The Beauty of Jiangnan: Nanjing and Suzhou Are Both Worth Visiting
After graduating from college and securing a stable job, I secretly made a vow to take my family on a trip every year. Making the vow was easy, but actually following through proved challenging. Either I was tied up with work, or my parents were busy—we'd never really traveled far before. This time, we finally found a break and I wanted to bring my parents south to enjoy the Jiangnan scenery.
We flew from Shenyang to Nanjing. The plane tickets this time weren't too expensive, under 700 yuan each. After landing, we rented a car for a self-drive tour. I had booked the car in advance on the eHi Car Rental platform. Having a car made getting around much more convenient and took the pressure off rushing to bus stations. We picked up the car at the airport parking lot. It was my first time using eHi, and as a new user I got a discount—first-day rental was cheaper right off the bat. Overall, the value was decent. Averaging it out per person, it was quite affordable for our family, and it definitely bumped up the comfort level.
We usually book hotels on Meituan, and that's what we did this time too. We stayed at a budget chain hotel. Since we avoided the peak Labor Day holiday rush, finding a place wasn't hard.
I was pretty pleased with our flight. Even though we took off a bit late, we still arrived on time, and the schedule was perfect. After landing, we grabbed the car and headed to the hotel for a quick rest before visiting the Presidential Palace. The Presidential Palace is one of Nanjing's landmark buildings and a must-see in the city.
At the Presidential Palace, you just scan a QR code via WeChat to buy tickets—no queuing. My parents kept marveling at how much easier everything has become with mobile payments, and they strongly suggest all scenic spots nationwide adopt scan-to-buy tickets.
A visit to the Presidential Palace is not just sightseeing; you also absorb a lot of history. I honestly don't know much about history, so this trip helped me fill some gaps. The palace grounds are huge, and you can explore them in three zones: east, central, and west. The central axis houses the most essential parts.
May is the perfect month for travel. Flowers were in full bloom in the East Garden, and Nanjing's weather was still comfortable. To tour the entire Presidential Palace thoroughly would take three to four hours, but we breezed through in just over two.
Next stop: Confucius Temple. The best time to come is late afternoon, but we arrived a bit early, so we grabbed dinner first. You have to try Nanjing's duck blood vermicelli soup, but I don't recommend eating right in the tourist area—it's pricey and the flavor is just so-so.
Qinhuai River scenery. I still remember that line of poetry: 'Smoke veils the cold waters, moonlight sifts through the willow gauze; at night we moor by Qinhuai, near wine shops.' It paints a perfect picture of Qinhuai.
Finally, we saw Qinhuai's nightscape. The lights came on, transforming the river into something else entirely. At the dock, you can take a boat ride and experience the delight of 'night-mooring by Qinhuai.'
Confucius Temple is lively at night, and the views are gorgeous—definitely come after dark. There's an Imperial Examination Museum here, which we only later found out you can visit. We didn't go in at the time.
As the ancient capital of six dynasties, Nanjing is steeped in history, and the best place to dive into that history is its museum. The Nanjing Museum, the Palace Museum in Beijing, and the National Palace Museum in Taipei are considered China's three major museums, which says a lot about its scale. I reserved tickets in advance through their official WeChat account, and when we went, it wasn't too crowded.
The first-floor thematic hall holds paleontological fossils. I'm not sure if they're real, but they drew big crowds. You rarely see fossil exhibits like this in other museums, so it was quite interesting and also perfect for kids.
The legendary jade burial suit, sewn entirely from jade pieces—the craftsmanship of ancient artisans is truly awe-inspiring.
The museum's basement level is a replica of a Republican-era street, great for photos. Even though it wasn't a holiday, there were lots of visitors that day. It's a hall with real local character.
The museum is vast. By the time we came out, it was already noon. We had a quick lunch before heading to the ancient city wall.
The city wall isn't far from the museum. There's an admission fee. I used to think only Xi'an was famous for its city walls, but after coming to Nanjing I learned there's one here too. The site wasn't crowded, and history was visible everywhere you looked.
