Gardens, Canals and Gondolas: The city of Suzhou!

Last week I wrote an article about the city of Wuzhen, a little chinese Venice. Little did I know at that point that I will visit Suzhou, another Chinese Venice, only one week later.

Is Suzhou different from Wuzhen? Which of them is better?
Find out about Suzhou here and let me give you my advice!

Sights

Suzhou has a lot to offer: There are different gardens, channels,but also a picturesque lake next to the downtown of the city.

The Watertown of Suzhou
Suzhou actually has 2 areas that can be described as a scenic watertown. I visited both Pinjiang Road and Shantang Road and can actually recommend both of them.

Shantang Road:
Shantang Road is located close to the Train station and can be easily accessed by the nearby metro Station.

In total this street is said to be 7 miles long and winds from its picturesque southern part along the canal to the Huqiu Mountain.

The southern part is probably the most interesting but also most touristy part. Here you can find souvenirs, little restaurants and many other little shops. Make sure to check out both sides of the canal here!

North of the intersection the street becomes more of a market for locals and after that it is just a normal residential area. If you want to go to Huqiu Mountain I recommend following the road a little more for getting to know the local life.

Pingjiang Road:
You can find Pingjiang Road in the middle of the gardens of Suzhou.

Starting at the Ganjiang East Road (between Metro station Lindun Road and Xiangmen) you can make your way through the small alleys along the canal up to the humble administrators’ garden.

Explore the beautiful alleys and make sure to stop by the different snack shops along the way!

If you want to explore the area by water, this is a good place to hop on one of these boats!

The Humble Administrators garden
The gardens of Suzhou are what makes the city stand out from the other watertowns. I visited the Humble Administrators garden, probably the most popular garden in the city.

It is a good example of classical Chinese gardens and therefore also attracts many guests.

Entrance fee is 90 RMB, students get a discount and can enter for half price.

Jinji Lake
Suzhou is a city of water. Next to its endless canals, you can find many lakes around.

The most easily accessible is the Jinji Lake, from where you can also admire the skyline of the city. Come here for a more modern view of Suzhou!

I had a walk around the northern shore of the lake from Dongfangzhimen to the Culture exhibition centre with a stop at the Meister Bräu beergarden at the Culture and arts center.

Conclusion

Both Suzhou and Wuzhen offer very beautiful watertowns and would deserve the title of “Venice of the east”, therefore I can recommend to visit both of them.

If you only have the time to visit one of them, I would make it depending on what interests you more:

Would you like to know what made Wuzhen such a rich city, how all the products they sold were made? The watertown of Wuzhen is filled with several small museums telling you about the skills of the people living here hundreds of years ago. Make sure to check out our article about the city!

Or would you prefer to explore the beautiful gardens of Suzhou and the lakes around it?
The gardens of Suzhou are a wonderful example of classical Chinese gardening, a must for everybody who likes to admire parks and nature in general.

I hope this article is helpful for you! We are happy about shares and likes and would also like to discuss in the comments below!

Other cities you might want to see when visiting Suzhou:
1.Wuzhen
2.Hangzhou
3.Shanghai