As the first and only National Cultural and Historical Protection Area,the original Suzhou Old Town is well preserved,with buildings no higher than 24 meters and the thousand-yeat-old cultural inheritance lively in the local life. So why not stop here liketime itself? To experience the hustle and bustle from the busy morning markets, the ancient music and songsin the air, the cobbly alleys and streets, the vibrant nightlife, and the peace and quiet that slows life down.
Local Markets
How does the Suzhounese start a day? Let's go to the local markets to find out! While the fresh vegetables are dotted with morning dews, the bickering and bargains spice life up.What a tasteful life! What a paradise forfood!
Shuangta Fair Trade Market 双塔市集
The Shuangta Fair Trade Market spells fashion and romance.Modernized from an old grocery market, the design ofthe new market is full of the cultural elements of Suzhou, which shows the warmth of local life.You can taste the traditional Suzhou cuisine while enjoying the fashion and beauty of the city.
Floor 1,2 Shijiang Long, Gusu District(Near 4 Dinghuisi Alley)
Fengmen Cross Street 葑门横街
The Fengmen Cross Street 700-meter long boasts of the original taste of Suzhou. In the lively and bustling atmosphere, you can feel the traditionof devouring seasonal food.
307 Fengmen Road,Gusu District
Tea Houses &Pingtan
Tea houses are hamlets of peace and quiet amidst bustling Suzhou.There,you'll see local elders gathered to enjoy the old art of Pingtan,a unique blend of storytell- ing and ballad singing that will take you through the ages.
Cai Zhi Zhai Pingtan Tea House 采芝斋评弹茶馆
Cai Zhi Zhai is a time-honored tea house that offers tea, sweets, traditional melodies and relaxation. Its rattan chairs, tiny roundtables and pavilion-like structures are a sight straight out of ancient China.You'll love it!
91 Guanqian Street,Gusu District
Guangyu Theater 光裕书厅
Neatly nestled in the heart of the city, Guangyu Theater beckons from afar all who enjoy the fine arts of Pingtan and Shuochang. Don't let the lyrics turn you away, the words spoken here are that of universal beauty.
8 Number One Tian Gate,Gong Alley,Gusu District
Pingjiang Quyuan 平江曲苑
Situated on the bank of the Pingjiang river, Quyuan,or Music Garden, will regale tea and Pingtan lovers. You will be overwhelmed by the realization that life is just great in Suzhou.
60 East Baita Road,Gusu District
Along Streets &Alleys
With the air of life and history woven into its criss-crossing streets and alleys, let's go and find a different Suzhou in the intriguing stories told by ancient walls and sunbathed flagstones.
Pingjiang Road 平江路
Paralleling the ancient PingjiangRiver, thePingjiang Road shows two shades of life. While peace and quiet are whispered through ancient stone bridges and paint-striped walls, the hustle and bustle are echoed by worn cobblestones and boats coming and going. You maybe surprised how such acontrast co-exists. Life goes on, undisturbed by the passing of time.
GunxiufangAlley 滚绣坊
Although the 400-meter street may appear humble, it used to be the home of many famous people in history. Here you can find the relics of the Wu's Mansion, the Ye Shengtao House, the Gu's Mansion, and the Palace of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, with one story at a step.
Wusa Road 五卅路
With plane trees lining its sides, Wusa Road is shaded with an air of romance, green in the summer, golden with the autumn wind. The north end of the road shoulders Tongdeli and Tongyili, the two Shikumen-style western alleys, overlooking each other as time goes by.
Dinghui Alley 定慧寺巷
The Alley of Dinghui Temple is no more than 300 meters long, but it is the best collector boasting of its treasures. Here you can find temples from the Tang Dynasty (618-907), bridges from the Five Dynasties period (907-960), and towers from the Song Dynasty (960-1279). With the Dinghui Temple repeatedly rebuilt on ruins, only its two ginkgo trees are still vibrant with life-a pair of living witnesses of changing dynasties as hundreds of years passed.
Yeiia Lane 叶家弄
Yejia Lane is a water alley rich with Suzhou characteristics.With green trees lining the banks,what a pleasure taking a walk here! Across the bridges over the river,you can feel a sense of vicissitudes.Conspicuously, the Shouxing Bridge is the only Wukang stone arch bridge,witnessing the passing of time ever since the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
Night of Old Town
When the city lights up beneath the velvet night sky, the scenery of the Old Town is ever more spellbound. The night fall will bring you closer to the Old Town, showing you its glamour that lasts for 2500 years.
The Painted Boat of Shantang Street 山塘画舫
Woven in lights and shadow, Shantang Street at nightfall comes with activities and the sound of splashing oars. So why not take a seat in the painted boat, enchanted by the bamboo andstring music, lulled by the gentle waves. What ajourney back to thousands of years ago!
Guxitai Pier,Shantang Street,Gusu District
Kaiming Theatre 开明大戏院
Located on Guanqian Street, the Kaiming Theatre was built in 1927. With the retro charm in is architecture, it is ever more glamorous when lights are weaving under an ocean of stars. Many famous opera artists used to perform here, such as Mei Lanfang and Ma Lianliang. What about immersing yourself in an opera performance here, which will make your visit worthwhile?
11 Beiju,Guanqian Street,Gusu District
Night Tour at Humble Administrator's Garden 拙政问雅
How about taking a ride on the time machine? The advanced light-and-shadow technology of the grand ancient garden will certainly make it come true. When you walk in the Humble Administrator's Garden at night, the light and shadow will bring you to the ancient literati life, like reality like dreams, beautiful and romantic.
178 DongbeiStreet,Gusu District
Guanqian Street 观前街
Located in the Center of Suzhou, Guanqian Street takes pride in its long history and numerous shops. However, while time-honored brands have long preserved traditional culture and customs, new fashions emerge from high-end shopping malls and specialty stores. With the cheerfulness bubbling from the stalls of trendy markets, why not pause and enjoy the clash of tradition and modernity?
Gusu District,with Lindun Road(CufangBridge)at the starting pointin theeast andendsin Renmin Road (Chayuanchang)in the west
Suzhou Kunqu Theatre,Jiangsu (Kunqu Opera Academy 江苏省苏州昆剧院(昆曲传习所)
This is not only a place for the Kunqu opera performance to thrive, but also an encyclopedic exhibition of ancient arts. Here is the place for the master-class live performances of Kunqu opera, which allows you to appreciate the opera in multiple dimensions, such as costumes, makeup, and musical instruments.
9 Xiaochangqiao Road,Gusu District
