The Dragon Boat Festival in 2022 is approaching, and in Suzhou, a place with a long history and culture, the river street layout has been preserved for thousands of years, there are garden classics built by four great talents, and there are also gardens designed by world-famous designers A masterpiece of the museum, here are the recommended attractions for a three-day trip to Suzhou during the Dragon Boat Festival. Day 1: Recommendations for visiting Suzhou’s Republic of China style buildings

Why are there so many “Republic of China style” buildings in Suzhou?

At the beginning of the last century, Suzhou, as a trading port, was also influenced by foreign influences. Due to cultural influence, a large number of Western architectural styles emerged after the Opium War. Against this background, in addition to many Republic of China-style buildings in Suzhou, some streets have even become "Republic of China-style streets", such as "Wuxi Road".

W300 Road was named in commemoration of the "May 30 Massacre". On the north end of W300 Road near Ganjiang Road are the familiar Tongdeli and Tongyili.

Tongdeli, Tongyili

Tongdeli and Tongyili next door, two parallel alleys were built in the 1930s and are both typical stone warehouses. gate complex. Some houses have red brick exterior walls, and some have clear water exterior walls. Most of the houses are laid out in the traditional Jiangnan three-heyuan style, with a courtyard in front of the building.

As the filming location of the Su family’s old house in the hit TV series “Everything Is Fine”, Tongderry has become a popular check-in place in recent years. The historical buildings here, the narrow alleys, and the patios of the old houses will instantly make you feel the breath of life coming to you.

Wu Thirty Road

There are some sealed Shikumen at the southern end of Wuzhi Road. The reliefs on them tell the history of the "Wu Thirty Massacre", and the portraits of the characters are vividly reproduced. The patriotic feat of the people of Suzhou.

The Republic of China building behind the Shikumen where the relief is located is the Shikumen residential complex in Shikumen Lane, Xinfu Lane.

Xinfuli

The reason why it was named Xinfuli was because Bankers Trust purchased the land that originally belonged to the Third District of the Jiangsu Provincial Marine Police in the 22nd year of the Republic of China (1933). There were originally six two-story buildings built after the ministry's real estate, but now only five remain.

There are many Republic of China architectural complexes similar to Tongdeli and Xinfuli in Suzhou. These places are not only a window into the lifestyle of some people at that time, but also a good place for modern people to experience the "Republic of China style" .

Zhirenli

The Republic of China building in Zhirenli is located in the lower pond of Changmen in the northwest corner of Suzhou ancient city, east of Changmen Hotel, with a total length of more than 160 meters from east to west. It was built in the second century of the last century. It was built by a businessman named Que in the 1900s. At the beginning of its construction, the building here was for residential purposes.

In 2009, Zhirenli was selected into the "Important New Discoveries of the Third National Cultural Relics Census in 2008" edited by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. In July of the same year, it was listed as the sixth batch of Suzhou cultural relics protection units by the municipal government. In December 2011, the Zhirenli Republic of China Building was listed as the seventh batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units by the provincial government.

The building faces south and has six groups of bungalows, six groups of buildings and two garden houses. It is a representative of large-scale construction groups for real estate leasing during the Republic of China. The entire Zhiren Lane is large in scale, connected by arcades, and is integrated. The Chirenli building complex has both traces of Western architecture and traditional wooden structures. There are both high-end buildings and ordinary bungalows. They are rich in types and have distinctive characteristics of the times, which is very rare.

These Republic of China buildings of different styles and scales are arranged in three rows, forming the Republic of China architectural complex in Zhirenli. They are a fusion of Chinese and Western architectural forms during the Republic of China. It is also the development of the Soviet-style courtyard during this period. A typical masterpiece with outstanding historical value.

Changmen North Pier

Across the river from Shantang Street, there is also a charming street carrying the history of the Republic of China - Changmen North Pier. As the hub of land and water transportation in Suzhou, Changmen North Pier was once bustling and connected in all directions. From the early 20th century to the 1940s, North Pier was mainly home to industrial and commercial owners, doctors and other middle-class people. It was quite prestigious at the time, but later declined.

Today, Changmen North Pier has been transformed into a street with a style of the Republic of China, complementing Xizhong City and facing Shantang Street across the river. The Republic of China Style Street in North Pier, which is more than 700 meters long, is composed of two renovated buildings and more than ten imitation buildings. The combination of smart and delicate Chinese architectural forms and luxurious and elegant European decoration formed the architectural style of the Republic of China architecture that combines Chinese and Western styles. .

