China Itinerary Hangzhou, Wuzhen, ShangHai & Suzhou 5 Days 5 Nights ( Part 4 - Suzhou)

There is an old Chinese saying " In heaven there is paradise on earth suzhou and hangzhou " "上有天堂, 下有苏杭". Thus we decided to end our last destination in Suzhou.

Shanghai to Suzhou

Nowadays, it is very convenient for one to travel to Suzhou. With less than 30 minutes, one can reach Suzhou via high speed rail. 

Soul Hotel

We stayed in Soul hotel & thought it was value for money. Mainly because it is near to the shopping streets. - Guan Qian Street. Secondly, the hotel provide free shuttle to railway station and humble administrative garden. Email the hotel if you want the free shuttle service from the railway station. Although the hotel showed sign of age, the service staff are friendly and helpful.

Guan Qian Jie

To kick start our short trip in Suzhou, we explore Guan Qian Jie, which was located next to our hotel. There are major MNC brands such as Zara, GAP and etc. Other than that you can find local eateries such as Zhou Hei Ya -  My current obsession with Chinese braised duck. 

Anyway, the street we went is pretty much the downtown of Suzhou or the "Orchard" in Singapore.Surprisingly there are many shops that were closed down. We went into one of the mall with only 40% filled with tenant. International brands are closed. I guess business are not doing so well.

Besides the shopping malls, there are many restaurants around that area We decided to try the famous fish in Suzhou. 

We visited 松鹤楼 where the Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish/  Songshu Guiyu was famous for. & gosh i love it! It was fried but not oily. Also, It has the same sweet and sour pork sauce over the fish. Plus, they prepare the fish in a way that there are no bones! Although a little pricy, i think it is worth the price! Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish/  Songshu Guiyu can be found in most suzhou restaurant.  

Humble Administrative Garden Museum/Humble Administrative Garden

Built in 1509, the humble administrative garden was huge. Founded by scholar Wang Xian Cheng after retiring from military , He design, built, plant and nurture them whole heartedly. It took him 16 years to complete. Sadly, the garden was sold to repay off his son's gambling dad. I guess every family has their own problems and issue. 

Also, this place is listed as one of the world cultural heritage site that could not be miss in suzhou. Personally i find that this garden is unique of its own. We explore different parts of the garden and found that the small pathway in some part of the garden are pretty interesting. Such as having a small boat in its garden! Sadly, the garden, is overcrowded.


To know more about the garden, one can rent a audio device to guide you around the park. Also, before heading to this park, head over to the museum to find more about it. It is free! so be early or get ready to queue up. 

Shantang street

With its own charm, you can see many beautiful old structure along Shan Tang Jie. There are many cafes and gift shops along the streets. So go over with a empty stomach! Besides the usual tourist streets, you can find beautiful structures and small canals along the streets.  

As we walk down the streets in Suzhou, we chance upon Su Fei Yogurt with long queue. We bought one for sharing and went back for second serving simply cause H loves it! Till date, he thinks that Su Fei yogurt is the best yogurt he ever had. 

The yogurt is rich and has a smooth texture. Also, it is creamy but not overly sweet. We tried both original and Matcha. We both think they are good. Although I prefer the Matcha (of course! I'm a huge fan of Matcha) & H prefers the original!

Personally, i think Suzhou and Hangzhou are more or less pretty much the same. I wouldn't recommend traveller to combine both Hangzhou & Suzhou together. The shops and street are pretty much similar. Suzhou is a less commercialise place compare to Hangzhou and the food and things are cheaper. Also Suzhou has more garden than Hangzhou. If you are someone who love visiting garden, then Suzhou will be a perfect place for you. 

That being said, i thought that by extending our stay in Hangzhou longer would be a good idea. Then, i can visit Mt Huang for day trip. Hope these information helps! 

Till next trip!