A One-day Trip in Suzhou2
Preface
This is a follow-up to the previous post — a one-day trip to Suzhou (v2 edition). Today is Wednesday, with temperatures ranging from 28°C to 37°C and partly cloudy skies.
Places Visited
Bao’en Temple / Mei Garden
The Bao’en Temple Pagoda, commonly known as the Beisi Pagoda, is one of Suzhou’s landmarks and the highest point in the old city.
——A Hidden Garden Within the Beisi Pagoda — Mei Garden
From Suzhou Railway Station, it’s just one stop on the metro — get off at Beisi Pagoda station and you’ll be right there.
The Buddha statue looked quite benevolent.
This angle offers a great view.
Wufeng Garden
Wufeng Garden is a classical Ming Dynasty garden located on Xi Street in Changmen, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. It was first built during the Jiajing era (1522–1566), and is said to have been constructed by either the painter Wen Boren or Minister Yang Cheng. The garden features five towering Taihu rock formations, including Elder Peak and Guanyin Peak. Three of the five rocks are relics from the Song Dynasty’s “Huashi Gang” (imperial rock tribute). The garden is a residential-style one, characterized by its unique rock landscapes. It was designated as a protected cultural site in Suzhou in 1963, underwent protective restoration in 1983, and was fully reopened to the public in 1998 after the restoration of key structures like the “Dry Boat” and the Wufeng Study Hall. It also preserves scenic spots such as the Liu Yi Pavilion and Zhushi Pavilion, as well as legendary relics related to the Tang Dynasty tale of Liu Yi, reflecting the artistry of Ming Dynasty garden design.
——Wufeng Garden — Baidu Baike
According to the map, it’s just over 800 meters from Bao’en Temple to here. Since it’s so close, I decided to walk — plus, I’d get a chance to pass through Taohuawu, a local Suzhou neighborhood.
It was hot. Very hot.
This is a commercial street — not many people around, pretty quiet.
The roadside decorations were quite charming
Passing through a narrow alley where locals live
Arrived.
Here are the Five Peaks — rockeries made of Taihu stone. You can climb up for a closer look. Some visitors were taking photos with the rocks.
This angle looks great.
The garden isn’t very big — I made my way back to the entrance.
Taibo Temple
Taibo Temple is located at No. 250 Xiatang Street, inside the Changmen area of Suzhou, within the historic Taohuawu neighborhood. It was built in honor of Taibo, the eldest son of Gugong Danfu (King Tai of Zhou). The temple dates back to the Eastern Han Dynasty and is considered the first temple in the Jiangnan region dedicated to Taibo, the founding ancestor of the Wu region. Surviving structures include the Zhide Bridge, Zhide Archway, the main hall, and three chambers on both the east and west sides—all dating to the Qing Dynasty.
——Taibo Temple — Baidu Baike
Passed by here on the way out of Wufeng Garden and decided to step in for a quick look. There was air conditioning — but it wasn’t turned on.
This room had the AC running. There was a kind auntie inside who told me it was too hot outside and I could take a break here.
Quyuan (Qu Garden)
Quyuan, the former residence of scholar Yu Yue, is located at No. 43 Mayike, Renmin Road, Pingjiang District, Suzhou (near the Mayike wet market). It covers an area of 2,800 square meters and is open from 9:00 to 16:30, with free admission all day.
Quyuan is a cultural treasure that combines a classical garden with a residential layout. After restoration, it now showcases the life and scholarly achievements of Yu Yue, a renowned Qing Dynasty scholar. The architecture is intricate and the layout is winding and varied — a fine example of Jiangnan garden art. It was designated a cultural heritage site by Suzhou in 1963 and by Jiangsu Province in 1995.
——Quyuan — Baidu Baike
After leaving Wufeng Garden, I planned to take a bus to Quyuan.
The local residential houses here are built right along the river — I wonder if flooding is ever a concern.
The bus was nice and cool. Fare: 1 yuan.
After walking through a narrow alley, I arrived at Quyuan.
The entrance wasn’t very obvious — I was a bit worried I’d gone the wrong way. There was a security scanner in the foyer, though I wasn’t sure when or if it’s ever used.
Commissioner Black Cat on duty.
A half-pavilion attached to the wall, with a large mirror in the center.
A dead end — no way through.
Shiquan Street
For casual strolling and shopping, this street felt more enjoyable than Pingjiang Road — there were more shops, and overall it was livelier. After all, it’s a street, while Pingjiang is more of a lane.
Stopped here for a coffee break and some rest around noon.
