Jiangsu’s Water Charm: Slow Travel in Suzhou – Gardens, Museums, Historic Streets and Temples… Embracing the Suzhou Good Life
“Heaven above, Suzhou and Hangzhou below.”
Now that you’ve come down to earth, you simply must visit Suzhou!
Walk Pingjiang Road, feel the evening breeze on Shantang Street. Eat some crab roe soup dumplings, nibble on braised chicken feet, wander through Suzhou gardens, check out all the major Suzhou museums, listen to Pingtan storytelling, watch a Kunqu opera performance… soak up the slow, beautiful life of Gusu.
On my three-day trip to this “paradise on earth,”
I strolled several historic cultural streets: Pingjiang Road and Seven-Li Shantang;
I explored several Suzhou gardens: Lion Grove Garden, Garden of Pleasure (Yi Yuan), Garden of Cultivation (Yi Pu), Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty (Huanxiu Shanzhuang), and Couple’s Retreat Garden (Ou Yuan);
I visited multiple museums: Suzhou Museum, Suzhou Silk Museum, Pingtan Museum, and Kunqu Opera Museum;
I also went to Xiyuan Temple to pray and stopped by the Shuangta Market to try trendy local snacks…
Traveling in Suzhou, it felt as if time had suddenly slowed down.
The May Day holiday is just around the corner.
Why not bring my Suzhou travel guide along
and set off on a Suzhou-style slow-living journey!
A 3-minute video, “Suzhou Slow Travel Diary,”
lets you join me in savoring Suzhou’s easy pace of life.
1. Exploring Suzhou’s Historic Cultural Streets: Pingjiang Road + Seven-Li Shantang
Where should I begin my Suzhou story?
Over three days, my friends and I wandered quite a few old streets, mainly Pingjiang Road and Seven-Li Shantang. Both were bustling with crowds and packed with local specialties, running alongside canals with many little bridges and stone spans over flowing water. If you ask me which is better, Pingjiang Road or Shantang? Kids might have to choose, but we… we simply explored both!
1.1 Pingjiang Historic Block
The “Suzhou-style slow life” I remember is probably that breezy, sun-warmed afternoon: after a hearty lunch of crab roe soup dumplings, shrimp wontons, and braised chicken feet at a famous eatery on Pingjiang Road, I immediately followed up with a visit to a trendy marinated-food shop. Then, with a friend, I sat lazily on a stone pier by the canal, listening to a boatwoman on a sculling boat sing “What a Beautiful Jasmine Flower, fragrant and lovely, its branches full of blooms, so white and sweet, everyone admires…” In my hand were the duck feet and wings I’d just bought from that trendy shop, and I hummed along: “What a tasty braised duck foot, skin springy, meat chewy, so full of bite, so fragrant and spicy, everyone admires…”
Small bridges, flowing water, and stone bridges are one of the main sights along Pingjiang Road.
The main street can be teeming with visitors, so why not hop on a sculling boat and cruise the canals? Listening to the boatwoman sing folk songs while drifting through the waterways is a leisurely delight…
Pingjiang Road is the best-preserved and largest historic district in Suzhou, a true microcosm of the ancient city.
Today, the Pingjiang Historic Block still largely retains its original “dual chessboard” layout of parallel canals and roads, and its unique style of “small bridges over flowing water, white walls and dark tiles.” It is also rich in historical relics and cultural landscapes. Beyond wandering the lanes, you can visit the Pingtan Museum, the Kunqu Opera Museum, and the World Heritage site, Couple’s Retreat Garden (Ou Yuan) – I’ll write more about these in the museum section below.
There are plenty of trendy restaurants in the district, each a must-photo spot for tourists.
Passing one Suzhou-cuisine restaurant, even the interior decor has an ancient style.
Another trendy spot I passed had a particularly eye-catching ceiling covered with bamboo lanterns.
When the lanterns light up at dusk, the night views here are simply stunning.
Enjoying Suzhou dishes while listening to Pingtan storytelling – that’s truly savoring the Suzhou good life!
Pingjiang Historic Block can be explored from day into night. During the day it’s very crowded, but after the peak hours, when the lanes grow quiet and the night views unfold, it becomes more and more beautiful!
