 | ||
| Suzhou | ||
| province | Jiangsu | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 2.1 million | |
other value for residents on Wikidata: 10465994   | ||
| height | 5 m | |
| Tourist info web | www.suzhou.gov.cn | |
| no tourist info on Wikidata: | ||
| location | ||
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Suzhou(Chinese: 苏州 市 / 蘇州 市) is a big city nearby Shanghai in the province Jiangsu in China.
Districts
background
Because of the numerous canals, Suzhou is also called "Venice of the East". The city has numerous gardens, eight of which are for the UNESCO world cultural heritage belong. Suzhou is twin city of Constancy.
The city was founded by King Helü around 600 BC. He also made the city the capital of the Kingdom of Wu. The city only really flourished when the Imperial Canal was built. The silk trade has always been an important economic pillar of the city. When the capital of the Chinese Empire moved to Hangzhou during the Song Dynasty, the city attracted many scholars and officials and, of course, merchants. When Marco Polo visited the city in the 13th century, he was full of praise for the city with the 6,000 bridges, as he called them. Since it was never a political center, it was not involved in any major disputes, which is why many old buildings have been preserved. Today there is a ban on building high-rise buildings within the old city walls. The new districts will be built outside of it, for example in the Suzhou Industrial Park or in the Suzhou New District.
getting there
By plane
Suzhou does not have an airport. The nearest airports are in Wuxi and in Shanghai.
The mostly national airport in Wuxi (WUX) can be reached by taxi in under an hour (100 ¥). From there, however, there are fewer connections than from Shanghai, and the punctuality of the flights to and from Wuxi is also considered poor.
It takes half an hour to get to Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) by high-speed train (Shanghai Hongqiao Station). Pudong International Airport (PVG) can be reached by bus (19 connections per day from the bus station north of the 苏州 北 广场 广场 train station, about three hours if there is no traffic jam in Shanghai). You can also take the high-speed train to Shanghai and then take subway line 2 to the airport (also three hours). A taxi to Pudong Airport costs ¥ 500 after negotiation (as of December 2018), hotels offer the transfer several times this price.
By train
Suzhou has three train stations, from which trains depart for practically all parts of China. The one nearby Shanghai is reached in 25 to 90 minutes, depending on the train category. Tickets are available at all three stations.
- 1 Suzhou Railway Station 苏州 火车站. The "old" train station is a little north of the city center. It was rebuilt and modernized, today all conventional trains and some high-speed trains depart from here. The station is served by underground lines 2 and 4.
- 2 Suzhou North Railway Station 苏州 北 站. The north station is used exclusively for high-speed traffic. It is well outside the city center and is connected to the subway line 2 (Suzhou North Railway Station 高 铁 苏州 北 站）.
- 3 Suzhou Industrial Park Railway Station 苏州 园区 站. Only high-speed trains stop at the industrial park station, it is less interesting for tourists.
By bus
China Eastern Airlines operates shuttle buses between Pudong Airport (Hongqiao stopover) and Suzhou. Cycle 30-60 minutes, stop at Suzhou Industrial Park and downtown. Journey time approx. 150 minutes.
In the street
By boat
mobility
An extensive subway system is under construction in Suzhou, of which Line 1, which crosses the city from east to west, and a large part of Line 2 have been completed. Buses run frequently. Taxis are usually easy to come by.
Tourist Attractions
Old town
Gardens
- 1 Humble Official's Garden (拙政园, Zhuozheng Yuan), 178 Dongbei Jie (东北 街 178 号). Tel.: (0)512-67576104. Also called the unsuccessful politician's garden. Is the largest and most famous in China of the classical gardens. Established in the Qing Dynasty, since then it has been rebuilt and changed many times. The middle part with its winding pond and numerous pavilions is particularly worth seeing. Unfortunately, the garden is often overcrowded, so visiting on weekends and Chinese holidays is a waste of time and money. It is advisable to visit the garden in the morning on a weekday before the day trippers arrive as Shanghai. Accessible by subway line 4, Beisita station, exit 4, from there take the Xibei Jie (西北 街) five minutes to the east. A dedicated subway station (which will be called Zhuozheng Yuan) is under construction.Open: 07: 30-17: 30.Price: 90 ¥ in the high season, 70 ¥ in the low season.
- Wangshi Yuan
- Shizi Lin
- Canglang Ting
- Ou Yuan
- 2 Garden of Cultivation (艺 圃). Tel.: (0)512-67271614. Was laid out by the scholar Wen Zhenmeng during the Ming Dynasty and has retained its character to this day and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the smaller and less visited gardens; it cannot be approached by tourist buses. It is located in an alley in a very old residential area. Signposts in Chinese are partly smeared on the walls. It is worth visiting the garden early in the morning and bringing breakfast. Chinese tea (20 ¥ -30 ¥) is available in the garden.Open: 07: 30-17: 30.Price: 10 ¥.
Museums
- 3 Silk Museum (苏州 丝绸 博物馆), 2001 Renmin Lu (人民 路). Tel.: (0)512-67535943. Presents the history of silk, its manufacture and its influence on life in Suzhou on an exhibition space of 4,000 meters. The explanations are in Chinese and understandable English. Reachable with underground line 4, station Beisita, exit 5, from there the Renmin Lu go a little north. On the opposite side of the street is the North Pagoda, which can be seen from afar.Open: daily 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., last entry 4 p.m., closed on Mondays.Price: Entry: free.
- Suzhou Museum. The Suzhou Museum designed by I. M. Pei is located right next to the humble official's garden.Open: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Mondays are closed.Price: Admission is free.
- Opera and Theater Museum
temple
- Hanshan Si
- Beisi Ta. North Temple Pagoda.
- Xuanmiao Guan. Temple of the Mystery.
- Shuang Ta
- Ruiguang Ta
Buildings
- Pan Men. The Pan Men is the only one of the eight city gates that has been preserved.
- Gate of the Orient. The 302 m high Gate of the Orient, located on the shores of Lake Jinji, will be the tallest building in Suzhou when it is completed in 2014.
activities
shop
kitchen
nightlife
Ligongdi Street in Lake Jinji is completely lined with restaurants and bars. There are numerous pubs and tea rooms along a small canal in the picturesque Pingjiang Street.
accommodation
Learn
Work
security
Like most Chinese cities, Suzhou is relatively safe.
health
The number 1 hospital operated by Soochow University is considered the best in town.
Practical advice
trips
literature
Web links
- http://www.suzhou.gov.cn - Suzhou Official Website
- Suzhou Tourist Board