The two famous western-style buildings in the North Pier are named after the actual years of construction. They are now known as "1929" and "1931". They can be regarded as the most representative buildings during the Republic of China. They have both traditional Chinese courtyard houses and , the traditional wooden frame form, and influenced by foreign architectural styles in the early 20th century, condensed the development process of Suzhou's modern architecture, and was included in the Suzhou Style Building Protection Series.

From these two buildings, we can get a glimpse of the "Chinese and Western" architectural style of the Republic of China and the wealth and fashion of the owners of the houses at that time. At present, Changmen North Pier has become a characteristic commercial area integrating the historical landscape of the city wall and the waterfront landscape of the moat, attracting many citizens and tourists to come and check in.

Jinguli

In Jinguli, located in the northern section of the Pingjiang Road Historic District in Suzhou and on the bank of the Pingjiang River, the original site was the former Wuxian Embroidery Factory. Close to the Humble Administrator's Garden, Suzhou Museum, Lion Grove, Pingjiang Road and other tourist hotspots, the unique geographical location makes it a check-in place for many citizens and tourists visiting Pingjiang Road.

With the three major sections of art museum, art hotel and Tanghui performance as the core, Jinguli carries out various art exhibitions, humanities hotel accommodation, folk art performances, Wu cultural leisure experience, and urban humanities tourism IP image development Carry out various tourism product activities in other ways.

The overall style of Jinguli has the characteristics of the Republic of China and Soviet-style elements, beautifying the northern section of Pingjiang Road and enhancing its cultural connotation. It is both classic and modern and fits the humanistic temperament of the thousand-year-old ancient city of Suzhou. It is very suitable for taking photos and checking in~

Dongmen Town

Located on Zhujiang Road and Huayuan, Mudu Town, Wuzhong District, Suzhou At the intersection of the roads, there is a characteristic neighborhood that can instantly transport you to the Republic of China era decades ago - Dongmen Town. After Line 5 is put into operation this year, you can get there quickly from the Huayuan Road subway exit.

The long locomotive, old alleys, posters, cultural corridors, classic cars, old horse-drawn carriages, rickshaws... The simulation of details is so touching that those who don’t know may think they have mistakenly entered the Republic of China. The set of the play. The Garden Mansion reflects the Republic of China style that combines Chinese and Western elements. The Republic of China cultural wall, clock tower, rickshaws, classic cars, etc. retain their full ancient feel. When night falls, the lights on the entire street light up, giving people a dreamlike feeling of "I wonder what year it is today."

In addition to the architectural features and humanistic elements of the Republic of China, it is also a film and television shooting base, inheriting a unique historical and cultural atmosphere. It also combines cultural industries, garden B&Bs, light luxury food, etc., and is full of literary and artistic sentiment.

Canli Street

The Canli Street, which emerged on the original site of the silkworm breeding farm in Xushuguan, High-tech Zone, is one of the theme sections of the Xuguan Wharf project. The blue-grey brick walls, arched corridors, and stone pavements on the ground, the architectural style full of Republican style, can instantly transport you back to the 1930s~

In addition to the above mentioned Other places include Su Lunchang, Soochow University, and Huayi Brothers Movie World. The next day: One-day tour of the classic route of the ancient city of Suzhou (with recommended check-in points)

Suzhou Museum - Prince Zhong's Mansion - Humble Administrator's Garden - Pingjiang Road

First stop: Suzhou Museum

It can be said that this is a place that everyone who visits Suzhou for the first time must want to visit, and it is also the starting point of our route. Taking Subo as the starting point is, firstly, because it is well-known and is designed by a master of design, so there is an endless stream of people visiting here; secondly, as the most intuitive presentation of the cultural connotation of a city, the museum is the best start for us to understand a city. . Our first stop is from Subo.

Keywords: Architecture

Su Bo’s color palette uses traditional white walls and black tiles as elements, adding new interpretations to Jiangnan architectural symbols. In terms of building structure, the design of the roof shape breaks through the constraints of the "big roof" of traditional Chinese architecture in terms of lighting. The glass and open steel structure can allow a large amount of skylight to be borrowed indoors.

