Suzhou, named Wu in ancient times, is located in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Lake Taihu in the province of Jiangsu. Firstly built in 514 B.C., this city now has a history of more than 2500 years and is one of the oldest cities in China. At present, Suzhou city still situates on the original site of Suzhou in Spring and Autumn Period.
There is the Chinese old saying “In heaven there is paradise, and on earth there are Hangzhou and Suzhou". Suzhou once served as the capital of the Wu Kingdom during the Spring and Autumn Period. The long history and splendid culture of the city has left behind many attractive scenic spots and historical sites with beautiful and interesting legends. The elegant classical gardens, delicate bridges hanging over flowing waters in the drizzling rain, the beautiful lakes with undulating hills in lush green, the numerous scenic spots and historical sites, and the exquisite arts and crafts formed a charming landscape in this city.
Area Code: 0512 Zip Code: 215006 Location: northern latitude of 31 ° 19' and East longitude of 120 ° 37'. It is located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province, bordering Shanghai on the east, Zhejiang Province on the south, the Taihu Lake in the west and the Yangtze River in the north. Climate: Situated at the temperate zone and with subtropical oceanic monsoon climate, Suzhou enjoys four distinct seasons, a mild temperature and abundant rainfall. Area: 8488 km² Population: 5.91 million (2.17 in urban area) Fame: Venice of the East, Garden City
dining
Jiangsu cuisine is one of the eight famous culinary schools in China. Suzhou cuisine, as an important part of Jiangsu cuisine, stands out in almost every branch of the culinary art. It emphasizes on the use of top-quality ingredients, tender meat, fresh vegetables and care in preparation.
As a result of hundreds of years of culinary practice, Suzhou cuisine has developed a unique flavor and a famed reputation. It is always unique in color and aroma, sweet in taste and beautifully presented in shape.
The fish and vegetable dishes in Suzhou are well known throughout China, so never miss the best local dishes such as: Songshu Guiyu (Mandarin Fish), Qingtang Yuchi (braised shark's fin in a clear soup), Xiangyou Shanhu (stewed shredded eel) and Xigua Ji (young chicken buried in watermelon rind and steamed).
The best places to try for good and authentic Suzhou cuisine are on Gangzhou Road and around the middle of Renmin Road.
The snacks in Suzhou are also tasty. Try the bean curd cakes with honey, pine nuts in syrup, melon seeds fried with rose juice and sesame cake with mashed date.
shopping
With abundant specialties, Suzhou has been reputed as the land of fish and rice since the ancient times. Besides the most famous Da Zha Xie (Hairy Crabs) from Yangchenghu Lake, Biluochun Tea from Dongtinghu Lake and Huqiu Flower Tea, the Suzhou embroidery, fans, silk, the Song brocade, writing brushes and Taohua Wu wood carvings also enjoy great reputation throughout China.
With a history of more than 150 years, Guanqian Street is a famous commercial pedestrian street consisting of catering, entertainment, sightseeing and shopping. It is also a commercial, cultural, religionary and travel center with rich local color, complete traffic network, perfect infrastructure, etc. Guanqian Street is the best place for you to shop. Shops selling sports instruments, clothing, traditional food, souvenir all can be found here.
Shiquan Street is located to the north of Langcang Pavilion with a total length of 1800 meters. It is a center not only for shopping, but also for dining and nightlife. Along this street are famous hotels, gardens, antique and artwork stores and bars. It is a good place to buy silk and embroidery works, traditional style clothing, cloisonné hairpins, porcelain bowls, ceramic tea sets, fans, souvenirs and etc. Suzhou Shiquan Street now has become a far-famed characteristic street for its craftworks and restaurants.
Shilu pedestrian shopping street (Stone Road Street) is located in Jinchang District. It is paved with stone in late Qing Dynasty, hence the name. It is said it had already been very prosperous in ancient time. After the reconstruction in recent years in 2003, this area, sprinkled with large-sized musical fountains, towering trees, beautiful neon lights and clean rivers, has become a vigorous modern commercial center in Suzhou. Various international brands could be found here. The business time of the stores on Shilu Street is prolonged to 10 o'clock pm.
entertainment
In addition to the picturesque scenes, Suzhou also provides you the best choice for entertainment and recreation.
If you are nightlife fans, Shiquan Jie, where most of the night bars and pubs in Suzhou are located, is the best place for you to relax. The bars offer rock, blues and pop music, with pool, darts and other games.
If you want to find a quiet place to chat with your friend, tea houses then are the most suitable place. What kind of leisurely time it is to order a pot of tea and hobnob with your friend in the fragrance of the tea. Teahouse could be found in major streets.
