Overview
** SUZHOU TOURS, CHINA**
Read travel tips for Suzhou tours from our amazing community of BLACK AND BROWN TRAVELERS that will help you find some of the best places to visit in Suzhou.Our variety of travel tips will definitely help you plan your next trip. Our tips range from best places to visit in Suzhou, affordability, nightlife, local food, where to stay and even what it is like Traveling While Black. Lastly, we are working diligently to create a comprehensive city guide for Suzhou tours. Stay tuned! But in the meantime, scroll down to read tips below!
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My wife and I visit Suzhou– also known as the city of paradise. This city is also known as the Oriental Venice for its exquisite canals, bridges, pagodas, and beautiful gardens. Suzhou is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We did a tour of the Lingering Garden, this is a classic private garden with 500 years of history. Next we visit the Suzhou Silk Factory, this is the largest silk factory in the country. We discovered the mysterious processing of silk. Last but not least we went on a cruise along the ancient canal from the city to the picturesque Grand Canal.
Suzhou, aptly termed the “Venice of East China” is a small water town located about 30 minutes (by high-speed train) from the ever busy and bustling city of Shanghai. Suzhou is the perfect getaway for a day or even a few days if you are looking to escape the crowds of the big cities and enjoy some peace and relaxation. However, during Chinese National Holidays this town can get quite busy, so be sure to check the calendar prior to planning your trip , as it may start to feel over-crowded very quickly.
*Things to Do*
1. TIGER HILL – A UNESCO World heritage site which is home to the “Leaning tower of China” also known as Tiger Pagoda, a large temple located at the top of the hill. The pagoda is situated within a park which also has various other sites which you can stop at along the way. The sites all tell a story of ancient times and how the housing situation was set up. There is also a show which is put on daily that depicts life in ancient times. There are a few ponds with giant lilies and cute pagodas scattered across the park.Tickets to the park are RMB 80 in peak season and the ticket office only accepts cash. The park closes at 5:30 in peak season and 5:00 pm in off-peak season.
2. HUMBLE ADMINISTRATORS GARDEN – Another UNESCO Site. The garden can really get quite packed (around 6000 tourists) during national holidays so that really is something to consider. Overall , this is basically a huge garden which is home to numerous species of beautiful flowers , with multiple bonds and pagodas scattered across the garden. The entire garden tells a story and you can opt for a guided tour, or you can download the app and do your own self-guided tour.
3. GONDOLA RIDE – a 30 minute ride in a hand-powered boat whcih goes up and down the canal parallel to Pinjiang Road. The gondolas depart from the Upstream Wharf on Pinjiang Road . This really was my favourite part of the day – the canal and street light up beautifully at night and it felt like a scene right out of a movie. There are larger boats which also go across the canals but these are a bit more crowded.
4. PINJIANG ROAD – this road which runs parallel to the canal has a wide array of souvenir shops, coffee shops , tea houses and restaurants. I would really advise making this your last stop so that you can enjoy the beautiful lights as the sun goes down and unwind after all the walking.
There are other great sites in Suzhou such as Lion Grove Garden, Master of the Nets Garden and Suzhou Museum, however, due to time constraints and the overwhelming number of people there on the day it was hard to fit all of this in. Suzhou is a beautiful city and a must see if you want a quiet getaway.