There are many tourist attractions in Suzhou, including the Humble Administrator's Garden, Lion Grove, and Beisi Pagoda along Northeast Street. It is not far from the train station and is also nearby the most famous commercial street in Suzhou, Guanmen Square. Qian Street and Stone Road are also commercial streets worth visiting, as are Tiger Hill, Lingering Garden, Huanxiu Villa, and Lion Garden, all of which are famous. There are buses in and around the ancient city of Suzhou, as well as special tourist routes. You can take the train first, and then take the bus at the train station to get where you want to go. Or you can find a local travel agency in Suzhou for a few-day tour. Generally, it is not too expensive, but the tickets for the gardens are really a bit expensive.
Recommend a few places.
The first is Tongli Ancient Town. You must go to the Water Town Ancient Town when you come to Suzhou. It is best to stay there, have a drink by the window, and watch the small bridge and flowing water quietly. It is a unique experience. The famous water towns in Suzhou include Zhouzhuang, Jiaozhi and Tongli. In comparison, Zhouzhuang is the most famous with an admission fee of 100, but the commercial atmosphere is too strong and a lot of the original feeling has been lost; and the angle is straight and a bit small. If you go quickly, you can finish it in an afternoon, so it is not suitable for couples to stroll. Tongli is moderate and has not been assimilated by the commercial atmosphere. The ticket is 80, including almost all the attractions inside (there is only one "Museum of Sexual Culture" that requires an additional fee, but it is also worth a visit). It is very cost-effective, and it opens at 5 p.m. After that, there is no admission fee and you can enter as you like, and you can go see the small bridges and flowing water houses, completely free of charge. It is recommended that you go in the afternoon, find an inn to stay in, and then enjoy the beautiful scenery of the water town. The next day, go out of town and buy tickets to visit the attractions.
The way to get to Tongli is to walk north after exiting the train station, cross an iron bridge and go west about 100 meters to a bus stop (the first and last stop of the Pingsi Road bus). There is a bus stop next to it. A small house with tickets to Tongli and Zhouzhuang. If you don’t want to bother, you can also buy tickets for Tongli Ancient Town directly there. Note, if you decide to stay overnight together, be sure to inform the conductor when buying your ticket. She will print a date on the ticket to prove that your ticket has not expired. The air-conditioned bus is direct and takes about 40 minutes. After getting off the station, turn right and walk 400 meters to see the archway of Tongli Ancient Town.
The second is gardens. There are four famous gardens in China, two of which are in Suzhou (Humble Administrator’s Garden and Liuyuan Garden). But to be honest, if you are not a professional in Suzhou Gardens, but a tourist (like me) who does not have in-depth knowledge of classical literature and architecture, your feelings inside should be similar. Among these gardens, the entrance fee to the Humble Administrator's Garden is 70 yuan, and if you come during winter vacation, it is 50 yuan in the off-season. It is the largest private garden in Suzhou and is relatively luxurious; the Liuyuan Garden has distinctive Taihu stones and bonsais, and the environment is also very beautiful; the Lion Grove is next to the Humble Administrator's Garden and is famous for its rockery. The huge rockery inside can be used as a maze, suitable for couples Play inside; Canglang Pavilion and Master of the Nets Garden are adjacent. These two gardens are relatively small and usually have few people, so they can be used as places to rest. When you are helpless in the face of the hustle and bustle of traffic on the streets of Suzhou, you can walk into the garden and enter a pure land, temporarily escape the chaos of the world, and enjoy the precious moment of tranquility for modern people. In addition, the Suzhou Museum is located next to the Humble Administrator's Garden. It is the final work of the architect I.M. Pei. It is free and worth a visit.
Tickets: Lingering Garden 40, Lion Grove 30, Canglang Pavilion 20, Master of the Nets Garden 20. Since you plan to come during the winter vacation, which is the off-season for tourism, tickets here will definitely be cheaper.
There is a special place in the garden: Tiger Hill. Located in the northwest of Suzhou City, it is a small mountain with quite distinctive features. The off-season ticket is 40. You can take a look. There are many cultural monuments inside.
Travel methods: Suzhou Museum (Humble Administrator's Garden, Lion Grove), there is a direct bus No. 5 from the station square in front of the station after exiting the train station; there are many bus stops at Canglang Pavilion and Pingsi Road. You can get there by car, take bus 102 and get off at Sanyuanfang Station and walk a short distance; Huqiu: There are direct routes You 1 and You 2 from the square in front of the railway station.
