Suzhou – Venice of the East
There is a Chinese saying that goes 上有天堂，下有苏杭 , which translates to above there is the heavens, on earth there is Suzhou and Hangzhou, which symbolises the beauty of both cities.
Indeed it’s true. In this post, I will share more about my trip to Suzhou.
Suzhou is a city steeped in culture and history. It is often labelled as “Venice of the East” with water canals weaving through the city.
Strolling through its classical gardens is one of my favourite part of the trip.
Here are the few places I visited in Suzhou:
Suzhou museum 苏州博物馆
Step into ancient history and explore thousands of cultural relics from Ming and Qing dynasties at Suzhou museum.
The museum’s architecture is striking — modern geometric lines set against the traditional elegance of Suzhou’s garden aesthetics (similar to those that you will see in the Humble administrator’s garden).
Blending traditional elements with a contemporary twist.
And guess what? The museum was designed by I. M. Pei (Ieoh Ming Pei) — the same architect behind the Louvre’s iconic glass pyramid in Paris.
You can walk around the museum yourself without a tour guide, as most exhibit display information have English translation on it. There is also an option of renting a walkie-talkie like audio guide, and it served us well enough.
In the museum, one particular piece of art stood out to me.
In traditional Chinese belief, deer symbolise longevity, prosperity, and good fortune.
The vase has 100 deers. ‘Hundred Deer’ (百鹿) is an auspicious motif: ‘one hundred’ implies abundance, and deer signifies longevity, prosperity, and good fortune.
Humble Administrator’s Garden 拙政园
After the Suzhou musuem, head to the Humble administrator’s garden nearby.
Two of China’s “Top 4 Classical Gardens” are in Suzhou – Humble Administrator’s Garden and Liu Garden. I visited the Humble administrator’s garden this time, it is also a UNESCO site.
Wang Xianchen was a Ming-dynasty official who entered early retirement around 1509. During this unexpected break from public life, he poured his energy into building a garden in Suzhou, which became Humble Administrator’s Garden.
Every corner is so artistic, and I can imagine writing a poem here.
We did not get a tour guide, but if you wish you can hire one, they will bring you around, and explain more detail about the garden and the pavilions.
You can easily spend 1 hour here.
Tiger Hill 虎丘
Why is it called the Tiger Hill? Legend says that three days after the burial of King Helü of Wu, a white tiger was seen sitting on top of the tomb.
I thought visiting the Tiger Hill would not take too much time, as there is only the pagoda to look at – but I was wrong! The area is huge, and it’s possible to spend an afternoon there.
We picked 3 places to explore in Tiger Hill – Bonsai garden, Sword lake, and Tiger Hill Pagoda.
Ping Jiang Road 平江路
Ping Jiang Lu is like a “Old town” of Suzhou, with traditional buildings and water canals.
The area has become quite commercialised, filled with shops and restaurants — charming in its own way, so long as you come with the right expectations.
It’s better to go in the late afternoon and stay through the evening to soak in the atmosphere, when the lights come alive.
Food
Crab Meat Noodles 蟹黄面
Tried a crab meat noodles restaurant at Ping Jiang Lu.
The verdict – it is highly overrated. We found the crab meat sauce to be overly starchy and not enough crab meat. Perhaps it’s not the right season?
For dessert, we had a yam purple mochi like dessert, it was also quite disappointing as it was quite bland.
Peking duck
Can’t get enough of Peking duck, so we went to Xi Bei, a chain restaurant across China that sells Peking duck.
Not sure if it’s originated from Suzhou, but it’s a strong contender against 四季明福 in Beijing.
The difference I would say is that the duck skin is a bit on the oiler side.
The pita bread and skewers are good. This restaurant is worth a try!
Next city…
Suzhou has so much to offer, and I loved my trip there – a mix of wandering through classical gardens, water canal lined streets, and enjoying the ease of modern city comfort.
Now on to the next adventure in Hangzhou.