1.2 Seven-Li Shantang
Shantang Street stretches from Changmen Gate in the east to Tiger Hill in the west, about 3,600 meters long, roughly seven Chinese miles, hence the saying “Seven-Li Shantang to Tiger Hill.”
During the Tang Dynasty, Bai Juyi, then governor of Suzhou, dredged the river northwest of the city, creating the Shantang River. The ancient street built alongside the river is called Shantang Street, lined with old buildings mostly from the late Qing and Republican periods. These are compound-style structures with multiple courtyards, arranged longitudinally and transversely.
When you come to Shantang Street, a boat ride is a must. At the pier, board a traditional-style boat, take in the beauty of the old buildings on both banks, while the strains of Suzhou Pingtan drift from nearby teahouses.
Seven-Li Shantang is packed with shops: cheongsam stores, Hanfu shops, silk boutiques, fan stores, noodle houses, trendy snack joints… after a full round, you’re bound to find something you like.
When in Suzhou, Shantang Street is well worth a visit!
2. Suzhou Gardens
How can you come to Suzhou without exploring its gardens?
Suzhou is known as the “City of Gardens.” Private gardens here date back to the 6th century BC. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, there were over 170 gardens inside and outside the city; about 50 remain today. The classical gardens of Suzhou, epitomized by the Humble Administrator’s Garden and the Lingering Garden, are celebrated for “recreating nature within a tiny space,” and represent the pinnacle of Chinese garden culture.
In 1997, four classical gardens – the Humble Administrator’s Garden, Lingering Garden, Master-of-Nets Garden, and Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty – were inscribed on the World Heritage list. In 2000, five more – Canglang Pavilion, Lion Grove Garden, Couple’s Retreat Garden, Garden of Cultivation, and Retreat & Reflection Garden – were added as an extension.
With only three days in Suzhou, I couldn’t visit them all. I’d been to the Humble Administrator’s Garden and Lingering Garden long ago, so this time I focused on Lion Grove Garden, Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty, Couple’s Retreat Garden, and Garden of Cultivation (Yi Pu)…
2.1 Lion Grove Garden
Emperor Qianlong toured Lion Grove Garden six times – clearly, it’s very charming!
In this season of blooming wisteria, my garden journey began right here…
Lion Grove Garden is in the northeastern part of Suzhou. It’s named for the many rock formations resembling lions. Built in 1342 during the Yuan Dynasty, it is one of the classic examples of Chinese private gardens and one of Suzhou’s four most famous gardens. It’s also a World Heritage site, a national key cultural relic protection unit, and a national AAAA tourist attraction.
The garden is famous for its rockeries, the only surviving large-scale rockery complex from classical Chinese gardens, and holds great historical and artistic value. The rockery has undulating peaks, bizarre stones, nine different routes, and 21 cave openings. Its horizontal paths wind tortuously, while vertically it twists and turns in a continuous loop.
The Hall of Peace and Happiness (Yanyu Tang) takes its name from a poem in the Book of Songs, meaning “feast and be happy, without end.” It was the main hall, originally used by the garden’s owner to entertain guests. This is a famous “mandarin duck hall” – a split hall design – in Suzhou gardens. On the beams, three immortals and a child represent the auspicious blessing of a lucky star shining overhead.
Colored glass is embedded in many doors and windows here – a delightful feature.
Though the rockeries are not high, they wind through caves and hollows with breathtaking intricacy. Though the pond is not deep, it twists and turns with layered depth, waterfalls and springs half-hidden among the plants. Most of the ancient buildings retain their Yuan Dynasty style, making it a representative Yuan-era garden. The rockery is the masterpiece: caves twist, strange stones stand like a forest, and the pond encircles it all.
The Lion Grove rockery is one of the most complex and winding in Chinese gardens. It uses “penetrable, hollow, slender, and wrinkled” Taihu Lake stones. Stone peaks and stalagmites rise above, with old trees and cypresses growing from the crevices, vines and creepers hanging down.
