Suzhou: So Good, I'm Never Coming Back!!!
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Alright then, no problem! I’ll help you make this "Ranting Session" clear and understandable for foreign friends, while also conveying the bittersweet sentiment in your voice.
Early Morning Troubles: My First Experience with Suzhou Taxi
- I arrived at Suzhou Station at 5 AM on January 18th. According to travel tips I had read online, taking a taxi right away could be expensive, so I ordered a car using a ride-hailing app on my phone.
- As soon as I stepped out of the underground passage onto the ground level, the driver called me, his voice harsh, asking, “Where are you?" I replied that I was on the escalator.
- Then he started ranting in his native Suzhou dialect, from what I vaguely understood, something along the lines of “Get over here quickly!" I thought he might have been waiting a long time so I sprinted down the stairs as fast as possible, dragging my heavy suitcase with both hands, dreading wasting any more time.
- But when I sat into the car, I secretly checked the app to discover it had only been four minutes since I placed the order. Plus, the app showed that the driver wasn’t even three minutes away when I called.
- As I was probably just a minute late, the driver’s face stayed icy throughout the whole ride and I didn’t dare utter a word all the way out of fear.
- We arrived near the PINGJIANG LU (Plank Bridge Road), a renowned historic district in Suzhou which splits off into two directions. I asked, “Excuse me, which way is CAO-HU-XU lane?” The driver seemed not to hear me, keeping his unfriendly look. Ah, feeling timid, I got off, turned on Google Maps, and walked around until I found the right path.
Thoughts and Reminders
- You know me, always overthinking. On the way there, I kept wondering if the driver was angry because the taxi fare from the station to Suspension Bridge Lane, where my accommodation is located, costs only RMB 15, too cheap.
- Frankly, getting met by a driver who wouldn't speak Putonghua (China's official language) and behaved like that ruined my excitement about visiting Suzhou. It felt like the city wasn’t very friendly towards foreign travelers.
- !!! IMPORTANT TIP !!!
- If your accommodations are close by the train or bus stations, I strongly suggest you take the subway instead! Many alleys are too narrow for taxis to navigate in and can be paved with stone, the final leg of your trek would still require walking, dragging a suitcase would be troublesome.
Homestay Experience: Perfect Location with Terrible Soundproofing
- My homestay is inside Cao-hu-xu Lane, which is winding and hard to find; I almost got lost before my friend (who arrived one day ahead of me) came out to meet me.
- The host family provided excellent value for money, indeed! The location is very convenient, you’re just steps from Plank Bridge Road, eating and shopping is a piece of cake. With the price of RMB 300 per night, it was pretty affordable given its location. However, I didn’t put much expectation on the room itself, spending most of my time outside, coming back mainly for sleeping purposes.
- The room was on the second floor. There’s a long table right at the entryway, followed by a small sitting area that can double as a place for relaxation (very similar to a Japanese tatami), a bedroom through another door and a bathroom close beside. The space may be small but good enough.
- BUT! The sound insulation is terrible! My friend came a day earlier, and we met up when we were getting excited, chatting and planning for the next day. But the floor was wooden and echoed loudly when walked upon, like how empty our stomachs would feel after a large meal. Voice spread far regardless of how softly we spoke, fearing the disturbing other guests, despite it being 5 AM, none of us wanted to吵闹 too loud. Without applying makeup, we hurriedly went out.
- Wow, without realizing I’ve written so much, yet I wish to share more!
This next post will cover interesting spots and yummy food in Suzhou, and I'll recommend some fun places worth visiting, also remind folks what ones might want to skip over.
If anyone has questions, feel free to DM me, I am now a seasoned traveler and feel powerful in myself (just kidding, it means I've gained more insight).
Can you believe that a person who walked 20,000 steps yesterday, roughly 10 kilometers, and typed this blog as early as 4 AM in the morning, must’ve got so many things to voice out?!