Finally there are some ancient streets. The old town of Suzhou is relatively well preserved. Coming out of Tiger Hill, the southeast direction is Shantang Street. If you go there during the day, there will be many people who still live by the river. They wash clothes and wash rice in the river, which is very charming. There are also many For folk snacks and special handicrafts, it is recommended to try crab apple cake, plum blossom cake, and fried stinky tofu. At night, the scene of thousands of lights and the Pingtan and singing that float from time to time will definitely make you emotional. This is a very good ancient street, with a total length of 7 miles. It goes directly from Shilu Commercial Street to Huqiu. If you are interested, you can finish it;
Take Tour 5 from the train station and get off at Xiangmen Station Take the car and walk back about 500 meters. There is an ancient street "Pingjiang Road" on the north side of the road. This is the best-preserved ancient street in Suzhou. It almost completely replicates the shape of Suzhou City during the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. The bridges and wells inside are basically historical sites, and there are even products from the Song Dynasty. See if you are interested in looking for them! There is a dessert shop "Taoye Pu" on the street. The double skin milk in it is a very delicious dessert. There are also many other desserts and snacks. It is a good place for girls!
Suzhou Guanqian Street is one of the top ten commercial streets in the country. It is not the most comprehensive or the cheapest, but it is indeed a very unique commercial street. There are no tall buildings there, and the highest one is probably only 6 floors. They are basically antique shops, with trendy clothes inside, which gives a sense of contrast.
You can check out Suzhou specialties such as silk. As for snacks on Guanqian Street, I recommend the grilled squid in front of Starbucks. Others are just average, and the snacks on Guanqian Street are relatively expensive. The Shilu Commercial Street is a different style, very prosperous, similar to the commercial streets in other big cities. If you want to go shopping, you can consider going there.
Travel method: Shantang Street: Take You 5 from the train station (take west), get off at Shantang Street Station, and get off the bridge; Pingjiang Road: Get off at You 5 Xiangmen Station and walk 500 backwards Mi Road North; Guanqian Street: Just get off at the "Jinfangqiao Guanqian Street East" stop on Tour 5.
There are many famous snacks in Suzhou, such as Zhu Hongxing’s pasta, Luyang’s wontons, etc. However, these famous names now seem to be undeserved, at least in my personal opinion. I recommend the following:
Yuba Shengjian, get off at the "Municipal Hospital East District East" stop on Route 5 (yes, that's the name of the stop) and walk 50 meters forward. Features: Pan-fried buns that are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It's relatively cheap and tastes delicious, especially the juice inside, which is very fragrant. The other beef vermicelli soup is also good, with curry powder in it, giving it a unique flavor. The consumption per person is about 10 yuan.
Sihaiyoulong, a pot sticker shop, has many branches in Suzhou. Its specialty is the spicy pot stickers inside, which are delicious. However, since it is a chain store, it cannot be considered a specialty. The consumption per person is about 15 yuan.
Houzhuang Snack Street. Take a taxi to Houzhuang, where there is a snack street. Since there are college student apartments nearby, you can imagine the scene there. There are many delicacies from various places: Northeastern bacon flatbread, Dalian squid, Wuhan hot dry noodles and duck neck, Fujian pickled fish, and of course Suzhou plum blossom cake and other snacks. Of course, the atmosphere here is not suitable for couples to stroll around, but it is very affordable and delicious. By the way, beware of theft if you go there. Don't take money out of your wallet too often. It's best to have change ready in advance. Don't waste your money on food and give it to thieves. There are also many restaurants for students on nearby Zhuangxianwan Road. The environment is generally affordable and the taste is very good.
If you want to go to a place with a slightly better environment, Fenghuang Street is a good choice. This is Suzhou’s food street. The shops on the roadside are medium-sized restaurants with moderate prices. The average consumption per person is about RMB 3 Around forty. If you want to eat authentic Jiangsu cuisine, you have to go to Eunuch Street, which is parallel to Guanqian Street. There are many time-honored restaurants there, such as Songhe Tower, Deyue Tower, Wang Si Restaurant, etc. They are all good, but the price is a bit expensive. . For the sake of your wallet, it’s better to go less often.
For accommodation, there are many hotels near Guanqian Street. A standard room usually costs 120 a night. Although it is relatively small, it is very clean. There is a youth hostel on Pingjiang Road, which should be cheaper, but the environment is slightly worse. If you want to live better, the west side of Guanqian Street is like home. It is very clean, warm and feels like home. A common room costs 210 a night. Accommodation in the ancient town basically costs 100-140 yuan a night. The environment is naturally not as good as in the urban area, but looking at the water from the window has a different flavor.
In addition, I would like to remind you that winter in Suzhou is relatively rainy, so you must bring an umbrella when traveling. Also, do not believe the temperature forecast in the weather forecast. The actual temperature will be colder than the forecast. It is recommended to wear more clothes. The starting price of a taxi in Suzhou is 10 yuan for 3 kilometers, and the subsequent fare is generally 1.8 yuan or 2 yuan for one kilometer. City buses generally cost 1 yuan or 2 yuan, and air-conditioned buses cost an additional 1 yuan.