[2025 Suzhou Attraction] Travel Guide for Suzhou Pingtan (Updated Jul)

✨‌[Itinerary Overview]‌: A spontaneous trip to experience the classical charm and modern style of Suzhou, and feel the city's millennial changes and unique charm! Day 1‌: Morning: Arrive in Suzhou, check in to the hotel, and take a short rest. Afternoon: Stroll through the Humble Administrator's Garden and experience the beauty of classical gardens. Evening: Explore Guanqian Street at night, taste authentic snacks, and enjoy Pingtan performances. ‌Day 2‌: Morning: Find peace at Xiyuan Temple and enjoy a moment of Zen. Afternoon: Visit Jinji Lake Scenic Area and experience the prosperity of the modern city. 🚗‌[Transportation Information‌] High-speed rail directly to Suzhou Station. After exiting the station, you can choose the subway, bus, or taxi to go to your hotel, which is convenient and fast. Suzhou has a well-developed subway network that easily connects major attractions. 🍽‌[Dining Recommendations‌] ‌Breakfast‌: Xiaolongbao, soy milk, and fried dough sticks near the hotel for an energetic start to the day. ‌Lunch‌: Songhelou Restaurant near the Humble Administrator's Garden, where you can taste authentic Suzhou cuisine. ‌Dinner‌: Deyuelou Restaurant in Guanqian Street, where you can enjoy both Suzhou cuisine and the night view. 📸‌[Attraction Recommendations‌] ‌1⃣️Guanqian Street‌: Suzhou's time-honored shopping street, with an antique flavor, perfect for both food and shopping. ‌2⃣️Pingtan Performance‌: Find a Pingtan hall in Guanqian Street or Pingjiang Road to listen to Suzhou Pingtan and experience the charm of traditional culture. ‌3⃣️Xiyuan Temple‌: A famous Buddhist temple in Suzhou with a quiet garden landscape, suitable for meditation and self-cultivation. ‌4⃣️Jinji Lake Scenic Area‌: A symbol of Suzhou's modernization, with beautiful lakeside scenery, it is a great place to take photos. 🎉‌Summary‌: Suzhou, a city where classic and modern intertwine, a 2-day/1-night trip, though short, is enough for you to appreciate its unique charm. From the classical garden beauty of the Humble Administrator's Garden to the bustling nightlife of Guanqian Street; from the Zen moment at Xiyuan Temple to the modern cityscape of Jinji Lake, every place is worth savoring. Come to Suzhou and start a spontaneous trip!

As we all know, Suzhou's ancient city is a bit congested, so I usually take the subway. The subway is fast, convenient, and cheap, which I love. Therefore, when I travel to big cities, I usually choose the subway first. Suzhou's subway is very developed, with nearly 20 lines, which can basically take you anywhere you want to go, including the relatively far Tiger Hill, Tongli Ancient Town, and Yangcheng Lake. Convenient transportation makes traveling in Suzhou more enjoyable. I met a college student from Hangzhou in Suzhou. She took a regular train at 2 am and arrived in Suzhou at 6 am. She waited for Xiyuan Temple to open, ate a bowl of vegetarian noodles, and then went to the Humble Administrator's Garden, Lingering Garden, Shantang Street, and Pingjiang Road. In the afternoon, she went to the Gate of the Orient, chased the sunset at Jinji Lake, and enjoyed the night view. Finally, she took the 6:58 train back to Hangzhou. Her one-day trip was fulfilling and satisfying, and the convenience of the subway made it possible for students to travel to Suzhou in one day. I had more time than her. I stayed in Suzhou for four days. At the end of November, it was the time to enjoy the autumn scenery. The leaves on Tianping Mountain turned red, and the gardens were full of autumn colors. The red maple leaves and yellow ginkgo leaves, together with a pool of autumn water and the pavilions of the classical gardens, were particularly charming. Without rushing, I visited one or two attractions a day, walking and stopping, finding a riverside restaurant, going upstairs, drinking tea, listening to the famous Suzhou Pingtan, and looking out the window. The street was full of tourists, and the river was full of boats carrying passengers. In the melodious singing and pipa music, you will be in a trance for a while, not knowing where you are...