For kids and young people, there are more options. Suzhou has the Chinese version of Disney World! There is no Mickey mouse here but, there is a large selection of high-tech amusement games and rides. Holiday Water world is another place worth trying and there is even a lake here where you can surf in the summer!
transportation
As a major tourist city, Suzhou is easily accessible by road or rail and also has some good boat services operating out of the city port.
Bus
Buses to Nanjing, Shanghai and other major cities are plentiful, but buses may cost slightly more than a comparable train ride for about the same amount of time. The buses to Nanjing pass through Wuxi, Changzhou and Zhenjiang and then on to Nanjing along the Shanghai-Nanjing Highway. Buses to Nanjing cost RMB80 and take about three hours. There are two long distance bus stations in Suzhou, at each end of Renmin Road.
Railway
Suzhou railway station is located in the north of the city. It has 139 trains stopping daily and is one of the busiest passenger stations in China. A train to Shanghai takes about one hour and costs between 20-50 RMB depending on the type of ticket. There are also regular trains to Nanjing and Wuxi from here.
Airplane
Suzhou Guangfu Airport is a small airport which is mainly for military use. The government of Suzhou announced in 2004 that no new international airport would be constructed in the next 5 years. Suzhou is only 88 km away from Shanghai Hongqiao Airport or 130 Km from Shanghai Pudong Airport. So if you are going to Suzhou, the best choice is to fly into Shanghai Hongqiao Airport or Pudnog airport and then take a bus or a train to Suzhou.
Taxies
Taxies in Suzhou are Santana. It charge 10 RMB for the first 3 kilometers and 1.8 RMB is charged for each additional kilometer within 5 kilometers and 2.7 RMB a kilometer beyond 5 kilometers.
Water
The city of Suzhou is along the Grand Canal and therefore accessible by boat from various cities along the canal including Beijing (Tongxian County), Shanghai, Zhenjiang (in Jiangsu Province) and Hangzhou. Although the boats traveling along the Grand Canal are not always comfortable this can be a nice way to leave the city and to arrive in Shanghai.
highlights
Biluochun Tea
Biluochun Tea is one of the ten most famous teas in China. It is famous for beautiful shape, bright color, intense aroma and mellow taste. It enjoys lofty reputations in national and foreign tea markets. The tea is quite expensive and its price range from 200 RMB to 5000 RMB for a kilogram. There are numerous tea houses around the city selling the leaves, you are recommended to buy it in state-owned stores.
Suzhou Fans
Suzhou fans have a long history and are famous at home and abroad. It mainly includes sandalwood fan, folding fan, silk palace fan and paper fan.
Looks delicate and smell fragrant, Sandalwood fan is the noblest one among all Suzhou fans. It is made of many thin slats of sandalwood held together with thread or wire, with patterns engraved on each pieces.
Folding fan is made of paper glued to slats made of wood, bamboo, and bone ivory. These are often decorated with paintings or calligraphy. In ancient times, folding fans are often the favorite of scholars. The surface of the fan is made from a very delicate rice paper. Some fans are painted with intricate pictures of scenery. Among them fans painted by famous artists often became valuable art objects.
"Gong" fans (palace fans), or silk fans are another kind of fans produced in Suzhou. Silk palace fans originated in the Song Dynasty, when silk began to be used to make palace fans. Palace fans were originally used exclusively by aristocratic ladies in the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD) and became popularity during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). They were usually ellipsoid, rectangle, hexagon, or kidney-shaped. Elegant and feminine, silk fans were always painted with landscapes, flowers and birds, human figures as well as poems. The handles of the fans are usually made from bamboo, hardwood, animal bones or ivory.
Suzhou Writing Brushes:
The special writing brush that is now associated with Suzhou actually originated in Zhejiang province and gradually became popular in Jiangsu. This "Huzhou" writing brush (as it is known), is now a specialty of Suzhou.
These brushes are used in the expert art of calligraphy. The Huzhou brush uses only the finest raw materials and expert technology in production. There are more than 300 varieties of brush, classified into six categories and each one made from a different type of hair. Goat hair, Mixed hair, Purple hair and weasel hair are just a few of the varieties available.
The type of brush also varies. Some artists prefer to use a "sharp" brush which has a cone shaped tip, others use a "round" or "robust" tip whereby the brush is elastic and flexible.
There are some gorgeous calligraphy sets available throughout China and Suzhou is a good place to purchase one. Most of the souvenir shops stock them and there are usually some at the city's Night Market near the Temple of Mystery.
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