Through simulating human, lion, and beast forms linked to Buddhist tales, the rockery embodies Buddhist principles, creating a sacred atmosphere. The cave design doesn’t simply imitate nature; it adopts a labyrinthine approach. In the eastern part, all rocks are Taihu Lake stones, with the lion’s seat from Buddhist scriptures as the motif, abstracted and exaggerated. The rockery has three levels – upper, middle, and lower – 21 caves, and nine winding paths. At the top, stone peaks have names like “Embracing the Sun,” “Spitting Red,” “Jade Upright,” “Soaring Clouds,” and “Lion,” each with its own posture. Ancient pines and cypresses lend a rugged charm.
Lion Grove Garden has a clear theme, rich depth, and distinct personality. The rockery caves show masterful craftsmanship, and every blade of grass exudes a special charm.
It’s full of rockeries, flowers, pavilions, terraces, towers, and windows along the corridors. The windows are carved with delicate openwork or geometric patterns. Every corner of a Suzhou garden pursues pictorial beauty; looking through a window at the scenery is like viewing a painting.
Suggested visiting order: Hall of Peace and Happiness – Small Square Hall – Pointing at Cypresses Hall – Ancient Five-Pines Hall – Lake View Pavilion – Flower Basket Hall – True Delight Pavilion – Stone Boat – Hidden Fragrance Pavilion – Flying Waterfall Pavilion – Plum Fragrance Pavilion – Double Incense Pavilion – Fan Pavilion – Wen Tianxiang Stele Pavilion – Imperial Stele Pavilion – Bamboo Cultivation Pavilion – Snow-decorated Hall – exit. At the exit, you can also buy lion-shaped or garden-themed trendy ice cream – don’t forget to take a souvenir photo!
2.2 Garden of Cultivation (Yi Pu)
Yi Pu is at No. 5 Wenya Nong, inside Changmen Gate, Suzhou. Built in the Ming Dynasty, it was once called “Zuìyǐng Táng,” “Yào Pǔ,” and “Jìngtíng Shānfáng,” and was renamed Yi Pu in the early Qing. The garden is charming, with a simple, rustic style, and retains much of its original layout. It has high historical and artistic value.
April roses – I arrived at Yi Pu just as the roses were in full bloom.
By mid-April, the wisteria was also blooming profusely.
My travel companions and I took photos beneath the rockeries and the wisteria.
Suzhou gardens pay great attention to the pictorial beauty of every nook and cranny. A round archway flanked by a few maple trees and green shrubs creates layered colors and depth. The walls are draped with ivy or roses; even the smallest corner offers an aesthetic treat.
For a photography enthusiast like me, every corner is a perfect shot. Especially these round archways: when a lovely girl stands there, she looks like a painting on a Suzhou embroidered palm-leaf fan.
The doors and windows in Suzhou gardens – their design and carving are masterpieces of arts and crafts. Broadly speaking, they are meticulously elegant without being vulgar, and even the simplest ones show great ingenuity. Even a plain rectangular window without elaborate carving, when framed by a clump of bamboo, becomes exceptionally graceful, enhancing the overall composition. Add a couple of lines of poetry, and the mood becomes even more profound.
Yi Pu covers about 3,800 square meters, with a pond at its heart taking up about one-fifth of the area. Two water bays extend from the southeast and southwest corners, each crossed by a differently shaped stone bridge. North of the pond stands the main hall, the Hall of Erudition and Elegance, with other buildings. To its south is a small courtyard with a Taihu Lake stone flower terrace; at the southern edge of the courtyard, a five-bay waterside pavilion overlooks the pond. Its side rooms connect to those on the east and west wings. South of the pond, a man-made hill of earth mixed with Taihu Lake stone forms cliffs and perilous paths, the garden’s main focal point. East of the pond is the Ming-dynasty “Ruyu Pavilion” (Milkfish Pavilion), linked by paths. To the west, the “Qinlu” courtyard is separated from yet connected to the rest of the garden by a moon gate.
Entering the courtyard, you see a small pool that seems to connect with the larger pond – the only one of its kind in Suzhou gardens.
Yi Pu’s combination of pond, stone paths, and cliffs follows nature while striving to surpass it, a layout technique favored by Ming and Qing garden designers in Suzhou.
