Suzhou: Drowned in Commercialism. My Wallet Begs: Never Again!
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Sure, I’d be happy to translate it. Here is the translation:
Indeed! It was a quick trip to Suzhou over the weekend, and as an added treat, I got to experience two days of "Suzhou-style living":
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Accommodation:
- I chose a place near Guan Qian Street (a buzzing commercial district), which is quite close to Pingjiang Road (a famous riverside old street), the Humble Administrator’s Garden (one of Suzhou's most renowned classical gardens), and the Suzhou Museum, affectionately dubbed "Su Bo" by the locals.
- However, the streets there are quite narrow, traffic heavy, and the buildings look somewhat dilapidated. I guess this is because the Gusu District is an old town with many scenic spots. While striving to preserve the original appearance, they are also building subway lines, which contributes to the somewhat messy surroundings.
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Pingjiang Road experience:
- My goodness, it was so crowded! Everywhere you looked, there were young men and women dressed in Hanfu (China's traditional ancient-style attire) and beautiful floral accessories called "banjia."
- Many aunties were selling jasmine flower bracelets, but take note: some will be very enthusiastic and try to put them on your arm and then insist you buy them; if you feel uncomfortable with this, you should firmly refuse.
- Every store sold almost identical merchandise with a strong commercial vibe, similar to those shopping streets made specifically for tourists.
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Other places visited:
- I also went to the Orient Gateway (locally nicknamed “Big Thermal Pant,” a tall modern building with a distinctive appearance), and Eslite Bookstore, a well-known Taiwanese chain bookstore.
- The Eselite Bookstore had many books hard to find inside China and some cool cultural and creative products.
- Hanshan Temple, famous due to an ancient poem: A 5 yuan fee could get three blessings by ringing the temple’s golden bell. Moreover, I saw numerous “18 Seed” bracelets being sold as good luck charms.
- Shantang Street (another ancient street): This felt largely similar to the other historic alleyways, just with a different name.
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In terms of food:
- The popular “Squirrel Mandarin Fish,” a fish dish shaped like a squirrel with an acidic and sweet flavor, tasted similar in my view to sweet and sour pork, a commonly consumed dish in China.
- The traditional Suzhou soy milk and mung bean soup were quite ordinary.
- Other so-called Suzhou specialty dishes tasted similar to Shanghai cuisine, which didn’t appeal to my palate.
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As for the gardens:
- During previous visits to Suzhou years ago, I had explored those famous gardens, which I thought were quite delightful at the time. Thus, I didn't particularly plan to revisit them this time.
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Special travel reminders!
- Electric scooters/bikes in Suzhou are driven really fast, often weaving across lanes and even failing to follow traffic lights. When crossing roads or walking on sidewalks, make sure to stay alert of these "road killers."
- Local drivers tend to drive aggressively, changing lanes without signaling; if you are self-driving or riding as a passenger, always stay alert.
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Wrapping things up:
- Unless there is a compelling reason to visit again, I probably won't make special plans to return to Suzhou to play soon.
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Since your IP shows you're nearby, it's quite convenient for you to visit. Next time, try Zhengyi Old Street; it's much less crowded and more refreshing than Shantang Street or Pingjiang Road. For Suzhou cuisine, Xiaoyuanlou and Xiangxuehai are good, affordable restaurants our family goes to for gatherings. The scenic spots are indeed packed with people nowadays. If you're not keen on gardens, you can visit Panmen Gate. In the evening, head to Ligongdi or Xietang for dinner and some night views.
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Any guesses why she's not replying to you...?
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It's true, the electric scooters are constantly honking like crazy, and they barely yield to pedestrians.
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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.