Suzhou Holidays: Brace Yourselves!

[Dexter Cummerata]

Well, we went to Suzhou during a holiday, and it was incredibly crowded there!

Regarding Shantang Street:
If you visit during a public holiday in China, such as National Day or the Spring Festival, prepare yourself mentally. Shantang Street is a famous old street in Suzhou, bordering a river with beautiful scenery, but also comes with an overwhelming number of people because of its popularity.
There was no way for us to squeeze inside; the queue was so long that we needed to wait at least two hours 🥺.
With children accompanying us, the situation of people packing the area was very inconvenient for us.
Ultimately, we had no choice but to settle for a bowl of crab roe noodles in a shop across from the street.
Special Caution: That noodle dish might have cost around ninety RMB or even more (I'm not sure of the exact amount), but the taste...it's hard to describe - it had a burnt flavor, truly not enjoyable. If you're thinking about trying the famous Suzhou style crab roe noodles, you could ask for recommendations from locals or read reviews before going in with guns blazing.

Then we strolled down Pingjiang Road, another well-known historical district in Suzhou.
Though alright, it felt a bit familiar, I feel, as many places in China with similar "ancient towns" and "old streets" all end up looking similar after turning commercialised; it gets a little wearisome on the aesthetic senses.

So, after spending only one night in Suzhou, we decided to head to Wuzhen (another famous water town in Zhejiang province).

Travel Tips & Complaints Summary:

1. Holiday travel alerts:
Popular spots like Shantang Street will be extremely crowded during Chinese public holidays.
How to avoid them? Choose non-holiday time if your schedule allows, and if you can't, leave early or mentally prepare for lengthy queues – especially for families with children.

2. On food:
Restaurants nearby popular scenic spots often have high prices and mixed tastes.
How to avoid them? Find places to eat out of the main tourist area, or look up restaurant reviews online. Expensive doesn't always mean good!

3. Old street experience:
A lot of restored old streets are quite commercially-oriented, with not much difference in merchandise.
Suggestion: Keep expectations low and take things as they come, or explore some alleys off the main streets. You may find something different than what you've seen elsewhere!