Suzhou: Drowned in Commercialism. My Wallet Begs: Never Again!
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Exactly, it feels like a test of who can outlast the other.
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As a local, I also really dislike how commercialized the city center has become. I miss the Suzhou of the 'mask era.' Now, every second I spend downtown, I just want to escape – it's so noisy and congested.
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Actually, there's this one road, I can't recall the name, lined with trees on both sides. It's narrow, but has a great feel. The only downside is the traffic – it's completely chaotic, with no sense of order from any vehicle.
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For a 'city walk' in Gusu District, you can explore Renmin Road, Fenghuang Street, Pishi Street, or take a stroll along the moat – no need to buy anything. Book the Suzhou Museum (main branch) a week in advance; the new branch in Huqiu District usually doesn't require reservations. That's about it for what Gusu's city center offers. Other interesting places are in the countryside or other county-level cities. For instance, in Wujiang, there's East Taihu Lake Suzhou Bay, Tongli Ancient Town, Lili Ancient Town, and Luxu Ancient Town. In Wuzhong, you have Shangfang Mountain, Lingyan Mountain, and Mudu Ancient Town. There's also Luzhi Ancient Town. In the Industrial Park area, you can camp by Yangcheng Lake, fly kites, or hunt for deals at Yioulai Outlets. Kunshan offers Bacheng grapes, Zhengyi Old Street (famous for bubble wontons and pan-fried pork chops), and Aozhao noodles in Yushan Town. Jinxi and Zhouzhuang ancient towns are fine for photos and a quick visit, but that's about it. In Changshu, there's Shajiabang, Yushan Mountain, and Shanghu Lake (hiking and cycling around the lake are free). Don't miss the 'Tiantianxian' stir-fried noodles with toppings. If you head to Wuxi, try the xiao long bao at Xi Long Ji, visit Yuantouzhu (you can see seagulls from the island), and grab a Cha Yan Yue Se tea.
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The places you mentioned all sound really interesting.
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I feel the same way. It's all just shops and people doing photoshoots. It's way too commercialized, and the 'Instagram filter' effect is over the top.
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Yeah, when you actually go, it's just... meh. The gardens are still pretty good, but the rest really isn't up to much.
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If this is all you're seeing in Suzhou, then you'd probably only see the same superficial things in any other city you visit.
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Suzhou doesn't need your suggestions to become 'better.' You should just come and appreciate its good sides. Tourists are here to sightsee, not to conduct inspections.
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I just left Suzhou, and honestly, it was quite draining this time. It's so commercialized and everything feels the same. Only the gardens are still worth a proper visit. Actually, some of the ordinary alleys off Pingjiang Road can be quite charming, but only when it's cool and not crowded. The last couple of days, though (even on Monday, a weekday!), it was scorching hot and packed with people, so the experience was pretty bad.
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Last weekend was incredibly hot and sunny; the Mixue Bingcheng on Pingjiang Road even sold out of lemonade.
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At the Lingering Garden, at least 10 different people hounded me for face readings or palm readings, following me around. And people selling cat treats… Are those even good quality? Cats shouldn't eat too many treats, you know, with all those food attractants! Doesn't anyone care about these cats' health? Also, just asking because I don't know, isn't Zanhua (the flower hairpins) a tradition from Quanzhou?
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Ugh, don't even get me started. I get so annoyed seeing all the Zanhua hairpin photoshoots. Yes, Zanhua is a tradition from Quanzhou, and there's nothing wrong with promoting cultural heritage, but it's the trend-followers that are irritating. Besides, those flower hairpins often don't even go well with certain Hanfu styles. Honestly, it's a breath of fresh air to see someone in Hanfu without the Zanhua.
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It was so crowded, and my taxi driver took a detour, which made the fare 50% more expensive.
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When I took a taxi from Hanshan Temple to Shantang Street, not only did the driver take a detour, but as soon as I got in, he asked where I was from. Then he started saying how many people from Shanghai have been buying silk bedding sets lately and went on about how great silk is. He mentioned a local heritage brand was having a sale, then detoured and stopped right in front of a silk shop, telling me my destination was just 200 meters further. It was so obvious he was angling for a commission!
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The last time I went to Shantang Street, there wasn't a single shop worth looking into. It's all become so heavily commercialized.
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Suzhou has plenty of old streets out in the countryside. Would you even bother visiting those?