Introduction Shantang Street is located in the northwest of the ancient city of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. It stretches from Changmen, the "second-class place of wealth and romance" in the world of mortals, to the east, and to Tiger Hill, the "first scenic spot in Wuzhong", to the west. The total length is about 3,600 meters, about seven miles, so

It is called "Qili Shantang to Huqiu".

Introduction to Shantang Street The northwest end of Shantang Street reaches Tiger Hill, and the southeast end is at Changmen.

The streets are parallel to Shantang River, and there are ancient bridges on the river.

On both sides of the stone street are old houses with white walls and black tiles, and many shops.

At night, the lit red lanterns are reflected in the river, which is perfect for taking pictures.

You can also take a cruise at your own expense, or find a teahouse to drink tea and listen to Pingtan.

Shantang Street is about seven miles long from southeast to northwest, so it is called "Qili Shantang".

Shantang Street has a history of thousands of years.

It was built by Bai Juyi, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, when he was an official in Suzhou.

Now, at the south end of the street, you can see the Baigong Temple built in memory of Bai Juyi.

Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty had a special liking for Qili Shantang, and the imperial stele pavilion of "Shengli Shantang" written by his imperial pen is still well preserved.

There are also ancient monuments such as archways, ancestral halls, and guild halls.

There are more than a dozen in the guild hall alone.

It used to be the offices of foreign chambers of commerce in the Soviet Union, and most of them were built in the mid-Qing Dynasty.

The southeast part of Shantang Street, the section closest to Changmen, is called "Shantang Old Street" and is about 360 meters long.

This section is the densest with shops, including various handicraft shops and snack bars, as well as major attractions such as the Hanyu Guild Hall, Antai Fire Club, Tonggui Bridge, Suzhou Chamber of Commerce Museum, and the Ancient Stage.

It is the place with the most commercial atmosphere and the most tourists in the whole street.

It is the former residence of Wu, an official in the Ming Dynasty, and is the largest ancient building complex outside Suzhou.

This building combines Chinese halls, halls, buildings, pavilions and rooms.

You can feel the rich cultural and artistic characteristics of the Ming Dynasty through the carved beams and painted buildings here.

Tonggui Bridge is an arched stone bridge across the Shantang River.

This is a good place to enjoy the scenery of Suzhou's water town.

It is also a classic location for oil paintings and watercolors.

People who are serious about painting can often be seen on the bridge.

Moreover, award-winning films such as "Plum Blossom Turban" and "Pink" were also shot here in the early years.

There are many old traditional food shops on Shantang Street, including famous restaurants such as Songhe Tower, cheap snack shops such as Rongyang Tower and New Year's Dessert Shop, and ancient dim sum shops such as Huang Tianyuan Cake Club and Caizhizhai Candy Shop.

You can taste traditional snacks such as plum blossom cake, crab apple cake, bean paste sugar porridge, etc.

Folk craft shops selling antiques, paintings, sculptures, paper-cuts, etc. can also be found everywhere.

Editor: Feiyu