numbers)?
    2. How to handle such poor customer service attitudes?

• Had they allowed me to explain myself calmly without interruptions, I wouldn't have felt the urge to simultaneously search for ways to file a complaint while going about my daily duties!
  @Han Ting @Huazhu (Huazhu is the hotel group that owns the brand Han Ting)

• My initial intention was simply to participate joyfully in CP31, but first, I got swindled by the "ticket scalper", then paid more for the hotel reservation unnecessarily, and finally became a scapegoat to vent their frustration! This trip to Hangzhou has truly made me feel like a victim (Internet buzzword, pointing out people who bear huge losses)!

• "Ticket Scalper" and Han Ting Hotel, what will you do for what you owe me?! Am I to be bullied?!

  #Huazhu #HanTingHotel #cp31 #ConsumerRights #IamNoTroublemaker #GenuineHeartacheDoesn'tComeFromHecticScreaming #DontBeTooOverTheTop

Haha, gotta give a thumbs-up to the poor chumps.

My grandma says: 'Back in our day, we were among the very first to wear qipaos. Kids these days dress much more conservatively than we did back then!'