Live Your Best Lives
There is a kind of emotion called love at first sight, and Suzhou is a place I have always loved. Before coming here, I had never considered living in a second city.
In this city, I have friends, colleagues, and relatives, and I welcome and see off people all the time. Someone once asked me what fun, delicious, and beautiful things there are in Suzhou. I always answer that Suzhou is a city where you need to calm down, walk slowly, see slowly, and live slowly.
However, this is obviously impossible for those who just pass through the city, so I want to seriously put together a guide for a one-day trip to Suzhou. I hope that those who come here can also see the beauty of Suzhou in a short time!
Only when you have visited a city and experienced its four seasons can you feel complete.
Some people like the lush grass and singing birds in spring, the clear sky in autumn, and the falling snow in winter, but there is also a group of people who only love summer.
Summer is a season of revelry. Beyond the excitement of water parks and the exhilaration of swimming pools, along with air conditioning, Wi-Fi, watermelons, Ge You-style sofas, beer, barbecued skewers, and lobster, summer activities offer a rich and fulfilling experience. Many parents are racking their brains to plan their summer itineraries, hoping for quality and enjoyable experiences. For this reason, a trip to Suzhou, the City of Gardens, is the perfect choice. Perhaps waving a Suzhou fan, strolling through gardens, and sipping herbal tea is the perfect way to experience the tranquility and coolness of summer.
Summer/June to August
Summer is the peak season for visiting Suzhou. Sanmao once wrote in a poem: "I wish to transform into a tree, half serene in the dust, half soaring in the wind, half casting shade, half basking in the sun."
In Suzhou in summer, when you walk through the streets and alleys, you will always find green trees providing shade, perhaps camphor trees or sycamore trees. Whether you are on an electric car or a bus, you can squint your eyes, watch the mottled light pass through the leaves and print on the ground, and feel the gentle breeze blowing past your ears. It seems that the stuffiness and irritability of summer are gradually dissipating.
Suzhou has 6 train stations, but when you come to Suzhou, you only need to understand 2 stations. (Note:
Many friends are confused about the relationship and differences between "Suzhou Station", "Suzhou Railway Station" and "Suzhou North Station". The following is a detailed explanation.
Tips:
1. Suzhou Station - Suzhou Railway Station
Location: Located in Suzhou's Old Town, close to attractions such as the Humble Administrator's Garden, Lion Grove, museums, Guanqian Street, and Shantang Street.
Station nature: Suzhou Station carries both ordinary trains and some high-speed rail lines.
Transportation within the station: You can transfer to Suzhou Metro Line 2 and Line 4 without leaving the station
2. Suzhou North Station - Suzhou High-speed Railway Station
Geographical location: Located in Xiangcheng District, Suzhou, about 30 to 40 minutes’ drive from Suzhou Old Town, and quite far from tourist attractions;
Station nature: Suzhou North Station is fully served by high-speed rail lines
Intercity transportation: Suzhou Rail Transit Line 2 is available at the station
(Note: In short, remember one principle: if you can go to Suzhou Station, go to Suzhou Station. Suzhou North Station is just a backup.)
There are five bus stations in Suzhou. Just remember: North Bus Station and North Square Passenger Station of Railway Station. They are close to the city center and Suzhou Railway Station and have a relatively convenient geographical location.
As of June 2019, Suzhou has three operational rail transit lines: Line 1, Line 2, and Line 4, along with their branch lines. Suzhou's attractions are relatively concentrated, and the distances between them are relatively short, sometimes even within walking distance. There's also a bus service, "Suzhou Good Travel," that runs throughout Suzhou's attractions.
However, all roads lead to scenic spots, and what everyone hopes most is to take shortcuts.
1. Taking the subway
With the strong recommendation in the previous paragraph, I believe that more friends coming to Suzhou will choose to arrive at Suzhou Station. Let’s take Suzhou Station as the arrival point, that is, the starting point, to start a quick check-in for our itinerary.
Take Line 2 for one stop to Shantang Street, then transfer to Line 1 for two stops (Line 1 goes directly to the Oriental Gate (commonly known as "Autumn Trousers"), Xinghai Square, Times Square and other fashionable shopping malls, or Suzhou Amusement Park).