In the afternoon, we drove to Suzhou. In the evening, we strolled around Shantang Street. It's there that I suddenly got that true Jiangnan water-town vibe. It was packed at night. Sure, these old streets can't avoid being commercialized, but the scenery is absolutely worth it.
'To come to Suzhou and skip Tiger Hill would be a lifelong regret!' Guided by Su Dongpo's famous line, our first stop in Suzhou was Tiger Hill, a historic site.
The most iconic sights at Tiger Hill are the Tiger Hill Pagoda and Sword Pool. The pagoda leans, earning it the nickname 'the Oriental Leaning Tower of Pisa.'
Behind the hill, there's a bamboo grove. The bamboo was thriving, and it brought to mind scenes from martial arts films.
Loquats were everywhere—I even saw some tourists eating them, though I had no idea if they were safe to pick.
At noon, we went back to the hotel to rest, and in the afternoon we visited the Lingering Garden. Both Lingering Garden and the Humble Administrator's Garden are masterpieces of Suzhou's classical gardens. The Lingering Garden is smaller and was originally a private garden.
Living in a garden like this would be such bliss—it's exactly how I imagined Jiangnan. There's also a whole area filled with potted plants, which are not just plants but true works of art.
In May, lotus flowers were already blooming, sporting incredibly beautiful colors.
Leaving the Lingering Garden, we went to the Gate of the East and Jinji Lake. The Gate of the East is like Shanghai's Oriental Pearl Tower or Guangzhou's Canton Tower—a city landmark. Walk through the Gate of the East and you reach Jinji Lake. There's also Suzhou Center here, the city's largest shopping mall, where you can hang out in the evening.
I was really looking forward to today's itinerary: first, the Humble Administrator's Garden, the largest garden in Suzhou, and second, that trendy, internet-famous museum. The two are right next to each other, so you can knock them out the same day. The Humble Administrator's Garden is much bigger than the Lingering Garden. Though both are exemplary Suzhou gardens, their styles differ. The Humble Administrator's Garden feels grand and stately, clearly bearing the air of a great master.
Here, square carved windows and round moon gates appear everywhere. I remember studying a text about Suzhou gardens back in school—they pursue beauty through balance and symmetry.
The garden was quite crowded. As Suzhou's flagship attraction, it's certainly a must-see. If you're pressed for time, you might just pick one between the Humble Administrator's Garden and the Lingering Garden.
A short walk from the garden is Suzhou Museum. This museum's highlight is the architecture rather than the collection. You need to book tickets in advance, either on the official website or their WeChat account.
Suzhou Museum is relatively new. Every corner reflects Suzhou's unique character—it's like a modern version of a Suzhou garden.
Besides the architecture, its collection is well worth seeing.
Coming out of the museum with time to spare, we swung by Pingjiang Road. Pingjiang Road is Suzhou's historic old street. Walking here, you'll immediately recognize the scene described as 'a small bridge, a flowing stream, and a cottage home.'
The night view along Pingjiang Road is beautiful too, but sadly we couldn't stay until dark. Around four in the afternoon, we headed to the station for our return journey. Two cities in one trip: Nanjing and Suzhou, both beautiful and both well worth visiting.
Travel Diary Contents: 1. Transport and Accommodation; 2. Day 1: Presidential Palace – Confucius Temple; 3. Day 2: Nanjing Museum – Ancient City Wall – Suzhou; 4. Day 3: Tiger Hill – Lingering Garden – Jinji Lake; 5. Day 4: Humble Administrator's Garden – Suzhou Museum – Pingjiang Road
Travel Tips: Hotel Index; Guide Index; Flight Ticket Index; Website Navigation; Tour Index; Cruise Index; Corporate Travel Index; Join Us, Partnership & Distribution; Partner Links; Corporate Gift Cards; Insurance Agency; Agency Partners; Hotel Partnerships; Destination & Scenic Spot Partnerships; More Partnership Opportunities; About Ctrip; Ctrip Highlights; Contact Us; Careers; User Agreement; Privacy Policy; Business License; Security Center; Ctrip Content Hub; Intellectual Property; Trip.com Group Algorithm Disclosure