In 2000, Canglang Pavilion, Lion Grove Garden, Couple’s Retreat Garden, Yi Pu, and Retreat & Reflection Garden were added to the World Heritage list. A stone stele marking “World Cultural Heritage” can be seen at the entrance.
At that time, the maple forest was gradually turning color, the multi-hued leaves another highlight worth savoring.
2.3 Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty (Huanxiu Shanzhuang)
Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty, at 262 Jingde Road, Suzhou, was originally the site of the Five Dynasties’ Golden Valley Garden of the Qian family. After several changes of hands and expansions, it was renamed Huanxiu Shanzhuang in the Daoguang era of the Qing, also known as Yi Yuan. It is small, barely one mu (about 667 m²), and without external scenery to borrow, the garden designer skillfully miniaturized the landscape by stacking stones to create this famous garden.
In 1997, along with the Humble Administrator’s Garden, Lingering Garden, and Master-of-Nets Garden, this garden became a World Heritage site. A “World Heritage” stele stands inside.
The garden’s scenery is dominated by the rockery, supplemented by the pond, with few buildings. Small yet imposing, it makes a strong impression.
During the Qianlong reign, the master rockery builder Ge Yuliang created this rockery on less than half a mu. The main peak rises abruptly in the southeast, while a secondary peak bows in courtesy to the northwest, with the pond encircling and green trees dappling the scene.
The rockery features perilous paths, caves, secluded valleys, stone cliffs, flying bridges, and sheer walls, a varied realm as if wrought by nature. The main peak is 7.2 m high, the ravine is 12 m long, and the winding path stretches over 60 m, twisting up and down.
Ge’s rockery style uses the “great axe-cut” technique, concise and vigorous, tightly structured, well-ordered, seemingly heaven-made, earning renown as “unrivaled in Jiangnan.”
Around the main hall are planted red maples, pines, cypresses, crape myrtles, magnolias… the planting and pruning in Suzhou gardens are also done with a painterly eye. Tall and low trees create a rhythmic composition. Deciduous and evergreen trees are mixed, as are plants that bloom in different seasons, ensuring the garden is never lonely year-round.
The rich variety of plants adds vitality and depth to the rockery-pond-architecture ensemble. For me, a photography lover, such an exquisite landscape is a perfect setting – whether shooting landscapes or pretty girls!
2.4 Garden of Pleasure (Yi Yuan)
Leaving Huanxiu Shanzhuang, after a dozen minutes’ walk and a few turns, I arrived at Yi Yuan. The streets along the way were bustling; entering this “hidden in the city” garden felt like stepping into a paradise. Yi Yuan, a classical Suzhou garden, takes its name from a phrase in the Analects meaning “brothers in harmony.” Built during the Guangxu reign of the Qing, the garden is divided into east and west sections. The west part was once an ancestral hall, while the south leads to a residence. A double corridor divides east and west. The eastern section is dominated by buildings, with courtyards dotted with Taihu Lake stones and flowers. In the west, a central pool is surrounded by rockeries, plants, and buildings. Since it was built relatively late, it absorbed the strengths of many other gardens: its double corridor mimics Canglang Pavilion, the pool emulates Master-of-Nets Garden, the rockery learns from Huanxiu Shanzhuang, the grottoes imitate Lion Grove, and the dry boat copies the Humble Administrator’s Garden. The layout is natural, the pavilions, waterside gazebos, corridors, and boats are small and elegant, and the hills, pond, and plants are graceful and refreshing – a masterpiece among gardens.
Upon first entering Yi Yuan, I saw a large white hydrangea (Annabelle) in full bloom, so dreamy!
Stepping inside felt like entering a fairyland, soothing and delightful.
Visiting Suzhou gardens, you’ll inevitably notice the flower walls and corridors. Walls create separations, corridors define spaces, adding layers and making the views seem deeper. Along the corridors and walls, everywhere is a perfect spot for tourists to snap photos!
Brick and wood-carved openwork patterns adorn the corridor walls, while colorful shrubs and flowers accent the corners. Strolling through feels like touring an art gallery.
Rockeries wind, pavilions peek out, pear blossoms and crabapple bloom like clouds, bamboo shadows sway, birds sing, flowers scent the air – the scene is serene and enchanting.