Take Line 4 for one stop to Beisi Pagoda, and walk to Humble Administrator's Garden, Lion Grove Garden, and Suzhou Museum. Take Line 4 for two stops to Guanqian Street.
2. Suzhou is easy to travel
You might be wondering what this is? Suzhou Haoxing is an intercity bus service that covers most of Suzhou's tourist attractions. Also known as a "tourist sightseeing bus," it provides a one-stop experience.
One-way ticket: 3 yuan; one-day pass: 15 yuan; two-day pass: 25 yuan (ps: one-day and two-day passes have unlimited trips)
There are many bus routes, but the most practical ones are just three.
Unlike ordinary buses that are crowded and simple, Haoxing is equipped with broadcasts, scenic spot introductions and multi-language versions that can be connected to the jack on the bus, so you don’t have to worry about language problems
Tips:
Haoxing Line 1 (same stops for both round trips)
Humble Administrator's Garden Transfer Center → Lion Grove Garden → Suzhou Museum (Humble Administrator's Garden) → North Bus Station → North Square of Railway Station → Railway Station (Tourist Distribution Center) → Tiger Hill Transfer Center → Tiger Hill Bridal City
Haoxing Line 2 (same stops for both round trips)
Humble Administrator's Garden Transfer Center → Lion Grove Garden → Xuanmiao Temple (Guanqian Street) → Yiyuan Garden → Canglang Pavilion (Confucian Temple) → Nanmen Commercial District → First Silk Factory Transfer Center (National Industrial Tourism Demonstration Site) → Panmen Scenic Area → Xinshiqiao Cruise Terminal → Xumen (Planning Exhibition Hall) → Maple Bridge Scenic Area → Hanshan Temple → Tiger Hill Bridal City → Tiger Hill Transfer Center
Haoxing Line 3 (same stops for both round trips)
Humble Administrator's Garden Transfer Center → Lion Grove → Xuanmiao Temple (Guanqian Street) → City God Temple → Huanxiu Villa (Embroidery Research Institute) → Shilu Commercial District → Shantang Street Scenic Area → Tiger Hill Transfer Center
3. Taxi
Suzhou's attractions are relatively close together, easily accessible by foot or by bus or subway. If you're not in a hurry, I wouldn't recommend visiting them. Firstly, Suzhou is a bustling city with many one-way streets, which can lead to traffic jams and slow traffic. Secondly, reducing city exhaust emissions during the scorching summer heat is also a great option.
4. Rickshaw
Rickshaws are a distinctive part of Suzhou's transportation system. Don't worry about illegal taxis or passenger-carrying vehicles. All rickshaws in Suzhou are manually operated and have valid operating licenses. Complaint hotlines are also readily available. You'll see neatly arranged rickshaws as you exit Suzhou Station's South Square. Rickshaws are also common near scenic spots like the Humble Administrator's Garden, Lion Grove Garden, Suzhou Museum, Pingjiang Road, and Shantang Street. However, you won't see them outside the Old Town area, as they're limited to the Old Town itself.
5. Yonganxing Bicycle
In the evening or early morning, if you want to go around the ancient city river, but you are afraid that walking is too tiring and taking a car is too fast, you might as well scan the code to get a bicycle and stop as you go. There are many stops along the way.
It is said that "Chinese gardens are the mother of world gardening, and Suzhou gardens are outstanding representatives of Chinese gardens." Suzhou has long been known as the "City of Gardens."
Suzhou gardens have a long history. During the heyday of the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were more than 200 gardens scattered inside and outside the ancient city. Dozens of them are still well preserved today, representing the Jiangnan garden styles of China's Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.
Suzhou's classical gardens are known for their antiquity, beauty, refinement and elegance, and are known for being "the best gardens in Jiangnan, and the best gardens in Suzhou in Jiangnan".
The Humble Administrator's Garden
is one of the four famous gardens in China and the largest representative of classical gardens in Suzhou. The garden is centered on water, surrounded by mountains and rivers, with exquisite halls and pavilions, lush flowers and trees, and has a strong Jiangnan water town style.
Lion Grove
Known as the Kingdom of Rockeries, it boasts tens of thousands of bamboos, with many unusual rocks beneath them, creating a fascinating scene. The diverse landscapes, with mountains and forests within easy reach, are renowned for their exquisite craftsmanship, from the large-scale layout to the small pavilions and towers.