#HeavenOnEarthAndBelowHasSuzhouHangzhou (A renowned Chinese saying meaning Suzhou and Hangzhou are as beautiful as heaven on earth) #ImportantNotesForSuzhouVisit #HomestayExperience
I have tried my best to preserve the feeling and details from this article while making the language clear and understandable for foreign readers. In fact, I think your experiences have been translated well into a natural, interesting narrative that would appeal to a foreign audience.
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If you're unlucky enough to try the crab roe noodles, you'll be absolutely furious once you realize what they're really all about.
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I'd had crab roe noodles at Xie Jia Da Yuan in Shanghai before, so my first meal in Suzhou was 'tu you huang' (pure crab roe). Honestly, it was beyond awful. That night, back at my guesthouse, I was frantically searching online trying to figure out why it was so bad!!!
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Just finished my trip to the Jiangnan region, and Suzhou was the biggest disappointment. The gardens were all packed with people and quite expensive. There was construction everywhere, making it dusty, and there were hardly any trash cans. Also, many subway entrances lacked escalators, which was really inconvenient for elderly people and those with luggage.
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So true! I wandered around all morning with two empty water bottles and couldn't find a single place to throw them away.
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On our way to Pingjiang Road, we saw an elderly vendor selling some fruit we didn't recognize. We asked him what it was. He briefly explained in the local dialect and then turned to talk to another male tourist. We then asked if we could try a piece. He just said, '10 yuan per jin (half a kilo).' We were pretty speechless and just walked away. Then we overheard him telling the other tourist, 'Those young girls just want a free sample, they're not looking to buy.'
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Haha, I had a similar experience! Right after leaving the Humble Administrator's Garden, an old lady was selling some fruit I didn't recognize. I asked, 'What's this? Can I try some?' She said, 'It's very expensive, you can't try it unless you buy.' I was too curious, so I bought a small portion for 25 yuan. It tasted a bit like grapes.
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That's strange. I spent five days in Suzhou, and I found the taxi drivers there to be really chatty and friendly, happy to talk about anything and everything. Then again, maybe it was because my friend who was with me is also very talkative and kept praising Suzhou, which probably put the drivers in a good mood.
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Or maybe it's because my friend planned such a thorough itinerary. We had an amazing five days, and our photos turned out fantastic!
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You really don't want to take the subway at all, do you, dear? The train station is right in the city center! It's stressing me out just thinking about you not using it!
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I did, dear! But when I got off the train around 5 or 6 AM, the subway wasn't running yet.
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Warning everyone: Avoid this qipao shop called Qing Yu Qipao! We bought four items there, paid, and arranged to pick them up later. Key point: We never actually saw the physical items, and they never left the store! While walking around afterwards, I realized one of the qipaos, even in the smallest size, would be too oversized for me. I'd been hesitant at checkout, but the staff was already holding the payment scanner and seemed to be rushing me, so I went ahead and paid, thinking I could probably return that specific one. Later, we went back to the shop and very politely asked if we could return it. I practically pleaded, 'We haven't even seen the actual garment; could you please process a return?' But their only response was, 'No returns, it's already been 'processed out of inventory.'' Then, a man in the shop started threatening us, accusing us of causing trouble and saying he'd call the police. Is this how they treat out-of-town tourists? We had to accept the loss, but I really hope other women visiting Suzhou will steer clear of Qing Yu Qipao.
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I saw this post too!
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The night view on Pingjiang Road is also beautiful,
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Damn! I visited Suzhou for five days and went to Pingjiang Road twice, but I never noticed this place!
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The food was terrible. Places like Xiang Xue Hai and Xin Zhen Yuan were just mediocre.
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Perhaps it's just that our palates, being more accustomed to Northern Chinese cuisine, aren't used to it.
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I spent over 70 yuan on a tiny bag of snacks from a dessert shop on Pingjiang Road. My wallet is bleeding!
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What?! You bought snacks on Pingjiang Road? You glutton! Didn't you promise me you'd resist the snacks on Shantang Street and Pingjiang Road? Resist those dyed plums from street vendors! Resist the crab roe noodles!
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That poor driver, though. Waited in line at the train station for ages, only to finally get a 15 yuan fare to the super crowded old town, and they can't even refuse it...