Avoid the Crowds at Suzhou Gardens: A One-Day Tour of Beautiful, Lesser-Known Autumn Spots

Only autumn in Suzhou can beat Suzhou itself. The Suzhou Gardens are at their most beautiful in autumn. It's said that the gardens open at 7:30 am, but there are already about 100 people queuing at the entrance by 7:00 am. 😱 But there's only one chance a day to take photos of the gardens without people in them. It's too difficult. . So this time, I avoided the gardens in the ancient city, and went to Yangcheng Lake and Kunshan instead. I wasn't disappointed. There were far fewer people, most of the attractions were free, and the scenery was amazing! It's about a 1-hour drive from Suzhou or Shanghai. I just took some photos, so I'm sharing them now. - ♾️ "My One-Day Tour Route" Yangcheng Lake Red Maple Avenue ➠ Shuize Road ➠ Little Kamakura ➠ Kunqu Opera Museum ➠ Tinglin Park ➠ Huiju Temple ➠ Baodao Youyicun - 🔆 "Attraction Highlights" 1️⃣ Yangcheng Lake Red Maple Avenue A 400-meter path lined with red maple trees. Especially beautiful after sunrise, when it looks like a tunnel. 📍 Search for "Putian Ecological Organic Farm". There's a free parking lot 500 meters away. 2️⃣ Shuize Road A leisure lawn along the water of Yangcheng Lake, perfect for camping. 🏕️ There are many autumn scenes 🍁 to photograph. 3️⃣ Little Kamakura This spot is a little out of the way, but it's great for taking photos. There are beautiful reed marshes along the way. Choose according to your preferences. 📍 Search for "Yangcheng Lake Ecotourism Distribution Center". 4️⃣ Kunqu Opera Museum (closed on Mondays) An opera-themed museum. The pure white color scheme is great for photos. There's currently an exhibition on Mr. Mei Lanfang. 5️⃣ Tinglin Park 💰20 A garden-style park that will amaze you. Pavilions, mountains, and water, all in autumn colors. It's much bigger than I imagined. 👇🏻 Recommended autumn spots ✔️ Tongxie ✔️ Suiyuan ✔️ Weiyiting ✔️ Gu Yanwu Memorial Hall ✔️ Jiuqu Bridge ✔️ Luzhuzhu ✔️ Cuipingxuan 6️⃣ Huiju Temple A thousand-year-old temple dedicated to Mazu. It's a "Fujian-Taiwan" style temple, which is very unique. 7️⃣ Baodao Youyicun Next to Huiju Temple, there's a Taiwan-style street. It's not big, but it's great for taking photos. 📸