Suzhou: A Local's Guide to Not Getting Screwed.
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I've summarized the snacks and restaurants everyone recommended. Feel free to add more to the list. I'll be deleting discussions and off-topic posts, so please start a new thread for those. My personal recommendations: Zhu Xinnian for their tangtuan (sweet glutinous rice balls) and tangbao (soup dumplings), Yaba Shengjian (pan-fried pork buns), Paopao Wonton & Shengjian, Xin Zhenyuan Shengjian. There's also a tiny pastry shop behind the market at Shantangjie Metro Station selling shuangniangtuan (double-stuffed sweet rice balls), luobotuan (radish balls), cimaotuan (glutinous rice balls with water caltrop), and huangsonggao (yellow pine cake). Also, Jiangnan Yachu at Suzhou Center. Others recommended: Zhu Xinnian's fried fish noodles. An egg-filled pancake stall south of Renmin Bridge. White cut chicken from the market at Shantangjie Metro Station. Zhu Xinnian's shengjian and tangbao. Xiaoyuanlou on Baita West Road. Near Soochow University Tiancizhuang Campus on Moye Road: Yimengshan Fried Chicken and Chuanyu Yijiaqin. From Wangtianjing Alley: date paste cake (lard flavor). From Guanqian Street: youzanzi (fried dough twists, seaweed flavor). Luxihe's original flavor crispy mung bean pastry. Lüshantang Wontons on Fengmen Road. These are all user recommendations. Some users have disabled comments, so I can't @ everyone individually. Thanks for your understanding.
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Your recommendations are all great! I'd add Gu Ting Restaurant; I think it's delicious too.
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What?! Are crab roe noodles really not good? I'm heading to Suzhou on April 19th. Not planning on Humble Administrator's Garden or the museum since I know they'll be crowded. I have a sweet tooth, so any other restaurant recommendations? Don't worry if I don't like the food; I won't complain. The whole point of traveling is to try different things!
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Honestly, the museum is worth a visit. Book your tickets early and go as early in the day as possible; it's less crowded then. As for food, check out the comments section – many users on social media have already shared their recommendations.
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The OP's points are very fair, let me add a few thoughts. Tourists come to Suzhou seeking their ideal Suzhou, not necessarily the Suzhou locals live in. So, a thousand tourists will have a thousand different ideal Suzhous. Why does everyone fixate on crab roe noodles and the Humble Administrator's Garden? Or immediately order Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish? That used to be a dish for special occasions; would ordinary Suzhou people eat it regularly? How about learning about the 'Eight Aquatic Delicacies'? People flock to Humble Administrator's Garden, but why not the Lion Grove Garden next door? Is it the higher ticket price? Pingjiang Road and Shantang Street are free, so they're packed with tourists, affecting residents' daily lives. Old Suzhou locals are being forced to move out. If Suzhou loses its local people, is it still Suzhou? What's the point of tourists coming then?
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Yes, I feel like today's Suzhou has been 'standardized' and somewhat demonized. I still remember when I was a child, we'd visit the gardens, order a cup of green tea or a bowl of lotus root starch in the teahouse, and quietly gaze at the scenery outside, enjoying that centuries-old tranquility. When people travel, they should seek what they truly desire. Is it just about 'checking in' at those inexplicable Insta-worthy spots to prove they've been there? Do you have to eat Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish? Most people aren't used to sweet and sour fish. I don't travel often, but when I do, I do my research to find what's characteristic of the city, or I just wander aimlessly, with no specific goal, just to unwind.
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It's like not eating spicy food is a crime nowadays, and speaking Suzhou dialect is considered xenophobic.
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But many older people can't speak Mandarin, or they speak Suzhou-accented Mandarin, which is basically incomprehensible.
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Sis, will it be crowded during the summer holidays in June or July?
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Yes, it will be. Lots of families with kids. The problem is, Suzhou gets incredibly hot in June and July. People from the north might not be used to it.
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I was just telling my husband yesterday, as soon as the holidays hit, I'm going to see a flood of posts warning people to avoid Suzhou again.
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Seriously, it makes me mad seeing those. I've said it a million times, but they just have to go and do it.
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Having been there, I totally agree! After my trip, I really miss Suzhou's pastries. They have a flavor you just can't find in the north. I miss them!
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Especially the variety! As a local, I only eat one kind: 'huangsonggao' (yellow pine cake). It's sweet, not oily or greasy. Older folks like 'zhuyougao' (lard cake), and they even like to dip it in egg batter and fry it.
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Ningbo folks say nothing; they just silently steer clear.
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Haha, 'Gangboning' (Ningbo people)!
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Seriously, I keep seeing posts warning about Suzhou... and then people talk about crab roe noodles. Where are you going to find fresh crab at this time of year? It's definitely all frozen!
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Sis, what can I wear for May Day? What's the temperature like?
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Excuse me, I'm planning to take an elderly person in a wheelchair. Where would be a good place to see Suzhou's scenery? I was originally thinking of Humble Administrator's Garden, but your post has made me reconsider. So, any suggestions on where to go?
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I'd advise against it. Except for modern-style cultural sites, ancient attractions are very difficult for wheelchairs. It'll likely be a very poor experience.