Master-of-Nets Garden (Wangshi Yuan)
The Master-of-Nets Garden is located at No. 11, Kuojiatou Alley, Daichengqiao Road, in southeastern Suzhou. It’s about 120 kilometers from Shanghai Hongqiao Airport. This garden is a classic mid-sized residential-style landscape garden, and a representative work of Suzhou’s classical garden art. It was originally built during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279) on the former site of “Wanjuan Hall,” the residence of scholar and collector Shi Zhengzhi, who once served as Vice Minister. The garden was initially named “Fisherman’s Retreat,” but later fell into disrepair. In the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty (around 1770), it was purchased and rebuilt by retired official Song Zongyuan, who renamed it “Master-of-Nets Garden.”
——Master-of-Nets Garden — Baidu Baike
I took a short bus ride from Shiquan Street to the Master-of-Nets Garden — it didn’t take long.
The place wasn’t crowded; the display at the entrance showed there were just over 300 visitors inside.
I passed by a teahouse with air conditioning and ordered an iced Americano — 38 yuan. The menu looked pricey, and I’m not familiar with tea anyway.
Sat down to enjoy the cool air and listen to a live performance.
The singer’s voice was steady and powerful.
Loved the sunlight here.
There was a light mist rising by the pond — probably dry ice.
The shadows of the leaves looked like traditional Chinese ink paintings.
Looked like actual ice cubes.
Departure
With a super-zoom lens, we joked that we’d head home once it got dark — but honestly, keeping ISO low means the shutter speed has to be slow, which easily leads to motion blur.
The streets looked quite similar to those in Shanghai. However, in Shanghai, many of the tree branches have been trimmed away, leaving little shade. Suzhou feels newer, and the sidewalks along the roads are wider and less cramped.
She looked so determined.
Hydration — lots of water, constantly.
No idea how old this city wall is.
Near the Soochow University metro station, there’s a wall lined with books. You can sit right on the ground and read — such a thoughtful design.
Hydration again — we kept drinking water like crazy.
My Travel PalsMy travel buddy
We casually walked onto a small bridge and were greeted by this view of riverside houses — a classic Suzhou moment.
Heading back — our train was delayed by 11 minutes.
Back in Shanghai. A group of guys were playing basketball — such a youthful scene.
This one looked like a big morning glory flower. Shot using the Project Indigo App — it actually makes the ultra-wide camera on iPhone, which is usually mediocre, produce pretty impressive images.
Food
I’m not picky when it comes to food — as long as it’s edible and not terrible, I’m good.
Lunch
After leaving Quyuan Garden, we grabbed a bowl of noodles at the end of an alley. It seems Suzhou-style noodles are always this kind — thin and chewy. I’ve bought instant versions of Huanghelou scallion oil noodles before, and they used the same kind of noodles. Tasted great.
Dinner
We walked into a random restaurant and ordered stir-fried eel strips with pig stomach, served with rice. Reporting back: the eel had a bit of a muddy aftertaste.
Some Thoughts
It was way too hot
It’s best to avoid walking around in the scorching heat—heatstroke is no joke. When I returned to Shanghai in the evening, it was 31°C and already felt noticeably cooler than the 37°C earlier in Suzhou. Without contrast, there is no pain—but with contrast, there definitely is. I was drenched in sweat, sticky all over, and uncomfortable throughout the day.
Even if Rumble showed up, he’d go straight into silence modeGardens start to feel repetitive
I’ve visited quite a few classical gardens now, and they’re starting to blur together. It’s a bit of aesthetic fatigue.
Gardens feel too “new”
Probably due to regular maintenance and repainting—there was a strong smell of fresh paint everywhere. I personally feel that a more subtle “restoration with age” approach would better preserve the ancient atmosphere. Plus, the paint fumes can’t be good for either the staff or visitors.
So many mosquitoes
If you’re wearing shorts in the gardens, you’ll likely get bitten quite a few times.
The best perspectives
Some clever design elements are easily missed by visitors passing through quickly. If scenic spots could mark suggested “photo spots” or viewpoints (not cheesy signs like “I miss you in Suzhou”), it would help people better appreciate the space.
Suzhou is quite tourist-friendly
Public restrooms are abundant and easy to find. Most attractions within the city are also very accessible via public transport.
Blogging is getting easier
Honestly, my writing isn’t that word-heavy if you take away the photos—but selecting and preparing those images takes the most effort. If there’s no post-processing involved, I simply pick the best originals, export both HDR and SDR versions via script, resize them for the web, compress, and done. (I used to do all of that manually, one by one!)
Final Thoughts
It’s just too hot—won’t be doing this again anytime soon. When the weather gets like this, either head for the mountains or stay indoors with the AC blasting.