Suzhou gardens all have rockeries and ponds. The arrangement of rockeries is an art, not just a craft. Whether they are towering peaks or just a few small mounds paired with bamboo and flowers, it all depends on the designers’ and craftsmen’s rich life experience and inner landscapes, allowing us visitors, while climbing, to forget the city and feel surrounded by mountain forests.
2.5 Couple’s Retreat Garden (Ou Yuan)
Ou Yuan, originally called She Yuan, is at No. 7 Xiaoxin Lane, Cang Street, Suzhou. Built in the early Qing, it was renamed Ou Yuan in the late Qing. The garden has a garden on both the east and west sides of the residence, hence the name “Couple’s Garden” (ou means pair, and is homophonous with “couple” in Chinese, symbolizing husband and wife retreating to a pastoral life).
The garden is surrounded by canals on three sides and faces a street on the fourth, covering about 8,000 m². Its layout emphasizes the rockery as the main feature, complemented by the pond. The main building, facing south, is a double-eaved hall complex. In the southeast corner are three small courtyards collectively called “City-Curve Thatched Cottage.” The western garden is smaller, centered on the study “Weaving Curtain Old House,” divided into a front and back courtyard. The front yard features a Taihu Lake rockery with winding paths; the back yard has a Taihu Lake stone flower terrace. To the north stands a library building, and in the southwest corner, more rockeries, plants, and stones create a delightful scene.
The rockery in Ou Yuan is known as the “Yellow Stone Rockery,” built in front of the City-Curve Thatched Cottage hall. The eastern half is larger; a stone path from the hall leads to a platform on the east side and a stone chamber on the west. The western half is smaller, descending from east to west until it stops at the right wall of a small hall. A valley path separates the two halves; to the east, there’s a pond. No pavilions were built on the rockery; instead, over ten types of trees and flowers were planted on the summit and behind it, adding a natural forest feel.
The pond extends southward alongside the rockery, crossed by a zigzag bridge. On the south end, a pavilion over the water, called “Landscape Pavilion,” faces the City-Curve Thatched Cottage across the rockery, forming a mountain-centered scenic area.
On November 30, 2000, Ou Yuan, along with other Suzhou classical gardens, was added by UNESCO to the World Heritage list.
2.6 Xiyuan Temple – More Suzhou Garden Scenery
Xiyuan Jiezhuanglv Temple, for short Xiyuan Temple, also called Jiezhuanglv Temple, has a history of 700 years.
It is ideally situated: east of the classical Lingering Garden, west of the serene Hanshan Temple, north of the scenic Tiger Hill area, and south of the Changmen Canal.
Hear the bell ring, vexations clear, wisdom grows, blessings increase.
Yellow walls, dark tiles, a magnificent presence. The Five Hundred Arhats Hall here is one of China’s four great Arhat halls.
A perfect place to pray.
Xiyuan Temple is a wonderful blend of Buddhist halls and Suzhou garden. Inside, ancient trees shade deep courtyards, temple buildings cluster, green lawn meets meandering water, birds sing amid flowers – the chanting and ritual music transport you into a pure, solemn realm. It’s close to the bustle yet untouched by clamor, near the dust yet not polluted.
A Mid-Lake Pavilion sits in the center of the Free Life Pond, surrounded by water like an island, like a fairyland. Hexagonal, of brick and wood, it’s a two-story structure with double flying eaves, light and graceful. Pink walls divide the interior and exterior; doors on the east and west lead via a winding nine-turn stone bridge to the banks. Outside the pavilion, eaves and railings invite you to lean over and watch fish play, or catch a glimpse of the sacred giant softshell turtle emerging from the water – fascinating, hard to leave.
Bell and fish chants wash away worries; green shade and pavilions soothe life’s toil; white clouds and flowing water beckon a leisurely stroll. For body and soul, it’s pure enjoyment. Here, you can see the Five Hundred Arhats in all their postures, appreciate the serene charm of winding paths, and maybe even spot a 400-year-old sacred softshell turtle swimming in the pond – a delight. In the West Garden, the Free Life Pond takes up the largest area. It houses two giant softshell turtles (Rafetus swinhoei), also called spot-billed softshells because of the yellow-brown spots on their backs. Research shows they are over 400 years old, the world’s oldest known animals. Only three of these spot-billed softshells exist globally, and two are right here in this modest pond – a testament to their preciousness as national-level protected creatures.
