Wang Xiaoyu's Annual Travel: A Tour of Shanghai, Suzhou, and Nanjing (August 14-23, 2020)

This travelogue is divided into itinerary strategy / food / hostel recommendations / moderate sightseeing guide / eco-friendly travel / things to note (tips) / costs / interesting people / reflections:

Part 1 - Itinerary Strategy:

Overall plan: 5 days in Shanghai - 1 day in Suzhou - 3 days in Nanjing. Since I had been to Suzhou in 2017 and missed out on the Suzhou Museum queue back then, this time I mainly aimed to visit the Suzhou Museum, so the whole itinerary focused on Shanghai.

Day 1: XSPACE Fuji Imaging Public Space photo exhibition 'Middle School Students in the 1980s' - meeting up with friend Mitan - Light Space Xinhua Bookstore (Shanghai Museum wasn't successfully booked)

Day 2: Yuyuan Garden - City God Temple - Wukang Road - The Bund

Day 3: Nucleic acid test (travel story/incident 1) - rest - Lujiazui

This moment was truly touching～ Day 4: Jing'an Temple - Zhongshuge - Oriental Pearl Tower

Day 5: Cross-border e-commerce product selection fair (unexpected, thus missing the Shanghai Museum reservation)

Day 6: Suzhou Museum (exhibition: Zou Xiuying embroidery exhibition) - Eslite Bookstore

Day 7: Meeting online friends (interesting people) - old town - Xiaoshuguan (Dawn Library) - Zhonghua Gate City Wall

Day 8: Presidential Palace - Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre - night stroll in Laomendong

Day 9: China Imperial Examination Museum (Jiangnan Gongyuan) - Laomendong

Itinerary tips:

Plan your itinerary according to your needs (destination resources such as exhibitions, shows, etc.) + make sure to hit the core sights (ensure the most desired spots are visited) + consider stamina (adjust the pace accordingly).

Currently most attractions require advance reservation, especially museums need to be booked 2-3 days ahead. If not reserved, try again around 8 a.m. when tickets are released daily, there's often a chance to grab leftover tickets – best of luck with fast fingers!

Moderate sightseeing (guided commentary + careful observation): For commentary, purchase audio guide services on Ctrip + rent self-service audio devices at the attraction. Note: The Presidential Palace's device is not worth renting – it costs 20 yuan, but out of 10 points it can only recognize 2-3 along the way and can't be manually switched. You'd almost want a refund.

For similar attractions to the Oriental Pearl Tower: Shanghai Tower (with Duoyun Books inside) / Jin Mao Tower. For the Oriental Pearl Tower, I suggest going between 5-6 p.m., arriving in the late afternoon, and after an hour you'll catch the night view. The Shanghai History Museum on the first floor is something I really love – super vivid recreations of modern life scenes (with atmospheric sound effects), clear and complete visitor signage, rich and comprehensive exhibits. It's a museum I really adore.

The original draw of Wukang Road was its architecture, but when I went, no one was looking at the buildings; everyone was busy taking photos...

Compared to other museums, Suzhou Museum's highlight is its design by I.M. Pei. The architecture is truly beautiful, but I feel it has a bit less historical heft than other museums. Yet on second thought, the exhibition halls are fairly comprehensive.

What makes Eslite Bookstore special: slightly more original books from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and abroad, found in every section. Keep an eye out when browsing (I asked the staff, and they kindly pointed them out).

On the Nanjing city wall, watch out for centipedes in the grass – stay safe (a huge centipede antenna touched my arm, scared me to death!)～

I recommend Laomendong – not just for its authentic and delicious food, but more importantly, the exquisite old architecture make it well worth a visit.

The cross-border e-commerce fair at noon on Day 5 was pure coincidence. In the morning at the hostel, I ran into a trendy jewelry seller boy. After a quick chat, he was rushing off to this fair, briefly introduced it and asked if I wanted to come. I had already canceled my morning plan, spent the morning focusing on work emails and then planned to enjoy some free time before heading to the Shanghai Museum in the afternoon. After replying to emails, I suddenly thought, since I had time, why not visit the fair – especially with someone to guide me, as I love visiting trade fairs. Thanks to this interesting boy for leading the way. Also, I couldn't resist buying a few things. The exchanges at the fair really made me feel like I was back in a work atmosphere. It was so fun I extended my time and ended up missing the Shanghai Museum...

Regrets: didn't appreciate the Bund's architecture at leisure, didn't take a ferry to see the night view, didn't visit the Shanghai Museum / Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum / Nanjing Museum.

Part 2: Accommodation - Hostels:

Accommodation needs: safe, convenient, clean, hygienic / meet interesting people / strong interactivity and inclusiveness in common areas, so hostels were my first choice.

