Travel Log: Suzhou, China

 I know it has taken me some time, but today I am posting my final China travel log! If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen that in November I took an amazing trip to China. My husband and I spent 17 days (including travel days) exploring several regions of this massive country. We visited Shanghai, Zhangjiejie National Forest Park, Tianmenshan National Forest Park, Beijing, the Great Wall of China, Xi'an, and Suzhou. Suzhou earned its nickname "the Venice of the East" due to its network of canals and bridges that run throughout the city. It also contains more than 60 gardens, is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and a popular day trip destination from Shanghai via high speed trains. That is exactly what my hubby and I did--we picked a morning and an afternoon train (approximately 30 minutes each way) and pre-booked via trip.com. Please continue reading to see more photos and details of how we spent our day in Suzhou.

Getting to Suzhou from the Shanghai Railway Station is very easy via high speed train, as there are many options throughout the day for the approximately 30 minute ride. You can book second class, first class, or business class and all are very affordable. We booked business class tickets, which had a very comfortable 2 by 1 configuration with reclining seats that you can see below. The 30 minute ride flew by and before we knew it we were at Suzhou Railway Station.

Once we arrived at Suzhou Railway Station, we booked a Didi (the Chinese version of Uber/Lyft) for a short ride to Pingjiang Road. This pedestrian road is lined with shops and restaurants and you can take your time to explore. Suzhou was founded in 514 BC and the name Suzhou was first associated with the city in 589 AD during the Sui Dynasty. This city has been an important trade hub over the years due to its many years of silk production, and it is currently both a major technology center and a historical tourist destination. We meandered our way up and back Pingjiang road, crossing back and forth over the canal via the stone bridges and checking out the various shops.

After exploring for a couple of hours, we picked a restaurant that had a lot of people sitting inside (always a good sign) to stop and have lunch. We reflected on Suzhou's history and how beautiful it is for visitors to see today. We saw so many visitors doing photoshoots in traditional Chinese dresses and makeup and I could certainly see why Suzhou is chosen for this. Many tourists also visit the Humble Administrator's Garden and the Lingering Garden, but we chose to not book timed tickets in advance and just enjoy wandering the streets along the canal.

 

After Pingjiang Road, we took a Didi to Tiger Hill to see the Yunyan Temple Pagoda. Over the course of time the pagoda has started to lean due to the foundation settling into the soil, not all that different from the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It's nickname is "the Leaning Tower of China."

By this time, it was late afternoon and time to head back to the train station to catch our train back to Shanghai. I think one day was enough time to see Suzhou's highlights, but I know some visitors like to stay overnight to be able to take their time and visit more of this historical town. If you have visited Suzhou, please leave me a comment below to tell me your favorite moments of your visit! Thank you for visiting my blog today, for bearing with me while I slowly worked through these China travel logs around my demanding day job, and I hope you have a fabulous week!