Xiyuan Temple takes its name from its garden, because it has a beautiful West Garden where you can enjoy classic Jiangnan garden charm: clear water and streams, ancient trees and fragrant grasses; bird songs, flowering plants, slender bamboo, willows; plus rockeries, pavilions, towers, and gazebos.
3. Visiting Suzhou’s Museums
During my three-day trip in Suzhou, I explored quite a few gardens and also a wealth of museums: Suzhou Museum, Suzhou Silk Museum, Pingtan Museum, and Kunqu Opera Museum…
3.1 Suzhou Museum
Suzhou Museum, a fusion of art and history, is now on equal footing with Suzhou’s great gardens as a must-see attraction, a hot spot in Suzhou travel. Free admission, closed on Mondays, best to book online in advance.
The new buildings are a major highlight, designed by the world-renowned Chinese architect I.M. Pei. The architecture harmonizes perfectly with its surroundings, with unique spatial treatment, exquisite materials, and a design concept that maximizes natural light indoors.
It is a comprehensive museum that integrates modern museum buildings, historical architecture, and innovative landscape garden design.
Structurally, glass and steel allow large swaths of daylight into the interiors. Open steel replaces traditional wooden elements, and the roof design breaks free from the lighting constraints of traditional Chinese “large roofs.” Triangular skylights on the roof are a distinctive feature.
Inspired by the traditional Chinese dormer window but creatively adapted, the skylights are set in the middle of the roof. They form an angular junction with the sloping roof below, creating a three-dimensional effect. This not only solves the practical issue of daylighting but also enriches and evolves the architectural vocabulary of Chinese roofs.
The roof and the use of stone around the white walls below unify the architectural style. For the roof, traditional small grey tiles would be fragile, prone to leaks, and need frequent repair; they couldn’t meet the sturdiness, craftsmanship, and flatness required for the new museum. Instead, dark grey granite replaces the traditional grey tiles. This “China black” granite is greyish-black, turning black when wet and lightening to dark grey under sunlight. The stone pieces are cut into diamond shapes and laid flat on the roof, giving a strong three-dimensional feel.
I happened to catch a special exhibition: “Fragrant Nocturnal Bloom – The Development and Inheritance of Dazu Rock Carvings.”
Over 50 pieces (sets) of exhibits showcase the unique aesthetic, exquisite carving skills, and cultural preservation achievements of Dazu rock carvings. This exhibition, co-curated by Suzhou Museum and Dazu Rock Carvings Museum, runs until May 5.
Suzhou Museum highlights include: calligraphy and paintings, treasures from the Twin Pagodas, Ming and Qing porcelain, and Suzhou arts and crafts.
The permanent galleries on the ground floor feature four themed halls: “Treasures of the Wu Land,” “National Treasures of Wu Pagodas,” “Elegance of Wu Culture,” and “Wu School Calligraphy and Painting.” “Treasures of the Wu Land” includes Dawn Twilight, Spring and Autumn Hegemony, Splendid Jiangnan, and Urban Elegance; “National Treasures of Wu Pagodas” features Buddhist relics from Ruiguang Pagoda and Tiger Hill Pagoda; “Elegance of Wu Culture” includes Scholars’ Studio, Treasures of Pottery, Skillful Jade Carving, Exquisite Carving, Literati’s Affairs, Leisure Pursuits, Ink Play Cottage (the Song-dynasty painting studio, outdoors), and Brocade Life; “Wu School Calligraphy and Painting” focuses on works by the Wu School and its successors, as well as the Four Wangs and the Yangzhou School.
Suzhou Museum is housed in the former Zhongwang Mansion of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, one of the best-preserved historical buildings from that period. It retains over 400 “Suzhou-style painted decorations” and other important Taiping-era relics and artworks. These painted decorations are representative of Qing-dynasty Suzhou-style painting; their number is rare in Jiangnan, making them a priceless cultural heritage of China. The preserved architecture, paintings, and murals have great historical and artistic value.
