Home of water town
Suzhou is a large city in eastern China, located on the southeast border of Jiangsu Province. Its fine arts and delicate gardens drew in generations of Chinese philosophers, writers, artists, and members of high society. Explore the world-class museums, renowned canals, charming water towns, and thousand-year-old temples. Savour traditional food and tea while strolling around Suzhou’s ancient alleyways. Treat your eyes and ears to ancient architecture and music. Discover Suzhou’s exceptional offerings for an experience of a lifetime.
The best time to visit Suzhou is April to October. Winter is rainy and cold while summer is hot and muggy. With an average temperature of 28 °C (82 °F), July is the hottest month. January is the coldest with an average temperature of 4 °C (39 °F). Spring is one of the most popular times to visit the ancient city with its warm and pleasant weather. Average temperature is from 9°C (48°F) to 28°C (82 °F).
Summer the hottest season of the year with temperatures exceeding 32°C (90°F). It is possible for heavy rain to fall at any time. The autumn season is characterized by similar weather to spring, including generally sunny, mild, and dry conditions. The end of January is the coldest month. Despite infrequent snowfall, the atmosphere is sultry and saturated with moisture. The temperature ranges between 0 °C (33 °F) to 11 °C (52 °F).
Zhouzhuang Water Town
It is possible to see 14 ancient stone bridges built in the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties that link multiple courtyards together across the water in Zhouzhuang Ancient Town. Historic buildings, ancient bridges, and beautiful canals are its most famous features. Moreover, food, silk, and many handicrafts were traded there in ancient times. There are many restaurants and teahouses in the town where you can enjoy the local cuisine, explore the town's winding waterways and narrow streets, and see cultural landmarks including the Double Bridge and Zhang Hall.
Tongli Water Town
As a symbol of water towns in southern China, Tongli is known as the ``Oriental Venice`` because of its more than 1000-year-old history. As well as these ancient structures, it owns a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Tutsi Garden. As well as taking boat rides along the waterways, you can stroll through the historic streets and alleyways. The town is also famous for its freshwater fish dishes, which many of its restaurants serve.
Pingjiang Road
It is an ancient canalside street in Suzhou dating back more than 800 years. Draw tourists in with its assortment of charming antique bookstores, tea rooms, community theatres, and classic Suzhou homes featuring black tiles and whitewashed walls. A cobblestone street stroll provides a view into the daily lives of the locals.
Humble Administrator's Garden (Zhuo Zheng Yuan)
Humble Administrator's Garden is one of the traditional Chinese gardens and was included to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1997. Also scattered throughout this breathtakingly magnificent park are halls and pavilions. When the trees are lit up and the lawns are covered in fallen leaves, it is well worth a visit.
Zhongyang Pedestrian Street
Located in Suzhou’s historic quarter, Suzhou Museum was designed by famed architect I.M. Pei. It is an exquisite fusion of contemporary design and traditional Suzhou architecture, featuring a traditional garden configuration. A collection of bronze, jade, ceramics, porcelain, handicrafts, paintings, calligraphies, and remnants are displayed in the museum's well-lit galleries.
Suzhou, situated in the Yangtze River Delta adjacent to Taihu Lake, has been referred to as the “land of honey and milk” since antiquity due to its abundance of diverse culinary ingredients. Its cuisine is renowned for its fresh seafood and vegetables. Emphasize subtly sweet flavors and exquisite presentation. Commonly features freshwater fish, especially eel and carp, which are usually steamed.
Travelers from abroad and domestically love Suzhou’s traditional dish, the Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish. In addition to its color and flavor, famous is also notable for its shape and flavor. What is more, when the fried Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish is ready and pored steaming hot bittern, there will be a sound just like the squirrel is cheeping. The squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish gained widespread popularity after it was revealed to be the emperor’s favorite dish.
Must-try: Mandarin Fish, Steamed White Fish, Water Shield with Egg Flakes, Moon Cakes, Fengzhen noodles, Aozao noodles, Semen euryales, Fish Flavor Spring Rolls, Fried Steamed Bun, Sugar Porridge, Jiuniang Cake.
Air
The best ways to get to Suzhou are via Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) and Pudong International Airport (PVG), as Suzhou does not have its own airport. Hongqiao Airport is 86 km (53 miles) from central Suzhou. Terminal 2 is connected to Hongqiao bullet train station with a 15-minute walk. The 30-minute ride to Hongqiao Station is available from both of Suzhou’s bullet train terminals on a regular basis. Pudong Airport is in the east of Shanghai, therefore it is a bit inconvenient to reach Suzhou. Traveling from Pudong Airport to Suzhou requires more than an hour.
Train
Suzhou Railway Station, Suzhou North Railway Station, Suzhou Yuanqu Railway Station, and Suzhou Xinqu Railway Station are the four major rail stations in Suzhos. It is the best place for day visits and transfers between Chinese cities because of the proximity of the train stations.