Shanghai: Shanghai Duoyuan Youth Hostel 4-bed dorm for 3 nights ¥308 - Shanghai Laoshanshe Hostel 4-person and single room for 2 nights (¥86 + ¥186)

Suzhou: Suzhou Together Wetland Xiaolu Youth Hostel 1 night ¥61 (travel story/incident 2)

Nanjing: A Forest (Nanjing Fuzimiao) 4-bed dorm for 3 nights ¥270

Since Shanghai's attractions are relatively close to each other and all within 1 hour of the airport/high-speed train stations, a location near The Bund (convenient) is sufficient. Both Shanghai hostels are near The Bund, within walking distance, with many delicious food spots nearby. Booked two different places mainly to experience different hostel atmospheres and cultures.

Duoyuan: Even closer to The Bund, more convenient transport. The study area has floor-to-ceiling windows and a row of desks with books, perfect for morning/evening study or work, strong study vibe (people preparing for civil service exams, finishing theses, etc.), comfortable view. The 4-bed room window is a thick transparent glass, lying down morning or evening you can enjoy the view, with pull curtain (downside: ventilation could be better). The common area bustles with board games like Werewolf (I, who left early and returned late, didn't join in). Overall vibe: youthful.

Laoshanshe: Foreign guests accepted (met friendly foreign friends), clean, warm staff. On the 5th floor, there's a terrace for sips and chats, with morning/evening breezes, surrounded by a flower fence, delightful. The 5th floor also has a small study activity room, and a pool table. On the staircase walls from 3rd to 5th floors, there are many traveler messages (in multiple languages) / drawings, full of stories and moods. Mostly people working. Walkable to Shanghai Museum. Overall vibe: mature (in terms of guests' mindset/age).

Xiaolu: Conveniently located near Suzhou Museum and the Humble Administrator's Garden, about 15-minute walk. Nearby good and reasonably priced restaurants. The environment is clean and artsy (white walls, simple and elegant font decorations, the first-floor lobby great for work/study, also a projection relaxation area with bean bags). Two floors, and outside the rooms on the 2nd floor there are desks for study/work. Both sides of the corridor have washrooms (one side's mirror design is quite artistic). Note: Based on my personal experience, I encountered a pickup attempt and minor harassment (travel story/incident 2).

A Forest: Extremely clean and hygienic, good toiletries (praised by many). Common area decorated in refreshing greens, outside the common area there's a sofa and coffee table for chatting, with a river on the other side of the railing – not sure if it's the Qinhuai River. The morning and evening scenery is beautiful, the sound of water very relaxing. The opposite bank is residential (the street is riverside-style buildings). Between 8-9 am, tourist boats come and go on the river. Warm staff. Many first-time hostel-goers (like my two roommates～). Age span of guests is wide, including families with kids, but not noisy. Great atmosphere; people smile at each other when they meet. A few friends I made here and added on WeChat. A gain～ There are also people using computers for study/work. I liked it. In the morning there are porridge and toast; in the evening, the front desk handsome guy or pretty girl sometimes cook as well. Overall staying experience: comfortable, gentle, and caring. The terrace is perfect for calming down and reflecting.

Hostel tips: Even after checking out, most hostels will store your luggage, convenient for picking up after a day of sightseeing.

Hostels are inevitably a mixed bag, though not to the point of safety concerns, but girls should have preventive awareness: some hostels may have harassing advances (you can ask/inquire about past situations before checking in to avoid bad experiences).

If you have a relaxed itinerary and want to focus on the hostel experience, I suggest doing a little research on how to make the most of hostels, utilizing the platform and interactivity. Also, if you have good tips, please share～

Part 3 - Food + No Waste:

Principle: Nearby highly-rated restaurants. Tools/methods: Apps / asking people.

Shanghai: Popeyes - Dahuchun Shengjianbao - Xinbailu Aegean Sea branch - Xiaoyang Shengjian (chain) - Sanmalu Restaurant - Xiaoshaoxing - Dongsanfa Cha Chaan Teng

Suzhou: Xiaoyuanlou - Yongfeng Shiji (Eslite)

Nanjing: Xiaoli Tangbao - Jiangnanli - Zhuhongxing - Guanfanguan - Laomendong

Popeyes: Recommended by friend Xiaomi, Shanghai's first Popeyes. The secret recipe bone-in chicken is really juicy and tasty～

Sanmalu Restaurant: Shanghainese cuisine. I only ordered the signature sizzling plate bass. When they saw I only ordered one dish, they asked how many. I said "one," and they nicely stopped asking, no discrimination haha, delicious～ I ate it all.