During Qingming Festival, flying kites is thought to drive away illness and misfortune, bring peace and good luck. Ancient people also believed that spring’s rising yang energy was perfect for kite flying. Coincidentally, an exhibition “Poetic Jiangnan – Kites of the Second Month” was on display in the Zhongwang Mansion courtyard, leading me into the world of kites.
Kites are traditional Chinese handicrafts, anciently called “paper kites,” “paper hawks,” “yaozi,” etc. Traditionally shaped like eagles or swallows, later designs evolved to include figures, phoenixes, and long dragon-centipede chains. In modern times, the variety is endless.
3.2 Suzhou Silk Museum
You’ll want to bring back some Suzhou silk embroidery as gifts for the elders back home!
But how can you choose silk in the stores and appear knowledgeable, to pick well and bargain?
I recently watched a historical drama “The Rise of Phoenixes” starring Gülnezer Bextiyar and Xu Weizhou, which sparked my curiosity about silk and embroidery. So why not visit the Suzhou Silk Museum!
Suzhou is the birthplace of silk, with over 6,000 years of history. The Suzhou Silk Museum is China’s earliest silk museum. It has six exhibition halls: ancient silk, modern silk, a children’s section, a mulberry garden, silk weaving machinery, and the Qian Xiaoping Silk Culture and Art Hall.
As of August 2019, the museum’s collection included over 700 historical artifacts dating from the Neolithic to the Ming and Qing dynasties, and more than 3,000 specimen and reference pieces.
Seeing the exquisite silk textiles in the display cases is a visual delight.
Outside the Sericulture Hall is a small mulberry garden, planted with tall mulberry, weeping mulberry, lake mulberry, and fruit mulberry.
A winding corridor leads to a recreated silk-farming household. The kitchen, sitting room, and bedroom faithfully reconstruct the life of Suzhou silkworm-raising families.
3.3 Pingtan Museum
While strolling Pingjiang Road, I passed through Zhongzhangjia Alley.
Here stand two very characteristic Suzhou museums: the Pingtan Museum and the Kunqu Opera Museum.
The Pingtan Museum houses over 12,000 precious historical documents and hundreds of unique Pingtan manuscripts and scripts.
It’s a museum that’s close to the people, appreciated by all.
It focuses on showing the full development and fame of Pingtan, the characteristics of various schools and performers, while using technology to recreate historical performance scenes and professional customs.
3.4 Kunqu Opera Museum
China’s Kunqu Opera Museum is built in the birthplace of Kunqu, Suzhou, within the Pingjiang Historic Block.
It houses the most exquisite ancient stage in Suzhou. This beautifully constructed stage, praised by I.M. Pei, is the museum’s prime artifact and main performance venue. The classical stage is the gem of the entire ancient building complex, especially the caisson ceiling over the stage – a red background with black and gold inlay. The ceiling panels are intricately carved: 18 rows of 324 light-relief black bats alternate with 18 rows of 306 golden tongues in full relief, spiraling upward to converge on a bronze mirror at the apex. This not only showcases superb classical architectural artistry but also demonstrates a brilliant acoustic design that creates a lingering, melodious echo.
An indoor stage has been built within the main hall of the former Quanjin Guildhall, turning it into an indoor theater. This is the main venue for Kunqu performances, offering visitors a glimpse of traditional Kunqu staging and serving as a place for Kunqu enthusiasts to rehearse and sing.
On both sides of the indoor stage, Kunqu costumes are displayed (including garments, headwear, beards, masks, facial makeup, and props), filling the hall with a strong theatrical atmosphere.
My brief three-day trip to Suzhou was incredibly rewarding.
With the May Day holiday approaching, why not bring your family and friends to walk Pingjiang Road, feel the evening breeze on Shantang Street, taste crab roe soup dumplings, nibble braised chicken feet, wander Suzhou gardens, check out the museums, listen to Pingtan, watch a Kunqu opera… and soak up the beautiful, slow life of Gusu. — Text & Photos: Traveling Little Flying Hero