The China Kunqu Opera Museum is located at No. 14 Zhongzhangjia Lane in Gusu District, adjacent to the Pingjiang Road Historical Area. The museum itself is a nationally protected historical building—the Shanxi Guild Hall, which exhibits Kunqu Opera-related content. Just a few dozen meters away is the China Suzhou Pingtan Museum, which can be visited together. Free admission, no reservation required; Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

#AbsolutelyFreeTrip The main tourist attraction in Suzhou is touring the gardens, but they seem to be crowded, and there is a ticket fee, and the trouble of purchasing and reserving tickets is a hassle, so I went to a place where you don't have to worry about that. I went to the city gates of Xiangmen, Loumen, Yanmen, and Pingmen. Xiangmen can be dropped in on your way to Pingjiang Road. It's adjacent to a shopping mall, so it's easy to get to. Inside is a free museum. It is lit up at night. Loumen is within walking distance of Xiangmen. Yanmen can be dropped in on your way to Shantang Street. Pingmen can be seen from the square in front of Suzhou Station. They are all similar gates, but you can also go to different gates. The Eastern Gate.

🎟️ Tickets are only under 10 yuan! Suzhou Value Attractions Fun Guide is here! ✨ There are so many beautiful scenery in Suzhou that I can't count them. Today I will recommend a few super low-priced attractions. Tickets are capped at $10. I feel no pressure 😉 🏞️ Lingyan Mountain Temple Climb Lingyan Mountain, take a step-by-step staircase directly to the top of the mountain, overlooking the mountains, clouds and mist, lush greenery🌳. When the weather is nice, you can have a panoramic view of the whole Suzhou City👀! 📍Address: Zhongshan East Road, Muyang Town, Wuzhong District 💰Ticket price: Lingyan Mountain Scenic Area - Free / Lingyan Mountain Temple - 1 yuan super value 🚇Transportation: Metro Line 5 directly to Lingyanshan Station, Exit No. 2 Northeast Exit is super convenient! 🏯 Saiyuan Temple Xiyuan Temple, an ancient temple of the Yuan Dynasty, has a history of more than 700 years. Strolling inside, the temple is towering, the green trees, the water pavilion and the curved bridge, quiet and elegant, like "the temple is in the garden, the garden is the temple view"🌿. 📍Address: No. 18, Xiyuan Lane, Liuyuan Road, Gusu District, Suzhou City 💰 Ticket price: 5 yuan also give 3 incense, full of sincerity 🙏 🚌Transportation: Get off at West Park Station on bus 406 and walk 90 meters! 🗼 Twin Towers Two seven-storey octagonal pavilion-style brick towers are consistent in form and magnificent🏯. 📍Address: No. 22, Dinghui Temple Lane, Gusu District, Suzhou City 💰 Ticket price: 8 yuan, super high value for money! 🚇Transportation: Exit Exit 1 of Linton Road Station on Metro Line 1! 🌸Art Garden The roses in the art garden are blooming beautifully. Turn right when you enter the garden. On the deep and long aisle, the rose waterfall pours down like a waterfall, reflecting the garden wall and flower windows🌺. 📍Address: No. 5, Wenya Lane, Gusu District, Suzhou City 💰Ticket price: 10 yuan, flower viewing is the right time! 🚶‍♀️Transportation: Line 1 Yangyu Lane Station Exit 3, walk 1.3 kilometers to reach! 🏯White Crane Temple Bai He Temple is built against a mountain, with a unique layout. This is the only one in Suzhou🌄! 📍Address: Diagonally opposite Jingshan Apartment, Majian Road, Majian Road, Maple Bridge Street, Huqiu District, Suzhou City 💰 Ticket price: 10 yuan, worth a visit! 🚌Transportation: Express Line 3 to Lushan Road Xiangjiang Road West Station, walk 1 km! 🎭 Watch the performance at the Suzhou Pingtan Museum How can you not listen to Pingtan when you come to Suzhou? Suzhou Pingtan Museum is open for free. From May 1st to 15th, the Shanghai Pingjuan Troupe will perform the long play "Wu Zetian". You can enjoy an audio-visual feast🎭 with a ticket of 10 yuan! 📍Address: "Wu Yuan Deep" Bookstore, Suzhou Pingtan Museum, China (No. 3, Zhongzhangjia Lane, Gusu District) ⏰ Performance Time: May 1st to May 15th, 2025 13:30pm-15:30pm 💰 Performance ticket price: ordinary tickets 10 yuan, top table 20 yuan (buy tickets on site) 🚇Transportation: Metro Line 1 to Xiangmen Station Exit 3 Exit! Come and take pictures of these great value Suzhou attractions! 🌈

