Suzhou Changmen: The Ultimate Guide | Cao Xueqin's Land of Plenty 🏯

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· The opening place of "The Dream of the Red Chamber": Zhen Shiyin lives outside the gate of the palace
· The only preserved city gate in the ancient city of Suzhou: Yuan Dynasty relics + Ming Dynasty reconstruction
· The intersection of the canal and the city wall: the wonder of the water and land gates
· Free observation deck: overlook the bustling canal

🕒 Best time to play

🌇 Dusk 5-7pm: Watch the canal sunset + city wall lights
🌃After 7pm: The lights reflect the ancient city wall super shocking
🚶♂️ Weekday mornings: Avoid tour groups for a quiet stroll

🎫 Ticket information

· Free of charge to the city wall (any climb to the viewpoint)
· Wu Zishu Temple 10 dollars (understand the history of the city's founding)
· Canal Cruise $50 (Night Sailing Highly Recommended)

🚶♂️ Must play action line

1️⃣ Yumen City Wall (touch Ming Dynasty bricks and stones) →
2️⃣ Shumen Pier (boat tour of the ancient canal) →
3️⃣ Wannian Bridge (take a panoramic view of the city gate) →
4️⃣ Yuen Mun North Pier (Cultural and Creative Park)

📸 TOP5 check-in spots

✅ Shing Mun Cave frame composition (photographing canal boats coming and going)
✅ Middle section of Wannian Bridge (city wall and modern building in the same frame)
✅ Night view of Shumen (lights hit the thousand-year-old city wall)
✅ Close-up of "Yuanmen" plaque (reproduction of Kangxi's imperial pen)
✅ Canal cruise perspective (looking up at the majesty of the city gate)

💡Tips for veteran drivers

· Wear non-slip shoes (the wall steps are steep)
· With telephoto lens (scenes of life on canal cargo ships)
· 6pm occupancy (watch the sunset + light moment)
· By the way, walk around "Shan Tong Street" (just next door)

🍜 Surrounding food

1. Yau Kee Soy Milk (24 hours open, must try salted soy milk)
2. Sun Shengxing Oo Sau Noodles (100-year-old Stewed Meat Noodles)
3. Yuen Mun Restaurant (Authentic Su Gang Cuisine)

🚇 Transportation Guide

📍MTR Line 2 "Shilu Station" Exit 12 🚌Bus "Yuanmen Hengjie Station" get off 🚣 Shantang Street boat can reach the pier 🅿️ Parking 6 dollars / hour (recommended subway)

Trivia: • The original name of Yumen was "Breaking Chumen", commemorating Wu Zixu's attack on Chu • Cao Xueqin wrote "Yumen is the most wealthy and romantic place in the red dust" • The existing city gate was rebuilt in 1351 by Zhang Shicheng

Note: ⚠️ Higher steps (seniors should be careful) ⚠️ Do not climb ruins (protect cultural relics) ⚠️ Beware of electric vehicles (narrow sidewalks)

Remember that the night view of Yuen Mun is more beautiful than the day view, stay until the lights are on before leaving ~🌃📸