Lingering Garden
The garden is renowned for its exquisitely designed architecture and numerous unusual rocks; within the garden, visitors can experience four distinct landscapes: mountains and waters, countryside, forests, and gardens. Guanyun Peak in the east is one of the three unique features of the Lingering Garden, embodying the four unique characteristics of Taihu stone: thinness, wrinkles, perforation, and transparency.
Canglang Pavilion
The biggest difference between the layout and other Suzhou gardens is its transparency, and the integration of the rockery and the pond outside the garden. The integration of the rockery inside the garden and the pond outside the garden, the quiet bamboo and trees, the ancient charm, the natural harmony, is a clever design.
Tips:
To visit the Humble Administrator's Garden, Lion Grove, Tiger Hill, and Lingering Garden among Suzhou's garden attractions, you need to make an online reservation and purchase tickets in advance. The specific online real-name reservation and ticket purchase method is as follows.
Reservation website: https://www.szylly.com/ (Mobile phone registration is required to make a reservation)
【Booking Instructions】:
① The network limits the number of tickets that can be booked per ID card to four full-price adult tickets, two half-price senior discount tickets, two student (child) discount tickets, and one discount reservation ticket per admission day;
② Reservation targets: All Chinese and foreign tourists, including those who are eligible for free admission and local residents holding Garden Cards;
③Reservation method: Make an online reservation before 24:00 the previous night;
④ To ensure smooth entry into the park, please be sure to fill in your real name, mobile phone number, ID number and other information when making a reservation;
⑤ Once the online ticket booking is successful, it cannot be rescheduled. If you need to reschedule, please cancel the order and rebook.
⑥ Online booking tickets are only valid on the day of booking. Visitors can enter the park quickly with the ID card used for pre-booking and the QR code received via SMS after successful booking. Once the ticket is used, it cannot be refunded;
⑦ If the pre-sale tickets are not used, you can apply for a refund. The refund must be made for the entire order, and partial refunds of tickets within the entire order are not allowed;
⑧If you use the same ID card to book multiple orders, it is recommended to use the SMS QR code to enter the park.
Couple Garden, Yi Garden, Master of the Nets Garden, and Suzhou Museum, a famous garden museum model
Perhaps it's the widespread fame of the Four Great Gardens that has led people to overlook the more scattered gardens. Unlike the bustling crowds of the larger gardens, the smaller gardens are relatively quiet. Perhaps during holidays, rather than seeing only the throngs of large gardens, it's better to find a quiet spot, drink tea, listen to music, and cool off.
Suzhou Museum
The Suzhou Museum consists of the New Building and the Zhongwang Mansion (Old Building). The New Building features pottery from ancient times to modern times, while the Zhongwang Mansion boasts Suzhou-style painted paintings. The museum, reminiscent of a small garden, is built in the traditional Suzhou garden style, with its staggered heights and dark gray roofs contrasting with white walls.
The museum features four permanent exhibitions that embody Suzhou's unique characteristics: Treasures of Wu, National Treasures of Wu Pagoda, Elegance of Wu, and Paintings and Calligraphy of Wumen. Visitors can also learn about Suzhou's customs through a folklore exhibition and explore ancient buildings from the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom era, immersing themselves in the atmosphere of that era.
Tips:
Museum FAQs
Q: Does Suzhou Museum charge admission?
A: No.
Q: When does the Suzhou Museum reservation start time?
A: The appointment start time is 0:00 am every day, and you can make an appointment for the next seven days.
Q: How to make an appointment?
A: You can make a personal reservation through the official website of Suzhou Museum: http://www.szmuseum.com/, select Personal Reservation, and register your information.
Q: How many people can each reservation account book on the same day?
A: Each account can make reservations for 3 people per day, and each valid ID card is limited to one reservation per day.
Q: Can I make a personal appointment without a mainland Chinese ID card?
A: Yes, you can. In the ID type column, select the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Pass and the number on your passport to make an appointment. When you enter the museum, you can enter the museum by combining the ID and the person.
Q: Do children need to make an appointment? What if they don't have ID?
A: Children over 1.2 meters in height also need to make an appointment. You can make an appointment using the ID number on the child’s household registration booklet and bring the household registration booklet with you when visiting.