Subo Horticulture Landscape Design is extracted from the essence of Suzhou classical gardens. The creative landscape garden composed of ponds, rockeries, small bridges, pavilions, bamboo forests, etc. is organically combined with traditional gardens to creatively It integrates museums, ancient buildings and gardens.

Keywords: Skylight

Su Bo’s glass roof and stone roof set off each other, which is not only pleasing to the eye in terms of visual shape, but also ingenious in terms of use and function, making it natural Light passes through the light and shadow intertwined by the metal shading strips of the wood veneer, and enters the museum's activity areas and exhibition areas.

The changes in the levels of light caused by the adjustment and filtering of soft-toned shading strips, as well as the light and dark contrast of light in different spaces, seem to make the surrounding lines flow, making people feel poetic and picturesque, which is wonderful. .

I.M. Pei loves triangles and light. "Let light do the design" is Pei's famous saying. The combination of light and space uses simple geometric lines to create changes in light and shadow, making the space changeable, allowing the scenery to change with footsteps, angles of view, and mood, allowing people to change scenery with the help of the sudden change of light. Light and dark produce different visions and feelings. The changes in light in each corridor of Subo are the most worth-while scenery besides the exhibits and buildings.

Keywords: National Treasure

Most people are more interested in Subo’s architecture than its collection, thinking that Subo’s collection is average, but in fact, Subo’s collection is much greater The collection is well worth a look.

One of them is the Pearl Relic Building that was featured in CCTV's "National Treasure". This building integrates wood carving, gold tracing, jade carving, bead threading and gold and silver joinery and other craftsmanship at that time in Suzhou. The entire building is unique. The museum used more than 40,000 pearls, which embodies the wisdom and efforts of the skilled craftsmen at that time. It can be called the "treasure of the museum" of Subo.

Must-take photos

1. Looking south on the curved bridge in the courtyard, you can take pictures of the symmetrical Subo architecture.

2. On sunny days, the glass shadow of the Wisteria Garden can take particularly beautiful portrait photos.

3. The pure white-walled corridor leading from Su Bo to Prince Zhong’s Mansion. The white walls and black tiles incorporate the blank space of traditional Chinese painting. It is definitely a must-shoot for photographers!

Second stop ：Prince Zhong’s Mansion

Prince Zhong’s Mansion is a place that many people overlook, but is worth a visit. It is part of the Suzhou Museum but it no longer serves as an exhibition. Because the architectural style is very different from that of Suzhou, it is often ignored by tourists. But in fact, it has a lot of things inside it. The wisteria wisteria planted by Wenheng Mountain, which can be called a "national treasure", is also now there. In the palace of Prince Zhong.

Keywords: Wen Heng's hand-planted wisteria

Wen Zhengming's hand-planted wisteria is a famous ancient tree in Suzhou gardens. It is located in a corner of the inner courtyard of the gate of the original Humble Administrator's Garden. Now this area has been classified In the Prince Zhong's Mansion next door. This wisteria was planted by Wen Zhengming, one of the four great talents in Jiangnan, when the Humble Administrator's Garden was first built. Wen Zhengming was a famous painter and calligrapher in the Ming Dynasty and one of the founders of the "Wumen School of Painting".

He had a close relationship with Wang Xianchen, the owner of the Humble Administrator's Garden. After the completion of the Humble Administrator's Garden, Wang often invited him to have banquets and tours. Wen Zhengming was a nymphomaniac who loved wisteria. While he was enjoying himself in the Humble Administrator's Garden, he also personally planted this wisteria in the garden for more than 400 years. The main trunk of this wisteria has a diameter of 22 centimeters. It is curved in its early years, shaped like a crane and dragon. When it is in bloom, it has tassels and droops like a string of purple jade. It is of great ornamental value and is known as one of the "Three Wonders of Suzhou". It will be unveiled in February 2021. Appeared on CCTV's "National Treasure".

Prince Zhong’s Mansion was once the Eight Banners Zhili Guild Hall, so the style of Suzhou architecture incorporates many styles and features of northern architecture. For example, the “Siheyuan” in Prince Zhong’s Mansion can be described as one of the most popular classical buildings in Suzhou. Be unique.

In addition, the guild hall is a gathering place for fellow villagers and a place for merchants to negotiate trade. It often has a stage. The classical stage is a building on Zhongwangfu East Road. It was built by the Eight Banners Fengzhi Association using the courtyard of the southern courtyard. After several repairs, it still basically maintains its original appearance. It is one of the best-preserved indoor classical stages in China.