It’s worthy of being the Suzhou cuisine strongly recommended by Suzhou natives! ! As soon as I entered the door, I was attracted by the antique environment. The service is super good and the dishes are even more remarkable👍🏻 🔥Bama Pork Knuckle with Mountain Eggs The moment it was served, I was overwhelmed by the fragrance～🤤 The pig's feet are slow-cooked in Bama water and become tender and delicious. Full of collagen, I can't resist it at all～😍 Even the pheasant eggs inside were full of soup. One bite after another, it’s so delicious! ! 🔥Zhuangyuan Sauce Recipe The thick and red sauce of Zhuangyuan sauce is a must-order 👍🏻 The sauce is fat and lean, and it doesn't taste greasy at all. There is also a layer of fresh bamboo shoots underneath...😋 Paired with rice, it’s a delicious dish you never get tired of! ! 🔥Squirrel Mandarin Fish As Suzhou's signature dish, it is not to be missed! ! The fish is fried crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, very tempting Then pour the sweet and sour sauce over it...💯 This taste is loved by both the elderly and children! ! 🔥Hand-brewed rice wine The sweet taste at the entrance instantly captured my heart~❤️ It is indeed hand-made, with a light sweet-scented osmanthus fragrance. It's so nice to meet up with three or five friends for a drink! ! 🔥Suzhou-style desserts Suzhou style glutinous rice is definitely not to be missed 👍🏻 Whether it's mochi or tofu pudding, they're both delicious. There are also crab roe noodles, Suzhou-style drunken crab, crab roe tofu, lotus pond stir-fry... and so on, so don’t worry! ! Don't step on the mines in your blind spots~ 🏠: Qian Yuman · Old Suzhou Flavor · Squirrel Fish 📍: No. 717, Changxu Road, Jinchang Subdistrict (360 meters walk from Exit 9 of Shilu Subway Station) I ate it, I ate it! Osmanthus wine and soft cheese! ! ! Finally, my great Suzhou has it! ! ! 😭😭😭 . Have a bowl of hot crab noodles 🍜 on Pingjiang Road, with crab roe, crab roe, crab paste, crab legs, crab meat... so much stuff it's overflowing! Eat some exquisite Suzhou-style dessert, taro mochi, matcha soft cheese, and strawberry mochi ice cream Sweet and sour squirrel fish, Suzhou cuisine, and listening to Suzhou Pingtan in the soft Wu dialect... this is the standard for traveling to Suzhou‼ You can also see the grandmother rowing a boat on the river, it's so picturesque 🍃 📍Li Baixie・Crab Roe Noodles・Pingjiang Riverside (Pingjiang Road Branch)

Take a 3-hour high-speed train to Suzhou just for this meal!!!|||Everyone who comes to Suzhou should go eat here!!! Who understands the value of this table of food? No wonder it's Suzhou cuisine recommended by CCTV!! The Suzhou-style Dongpo pork is stewed until it's fatty but not greasy, and the braised sauce is delicious with rice. 😭😭 There's also sweet and sour squirrel fish, dip a piece in the sauce, and it's crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. We also ordered Suzhou-style soy sauce shrimp, eel paste with hot oil, crab roe tofu, and crab roe soup dumplings... all very authentic Suzhou flavors!! The environment is antique, and listening to a Suzhou Pingtan performance is really pleasant.

Pingjiang Road, crowded with people, is not a particularly good experience. However, there are many museums worth visiting in the small alleys near Pingjiang Road, such as Suzhou Pingtan Museum, Kunqu Museum, and Zhuangyuan Museum, etc. 1. Suzhou Zhuangyuan Museum Located at the west end of Niuji Lane, close to Guanqian Street. This was originally the old house of Pan Shi'en, the top scholar of Suzhou in the Qianlong period. It introduces the 51 top scholars in Suzhou since the establishment of the imperial examination in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, among which the top scholars in Changzhou and Wuxian are the most frequent, accounting for half of the total. And there are less than a thousand top scholars in Chinese history. 2. Suzhou Pingtan Museum Pingtan is a kind of storytelling art, which may not be heard of outside Suzhou. However, this popular art form is still active in Suzhou, and the Pingtan Museum introduces related art forms and famous artists of all ages. 3. Suzhou Kunqu Museum The Kunqu Museum has been under renovation since last year, so it has not yet opened. 4. Wenxue Shanfang Old Bookstore. This old bookstore is located near the Zhuangyuan Museum and has a history of 124 years. The nearly 100-year-old shop owner sits in the shop every day looking at the pedestrians outside the glass door. The bookstore is only 20 square meters in size, but it is full of various ancient books and old books. It opens at nine o'clock every day and closes at four-thirty in the afternoon. Only two days off on the first and second day of the lunar new year.