Q: What should I do if the elderly don’t know how to make an appointment?
A: Please go to the Visitor Service Center and ask the staff or volunteers to help you make a reservation.
Q: What should I do if I cannot come on the day after making an appointment?
A: It is recommended that you cancel your reservation in advance, otherwise it will affect your integrity in purchasing tickets next time.
Hanshan Temple has always existed in books, in poems and essays passed down orally, and in vague impressions. Now that I'm here, how can I not see it with my own eyes and pay my respects?
Hanshan Temple is home to numerous historical sites, including a stone stele inscribed with Zhang Ji's poem, stone statues of Hanshan and Shitou, and fragments of inscriptions by Wen Zhengming and Tang Yin. A renowned site for prayer, Hanshan Temple holds a New Year's bell-ringing ceremony on December 31st each year, ringing the bell 108 times.
Even the great writer Su Dongpo was fascinated by Tiger Hill, so how can you not go and see the beautiful scenery?
Maybe you know the Leaning Tower of Pisa, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, but have you heard of the second leaning tower in the world, which is our Tiger Hill Pagoda?
Tiger Hill is only 30 meters high, but it has the style of "the flagship of hills and valleys in Jiangzuo", with steep cliffs and towering ravines, magnificent scenery, and three wonders, nine advantages and eighteen scenes. The most famous of them are Yunyan Temple Pagoda, Jianchi and Thousand People Stone: the towering Yunyan Temple Pagoda has a history of more than 1,000 years and is the second second leaning tower in the world. It is ancient and majestic, and has become a landmark building in the ancient city of Suzhou; the Jianchi is secluded and mysterious, and buries the eternal mystery of the tomb of King Helu of Wu; the Thousand People Stone is majestic and has left behind the story of "Sheng Gong gave a lecture, with thousands of people sitting below".
Pingjiang Road—located in the northeast corner of Suzhou's ancient city—stretches 1,606 meters from Ganjiang East Road in the south to Baita East Road and Dongbei Street in the north. Anciently known as "Ten Springs Lane," Pingjiang Road is the most authentic waterside neighborhood in Suzhou's ancient city. Just across the lane from Guanqian Street, its tranquil and quaint atmosphere stands in stark contrast to the bustling metropolis just beyond.
Shantang Street at night is a picturesque spot perfect for taking photos. You can also find a teahouse to enjoy tea, listen to Pingtan (Chinese pingtan), and experience the traditional culture of old Suzhou.
"Three lives of flowers and plants in a dream of Suzhou", Suzhou has been a prosperous place in the south of the Yangtze River since ancient times, and is known as the "land of fish and rice" and the "home of silk". The Guanqian Street area is prosperous in business, with many famous shops and historical sites.
Shiquan Street starts from the Anli Bridge in Fengmen in the east and ends at Sanyuanfangkou on Renmin Road in the west. It is 1,800 meters long and has gone through thousands of years of vicissitudes. It still retains the traditional layout of "parallel water and land, adjacent rivers and streets, two roads and one river" and the water town atmosphere.
Surrounding it are famous scenic spots and historical sites such as Wangshiyuan Garden and Canglang Pavilion, as well as former residences of celebrities. You can wander here, listen to Pingtan, and appreciate the ancient and modern rhymes of Wu.
The scenery here is beautiful, but most importantly, it's free. Understanding the new Suzhou starts here, and it's also a gathering place for internet-famous shops. The blue sky and white clouds, the sparkling lake, and the Oriental Gate, Suzhou's landmark, are perfect for taking photos.
Some time ago, the TV series "All Is Well" made Su Daqiang and Suzhou famous, and the park has been featured in many hit dramas.
Jinji Lake is stunningly beautiful at night, with its vibrant lights and shimmering shadows. The musical fountain, which runs from 8:00 to 8:30 PM every Friday and Saturday, is a truly spectacular sight, both for its music and its spectacle.
A quick check-in for the day. I wonder if you all like it. If you want to invite passers-by to stay, can you please let me stay one more night?
Look at the white walls and green tiles of Jiangnan, listen to the gentle Wu Nong folk songs, walk along the quaint old streets, visit the exquisite gardens of all sizes, and chat about trivial family matters.
I hope there will always be a place that can impress you and make you stop and take a look.