A must-photo spot

On sunny afternoons, the wisteria garden will form distinct light and dark sections under the sunlight, making it possible to take good photos.

Third stop: Humble Administrator’s Garden

Exit Prince Zhong’s Mansion, turn left slightly, and return to Northeast Street. After a few dozen steps, you will arrive at the Four Famous Gardens in China. One of the most famous tourist attractions in Suzhou - the Humble Administrator's Garden.

This garden was built in the Ming Dynasty and designed by Wen Zhengming, one of the four great talents. I won’t go into details about the history of the Humble Administrator’s Garden here. As long as you listen to the tour guide’s explanation, you can probably get a general idea. As for how to play it, I can provide some suggestions so that everyone can have a different experience whether playing by themselves or visiting with a group.

Keywords: borrowing scenery and contrasting scenery

Borrowing scenery is a gardening technique used in many Suzhou gardens, and the pond that takes it to the extreme is the pond in the central garden of the Humble Administrator's Garden. The object of its borrowed scenery is the Beisi Pagoda, the highest point in the ancient city of Suzhou, which is two kilometers away. Standing at the entrance of the central garden corridor and looking at the North Temple Tower, you will definitely marvel at the exquisite gardening techniques of the ancients.

Another wonderful feature of the Humble Administrator’s Garden is looking at the opposite views of the “Snow Fragrant Cloud Pavilion” and the Harvest Pavilion through the moon gate inscribed with “Cui Wan”, which also makes people feel The "ingenuity" of the ancients in gardening is truly remarkable.

Keywords: Four seasons are different

The Humble Administrator’s Garden is different in four seasons, condensing the most beautiful colors of Suzhou’s four seasons into a small garden. The spring in the urban forest is tender green; the summer in the lotus pond is pink; the Humble Administrator's Garden in the autumn aerial photography is called "beautiful"; and if you are lucky enough to see the Humble Administrator's Garden after snow, then you almost have it. An opportunity to travel back in time to ancient times.

The fourth stop: Pingjiang Road

For the fourth stop, we exited from the Humble Administrator’s Garden, crossed Northeast Street, and headed south along Baijia Lane to Pingjiang Road. There are two ways to visit Pingjiang, one is by boat, the other is on foot. By boat you can get close to the water and experience the real "see you when you come to Gusu, and everyone will rest on the river"; on foot you can leisurely stroll around the city's water towns, which has a unique taste .

Keywords: Rivers and streets are adjacent

As long as you have heard about the history of Suzhou city, you should have heard the words "water and land run parallel, rivers and streets are adjacent". The example of "water and land running parallel, rivers and streets adjacent" is Pingjiang Road. Not only is the Pingjiang River on the main street, but almost every small street is accompanied by a small river. This criss-crossing "double chessboard" shape continues in the ancient city of Suzhou. For thousands of years.

If you happen to have a "Pingjiang Map" from the Song Dynasty, you can try to look for it while walking on Pingjiang Road. You can still find the location of almost every alley on the map. .

Keywords: Hand-cranked boat

Boat tour on Pingjiang River is the best way to experience Suzhou on the water. Boats are sailing in the river and people are on the shore. White walls and black tiles are the true nature of Suzhou. A small boat carries the charm of Suzhou. Whether on the shore or on the boat, the two sides become each other's scenery.

While taking a hand-cranked boat on the Pingjiang River, you can also hear the boat girl or boatman singing a boat song. This is a way for the boatman to express his joy.

Must-photograph spots

Zhuma Crossing Bridge and Daliuzhi Alley

Special Tips

Pingjiang Road hand-cranked boat is Pingjiang An immersive experience project on the road mainly displays the characteristics of Jiangnan water towns and increases the participation of tourists. Tourists can board the boat from Humble Administrator's Garden Pier to Baojili Bridge Pier (round trip time is about 20 minutes), or board the boat from Baojili Bridge Pier to Qingshiqiao Pier (round trip time is about 40 minutes). The fare is 40 yuan per person. The third day - Internet celebrity check-in place

1. Jinji Lake Scenic Area

Jinji Lake Scenic Area is located in Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, with a total area of ??11.5 square kilometers, of which the water area is 7.4 square kilometers.

