Suzhou in a Day: My Feet are Killing Me, But THIS is the Real Jiangnan!
General Discussion
8
Posts
7
Posters
7
Views
-
Hello, I have just returned from Suzhou and would like to share some practical tips for those who wish to visit, particularly international friends:
1. Travel (Getting There & Around)
- Note that Suzhou does not have its own airport, so you will need to fly into nearby cities such as Shanghai, Wuxi, or Nanjing first and then take a high-speed train. You can reach Suzhou in about an hour.
️ Pay attention: If you're flying into Nanjing Airport (NKG), be extra cautious!
- The distance between Nanjing Airport and Nanjing South Railway Station is quite large. Taking the subway would take about 55 minutes, or alternatively, a ride by taxi costs over 100 RMB. Thus, before even arriving at Suzhou, you may have already invested a significant amount of time and money.
- Su Zhou is quite a large city:
- Taxis are very convenient for shorter trips.
- For further distances, taking the subway is quicker and cheaper; combining these options is the most sensible choice!
2. Weather (Weather)
- I visited during winter when the sun was gentle, making the weather particularly comfortable. However, the difference in temperature between day and night was quite noticeable!
- I recommend wearing thermal underwear and adding a down jacket to stay warm and cozy.
- Because of the chill in the air, the photos taken there look especially crisp and vibrant in color!
3. Accommodation (Where To Stay)
- I stayed near Chayuanchang Metro Station where everything was convenient.
- Both All Seasons and Home Inn chain hotels are decent choices, and sometimes, you can even find a reasonable group-buy deal.
4. Attractions (What to See)
-
A. Suzhou Museum
- Feel like your first stop in Suzhou should be the Suzhou Museum.
- This museum stands out because it combines the new modern-designed building with the historically-rich Prince Zhong's Mansion from the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Period – a significant site during China’s major peasant uprising in history.
- The museum itself is designed with picturesque scenery around every corner, making it perfect for taking photos. Even if there are many people visiting, it feels like everyone could become part of the scenery in the pictures. Follow the signs to reach Prince Zhong’s Mansion; if you are interested in this period of history, it would be quite fascinating.
- ️ However! The number of visitors is absolutely overwhelming! As such, there may be a noisy crowd of people simply wandering around aimlessly. The museum gives off more of a feel like a venue than an institution with exhibits; visitors are attracted by the building architecture more so than the artifacts displayed.
-
B. Humble Administrator’s Garden (Zhuozheng Yuan) & Lion Grove Garden
- Following the museum, both Zhuozheng Yuan and Lion Grove Garden's proximity is impressive, just a short walk away.
- The exquisite gardens behind those tall walls truly make one marvel at how Chinese civilization valued aesthetic excellence (the term "讲究" jiaňgjiū, means the pursuit of refinement and perfecting details).
- Even if you don’t want to go to the most famous Humble Administrator’s Garden, I recommend visiting Lion Grove Garden instead; they’re both renowned as typical classical Jiangnan Gardens (Jiangnan, refers to the Yangtze River Delta region known for water landscapes and gardens). They share the same charm.
- Although small, Liu Yuan displays a sense of delicate beauty unique to this area through its pavilions, pergolas, towers, artificial springs, rocks, flora, and fauna. The stairs have a catchy name, “涩浪” Sèlàng (meaning "choppy waves"), with water landscapes all through the garden that showcase an immense amount of architectural knowledge.
- ️ However! Tourists are quite plentiful here as well though; still less than at Zhuozheng Yuan that has been packing people even before reaching its entry gates. When there are many guests, it’s hard to appreciate the serenity of the Jiangnan landscape and the classical atmosphere.
-
C. Pingjiang Road
- After touring the gardens, you may opt to walk down Pingjiang Road.
- This is the perfect area for taking in river views, with many historical residences scattered around – some are shops, while others house people, giving off a sense of the ancient Suzhou town. You can see seniors drinking tea or basking in the sun at their doorsteps while listening to Kunqu music (苏剧 Sūjù) or Pingtan (评弹，苏州说唱艺术).
- There are numerous cat cafes, which you could drop by for leisure exploration.
-
D. Lingering Garden & Xiyuan Temple
- Lingering garden alongside Xiyuan temple could ideally overlap. However, given my impression of Lions Grove Garden first, Lingering garden felt rather similar in feel without too many unexpected highlights. Personally, Lingering garden came off more like a traditional wealthier family residence, a classic merchant’s house in the Jiangnan region.
-
E. Gate of the East & Suzhou Bay Cultural Centre
- The famous "Great Thermal Undergarments" (Gate to the East), resembles a pair of pants – so photograph there! Then head over to Suzhou Bay Cultural Centre to watch the evening glow.
- Few tourists frequent here; one has access to the lake view virtually all to themselves; highly recommended!
5. Food (Eat)
- As someone from Changsha whose local cuisine is well-known for its spiciness, my experience of Suzhou food in one word: "sweet”! Flavor-wise, it leans towards a subtler taste.
- Yet, it proved to be pretty interesting with a variety of Henan snacks along the street, like different types of bread, as well as Hu La Tang (a spicy soup).
上有天堂下有苏杭 (As the saying goes: "Upstairs is Heaven, Downstairs are Suzhou and Hangzhou")
- Note that Suzhou does not have its own airport, so you will need to fly into nearby cities such as Shanghai, Wuxi, or Nanjing first and then take a high-speed train. You can reach Suzhou in about an hour.
-
The teacher got the gift.
-
Sorry, I recognize all the characters, but I don't quite get what it means.
-
Excuse me, which garden/park is shown in picture four?
-
It's the Suzhou Museum! It's a bit more minimalist.
-
Excuse me, when did you go? Is a thick down jacket necessary these days?
-
I went on December 30th. You'll still need a down jacket. The temperature difference between day and night is significant, and it gets cold when the wind blows. But there's no need to wear anything too bulky.
-
For the Taihu Lake sunset glow: the sun has just set by 5:00-5:20 PM, so you'll need to wait patiently. It's around 5:30 PM that the afterglow offers a delightful surprise.