Dragon Boat Fest in Suzhou | The ULTIMATE Lazy Guide! 🛶

[Jesse Paucek]

Hello, friends planning a trip to Suzhou! Take a look at my itinerary and experiences; I hope they can help you!

My Two-Day Itinerary

• Day 1: Suzhou Museum → Humble Administrator’s Garden → Pingjiang Road → Guanqian Street → Qili Tang
  • Mini Explanation: This route includes nearly all of the most famous classical gardens, museums, and historical districts in Suzhou. Your legs might be quite tired on the first day, but it will be well worth it!
• Day 2: Xinminqiao Market → Hanshan Temple → Xiyuan Temple → Eslite Bookstore → Orient Gate → Jinjia Lake
  • Mini Explanation: The second day is all about experiencing Suzhou's local life, temple culture, and finally, a taste of modern Suzhou.

How to travel around Suzhou comfortably? — My Travel Tips

• There're quite a few dispersed attractions in the city, so taking the subway would certainly be one choice; however, I recommend renting a small electric scooter instead! Rounding around Suzhou's streets and alleys on it truly gives a feeling of autonomy and much more ease than waiting for buses or squeezing into the subway!

Where to Stay? — My Accommodation Ramble

• Near Pingjiang Road:
  • There're so many sights here, it's very convenient wherever you go. Pingjiang Road itself is a street brimming with flavor, walking along the riverbank feels like stepping back into time.
• Near Guanqian Street:
  • Why not choose here if you want things done quickly! There're foods, accommodations, amusements of all kinds and it's near Metro Line 1, 4, and 6, a true traffic hub.

These Sites in Suzhou—Not Visiting Means Just Wasting Your Trip! — My Must-Visit recommendations

• Humble Administrator’s Garden Around 80 RMB in ticket fee
  • One of the four most famous classical gardens in China! Each step in here features the beauty of classical Chinese garden, extremely elegant!
• Suzhou Museum Free!
  • ️ Important Note: This place is really popular, so make sure to book at least one week ahead of time at official platforms! It's one of Suzhou's cultural icons, every picture is worth a thousand words. Suggested early arrival—there're fewer people!
• Pingjiang Road Free!
  • This is what most people imagine "Waterside Southern City" – ancient residential buildings with white walls and black tiles, water gently winding under the bridge, brimming with old Suzhou life vibes.
• Hanshan Temple Around 20 RMB in ticket fee
  • Remember the line, “the sound of the Zhong bells in Hanshan Temple, heard from passengers aboard boats in the middle of night” from Tang Dynasty poetry? That place right there! As one of the top ten temples in China, the cultural heritage is super rich!
• Xiyuan Temple Super cheap, around 5 RMB
  • Surprise! This place is full of cute kittens! You ought to try the vegetarian dumplings and hot steamed vegetarian buns in the monastery as well—amazing taste!
• Orient Gate No fee outside!
  • One iconic modern building of Suzhou. Locals joked that its appearance resembles a "big thongs"! It’s right near Suzhou Center—the largest shopping center downtown Suzhou.
• Jinjia Lake Free!
  • The sunsets here are unbelievably gorgeous! There’s a famous "Big Frame" sculpture nearby, so don't forget to take a photo there!
• Eslite Bookstore Free admission
  • Certain to be loved by literary youth! It’s filled with design sensibility and book aura.
• Guanqian Street Free to ramble!
  • This street has a wide variety of Suzhou-style delicacies, and there're many booths selling creative trinkets, from which you can find quite a few treasures.
• Qili Tang Free to ramble!
  • Buildings with a traditional aesthetic, evening illuminations bring it truly alive. Boats slowly float through the river, extra feeling. If you have traditional ancient Chinese clothing (Hanfu), this place is perfect for taking photos!

These Dishes in Suzhou, I recommend on behalf of you! — My Culinary Privilege Recommendations

• Qiji Hu Yujiayue (Fish Village)
  • This restaurant has been open for 15 years, loved by the locals, authentic taste! During May to August, you can enjoy fresh "Small June Yellow" (a kind of small crab), stir-fried crab in batter, and crayfish from Yangcheng Lake. Whatever dishes you choose, you won’t be disappointed!
• Suyaxing · Wenzun Suzhou-Style Noodle Restaurant
  • This restaurant is just near the Humble Administrator's Garden—walk for less than 3 minutes! Truly embodies flavors of Suzhou's taste. I strongly recommend their Three-Shrimp Noodles (using shrimp meat, shrimp caviar, and shrimp brain) and Crab Meat Shrimp Noodles! Sweets are good too—the taro mantou and small green rice cake (a green rice porridge) are cool!
• Guanqian Street Zhangji Dapaidang
  • This must be eaten if you visit Guanqian Street! Chicken Claw Bullfrog Tripe Pot is great! The chicken claw braising is specially soft for disintegration, and the bullfrog flesh is fresh and tender with flavor. Spicy and grilled fish is a must try as well! The price of their stir-fries isn’t expensive either; just dozens of RMB per person will make you feel content!
• Paper Skin Egg Yolk Dumplings
  • This dumpling has thin skin like paper and generous stuffing, with a salted egg yolk in the middle. Super flavorful, just eating one leaves you extremely content!

Hope my sharing is useful! Have fun!