The scenic spot invested 8.953 billion yuan to carefully build five major functional areas: cultural exhibition area, fashion shopping area, leisure food area, urban sightseeing area, and central water scenic area. It is one of the few national key 5A-level scenic spots in China that is open to the outside world free of charge.

Address: Modern Avenue, Wuzhong District, Suzhou City

2. Eslite Bookstore

Suzhou Eslite Bookstore is the first Eslite Bookstore in Taiwan in mainland China branch. Located on the east bank of Jinji Lake in Suzhou Industrial Park, adjacent to the InterContinental Hotel, it will be built into a creative platform with cross-border synergy that integrates culture, performance, art, business, tourism and talent cultivation.

Address: 2nd Floor, Eslite Lifestyle Suzhou, No. 8 Yuelang Street, Wuzhong District, Suzhou City

3. Huaihai Street

Huaihai Street, Suzhou’s “Japanese Food” "A Street" is located in Shishan Business Innovation District, starting from Lingyan Street in the south and ending at Shishan Road in the north, with a total length of about 550 meters. The entire street basically sells Japanese food, with fifty or sixty Japanese food shops, large and small, scattered around.

Address: The intersection of Huaihai Street and Shishan Road, Huqiu District, Suzhou City

4. Ligong Dike

Ligong Dike is located in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, with a total length of 1,400 meters , was built by Li Chaoqiong, the magistrate of Yuanhe County during the Guangxu period. Ligong Causeway is elegant and exquisite overall. It is the largest inner-city lake in China and the only long causeway in Jinji Lake in Suzhou. The total length is about 1,400 meters. The starting point of Ligong Causeway is Ruyi Bridge, which divides the entire Jinji Lake into two. On the left It is the small Jinji Lake, and on the right is the big Jinji Lake.

Address: Jinji Lake Scenic Area, Wuzhong District Industrial Park, Suzhou City

5. Suzhou Second Library

Suzhou Second Library, as the Suzhou Library The new library, located to the north of the ancient city of Suzhou, is a library with a large-scale intelligent integrated library. By introducing the concept of rotating paper, a building with a book-like structure is formed, which is a large-scale smart book library with a collection of 7 million books.

Address: Northwest corner of the intersection of Huayuan Road and Guangji North Road, Xiangcheng District, Suzhou City

6. Vitality Island

Vitality Island refers to Suzhou, Jiangsu Province The city's largest urban central square and amphitheater consists of three parts: the Central Ten Thousand People Square covers an area of ??more than 180 acres and can accommodate 100,000 people, the Oriental Style Island covers an area of ??123 acres, the Western Style Island covers an area of ??119 acres, and the three islands Together they form the leisure and vitality zone of Xiangcheng Central Trade City. In a broad sense, Vibrant Island is also known as Suzhou Central Trade City. The core area is 8 square kilometers. The Vibrant Island Business District is the CBD in the north of Suzhou City and is also the best commercial and residential core area in Xiangcheng District.

Address: Vibrant Island, Xiangcheng District, Suzhou City

7. Suzhou Center

Suzhou Center Shopping Mall is located on the west bank of Jinji Lake, with a construction area of ??300,000 square meters. It is the largest commercial complex project in Suzhou. The northern area focuses on international fast fashion, family, and parent-child development; the southern area focuses on light luxury and restaurants.

Address: In Century Plaza, 200 meters northwest of the intersection of Suhui Road and Xinggang Street, Wuzhong District, Suzhou City

8. Suzhou Royal Kiln Brick Museum

Suzhou Imperial Kiln Brick Museum, Xiangcheng District, is China's first museum with the theme of displaying "Imperial Kiln Bricks". It was opened on May 18, 2016, covering an area of ??38,875 square meters and a construction area of ??15,087 square meters. The collection spans from the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty to the Xuantong period of the Qing Dynasty.

Address: Suzhou Imperial Kiln Ruins Park, Yangchenghu West Road, Xiangcheng District, Suzhou City

9. Suzhou Museum

The Suzhou Museum was established in 1960 and is located in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Prince Zhong's Mansion is the best-preserved historical building of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom in China. In 1999, the Suzhou Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government invited world-Chinese architect I.M. Pei to design the new Suzhou Museum. On October 6, 2006, the new Suzhou Museum was completed and officially opened to the public. .

Address: No. 204, Northeast Street, Gusu District, Suzhou City