Things to do in  Suzhou

Spanning around 13 acres (five hectares), the Humble Administrator’s Garden (Zhuo Zheng Yuan) is the largest and best known of Suzhou’s nine UNESCO World Heritage–listed gardens. First built in 1509 for an official named Wang Xianchen, it’s one of China’s finest classical gardens, with bridges, pavilions, rock gardens, and reflecting pools.

This picturesque village southeast of Suzhou is one of several ancient water towns dotting the Yangtze River Delta. More than a dozen rivers and waterways divide this Song Dynasty town into multiple islets, connected by 49 stone bridges. This Venice of the Orient is also known for its gardens, including the UNESCO-listed Tuisi Garden.

Pingjiang Road (Pingjiang Lu), an ancient canalside street in Suzhou dating back more than 800 years, attracts visitors with its collection of quaint old bookshops, teahouses, local theaters, and traditional Suzhou houses with whitewashed walls and black tiles. A stroll down the cobbled street offers a glimpse into local life.

The Grand Canal is the longest and oldest man-made waterway in the world, once covering 1,115 miles (1,794 kilometers) from Beijing to Hangzhou. Dating from the fifth century BC, this engineering marvel is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Some sections are still in use today.

The classical gardens of Suzhou feature some of the most tranquil and pristine landscapes in China. More than 50 gardens dating as far back as the sixth century BC feature a network of manicured paths, bridges, ponds, and pavilions over much of the historic city of Suzhou. Nine of the gardens are designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The architecture, infrastructure, and way of life in Wuzhen, one of the six famous ancient water towns south of the Yangtze River, hasn’t changed much over the centuries. Traditional houses, shops, and markets built along canals crossed by ancient bridges make the atmospheric town feel like a living history museum.

Topped by the wonky, 1,000-year-old Cloud Rock Leaning Pagoda, Suzhou’s Tiger Hill is China’s answer to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The site is an artificial burial mound that likely conceals the remains of the city’s founder, King Helü. Gardens, pools, bonsai, bamboo forests, and tea houses make the hill a charming place to linger.

Located in Suzhou’s historic quarter, Suzhou Museum was designed by famed architect I.M. Pei. It’s a masterful blend of modern design, traditional Suzhou architectural style, and classical garden layout, and the museum’s light-filled galleries house a collection of bronze, jade, ceramics, porcelain, handicrafts, paintings, calligraphies, and relics.

Located in the silk capital of China, the Suzhou Silk Museum covers several thousand years of silk culture and development. The contemporary building houses galleries that showcase different aspects of silk and sericulture, including silkworm breeding, weaving, production, technology, trade, and examples of silk textiles, fashion, and products.

In a city known for its beautiful gardens, Lingering Garden (Li Yuan is a standout. One of the four most famous classical gardens in China, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s renowned for its wonderful layout and use of space, with ponds, bridges, rockeries, gardens, statues, pavilions, and buildings with striking architecture.

Nine-century-old Zhouzhuang Water Town, the oldest water township in China and one of the most famous, comprises a network of scenic canals, 14 stone bridges, and well-preserved buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The late Chinese painter Chen Yifei immortalized the village in his paintings.

One of nine classical Chinese gardens in Suzhou that share a UNESCO World Heritage listing, the Lion Grove Garden (Shizilin) takes its name from its fantastical rock formations, which many believe resemble dancing lions. With its tranquil pavilions, and tangled webs of pines, cypress, and rock, it feels like a sacred mountain.