Xiaoshaoxing: Truly full of local uncles and aunties, crowded in the morning. I sat alone at a 3-person table, then offered a seat to a couple and shared the table. The auntie insisted on me trying her white-cut chicken (saying "Auntie likes you yo," haha, thanks Auntie～) A beautiful start to the day～

Dongsanfa Cha Chaan Teng: So many people, always queuing, but the food is really delicious～ Worth it～

Xiaoyuanlou: Affordable and delicious～

Yongfeng Shiji: The braised pork rice is truly divine – the best I've ever had (maybe I haven't had many though, hehe). The salt and pepper chicken was average.

Xiaoli Tangbao: Duck blood vermicelli soup / soup dumplings / shaomai / wontons (treated by two very nice friends～ yum～) Felt energized after eating～

Jiangnanli: Inside a mall, elegant and comfortable environment. The fish soup was good, and the bacon baked potato was excellent～

Zhuhongxing: Signature Three Shrimp Noodles (to this northerner, the main feature was its lightness). The shrimp was fresh, and the noodles had a slightly firm texture～

Guanfanguan: A combo of private home cooking and a quiet bar, with a rooftop terrace. Went with friends, great experience. Dishes a bit pricey but very tasty, and there are cats～

Laomendong: You'd really regret not going. Check the recommended ranking and try everything～ There's a tourist center (restrooms / cultural promotion / cultural relic exhibition) very thoughtful. I asked about souvenir food choices, learned that Laomendong has time-honored brands, compared to Fuzimiao which is more comprehensive, each shop specializes in one type of food. Recommended jasmine flower pastries / salted duck – truly delicious, no more worrying about gifts for everyone～

Part 4 - Interesting People: Before the trip, I consulted some friends in Shanghai. Big thanks to @wuli Mitan @Xiaoxiao Ditianyu @Huangshanxing Ling Ayi @archaeologist Ye Long.

During the journey: Peng, who I met at the hostel about to start grad school / Wan, chatting at the hostel / the girl who helped take photos at Oriental Pearl Tower / the cute Qingquan / nice Yanning / the trendy shop seller boy who took me to the fair / nice Erye who shared Nanjing food and sights / the Yunnan hanfu beauty on her first hostel stay.

Super super nice Xinran (my photo-taking angel), who went out with me to stroll around and eat at night, wonderful experience and memory, thank you～

Wuli Mitan, who gave thoughtful tips before I came about which apps to download, hung out with me, chatted, shared life, helped take photos, visited bookstores with me, and brought a little gift, thank you～

Very very happy and grateful to Aquun and Xiaozai for agreeing to meet offline, treating me to breakfast, bringing a small cake to celebrate my early birthday, sincerely sharing recent updates of the public account I love, as well as their work, quietly walking with me through the old city alleys to see old buildings and former residences of famous people, leading me to the entrance of Xiaoshuguan (a truly unexpected treasure), giving me a video tape, and lending me a tourism annual pass. Where can you find such nice people? I will continue to follow this team and public account, thank you～

Part 5 - Costs:

According to the expense tracking app, this trip cost about ¥5600 in total. The biggest part was shopping/gifts (including a massive splurge on two bags for ¥1138), followed by transport, accommodation, meals, tickets, etc.

Tickets took a tiny share, mostly museums with no admission fee, the most expensive single ticket was the Oriental Pearl Tower at ¥196.

Shopping + gifts: around ¥1800.

Transport: total ¥1324. Flight to Shanghai ¥478 - high-speed train back ¥443. Shanghai-Suzhou-Nanjing high-speed train total ¥140 (using: zhixinghuohcewang, cheaper tickets). In-city DiDi taxis ¥263 (greedy Xiaowang packed the itinerary quite full, walked a lot, so when tired I'd hail a ride).

Accommodation: 9 days total ¥911.55, using app: qunaerwang (relatively cheaper).

Food total: around ¥900.

Keep track with an expense app in real time for easy travel recall.

Regularly used mini-programs organized in floating windows.

Part 6 - Summary & Reflections:

When busy, be serious; when playing, play openly – enjoy every moment.

Decide quickly, don't hesitate, seize your time and rescue yourself from procrastination, half the effort double the result.

No one can tell you how to arrange your day or where your future should go. Observe, listen, think more, find your own path, keep forging ahead, and regularly review and adjust.

Focus, without distraction, only then can you gain something. The wildflowers by the roadside indeed cannot be picked.

Give and take, prioritize the main things, give up what must be given up.

Remember to leave yourself some relaxed free time; unexpected gains may come.

Strive for what you want to do, like my offline meetup～

End of the motivational talk. Another reminder to myself: really make that reading list and start reading properly & learn to ride a bike～

Don't judge, observe calmly.

If you have any questions or curiosity, feel free to leave a comment (feel free to ask about travel stories/incidents too; I've already written them but they're a bit long-winded so I didn't include them), I'll reply when I see it. Also, I don't appreciate excessive judging.