Suzhou (苏州) is a canal-laced city in Jiangsu province, eastern China, about 25 minutes by high-speed train from Shanghai. It is famous for its classical gardens, several of which are UNESCO World Heritage sites, its whitewashed lanes and stone bridges, and its silk and Kunqu opera traditions. Suzhou has been called the Venice of the East for more than 2,500 years of waterside history.
Cultural orientation
Essential context for travellers.
Suzhou is a city of gardens, silk and scholars; visitors get the most from it by moving slowly, since the gardens are designed to be read as a sequence of framed views rather than ticked off
Kunqu opera, a UNESCO Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage since 2001, is best experienced in a small theatre such as the Suzhou Museum of Opera and Theatre, where the pace and singing style can be appreciated up close
Pingtan, Suzhou storytelling with sanxian lute and pipa, is performed in the local Suzhou dialect (Wu Chinese), so visitors should read the surtitles or ask the venue for a summary
Suzhou embroidery (Su Xiu) is judged by needle density and the fineness of the silk thread, which can be split into strands finer than a hair; double-sided embroidery is the showpiece
Tea is a social ritual; Biluochun from nearby Dongshan on Lake Tai is the local green tea, and it is brewed in a gaiwan lidded cup
Residents live along Pingjiang Road and Shantang Street, so visitors should keep noise low and not photograph inside homes
Link an international card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before arriving, since many small shops and ticket offices are cashless
Book popular garden tickets such as the Humble Administrator's Garden and Lingering Garden in advance through official channels, and carry a passport for entry
Do's and don'ts
Quick guide to local norms.
Do
- Greet with a smile and a nod; 'Ni hao' works everywhere
- Carry a passport at all times for garden and museum entry and for hotel registration
- Use both hands when giving or receiving a business card, gift or tea cup
- Try local specialities such as Songshu Guiyu (squirrel-shaped mandarin fish), Suzhou-style noodles and osmanthus cakes
- Visit the gardens early in the morning or on weekday afternoons to avoid the largest crowds
- Dress modestly in temples such as Hanshan Temple and Xiyuan Temple
- Save the Chinese-language address of the hotel on a phone for taxis and ride-hailing
- Pay with a mobile wallet or keep small cash notes for street stalls
Don't
- Do not stick chopsticks upright in a rice bowl, which resembles incense offered to the dead
- Do not touch garden rockeries, plants or antique furniture
- Do not discuss politically sensitive topics loudly in public
- Do not tip in restaurants; service is usually included and tipping can cause confusion
- Do not point with a single finger at people; use an open hand
- Do not give a clock, an umbrella or white flowers as gifts; they carry unlucky or funeral meanings
- Do not use flash when photographing Kunqu or Pingtan performers
- Do not drink tap water; use bottled or boiled water
Etiquette by setting
How to navigate everyday situations.
- Greetings
- A light handshake or nod is normal; people are addressed by surname plus title, for example 'Wang xiansheng' (Mr Wang); elders and hosts are greeted first
- Dining
- Meals are shared; dishes are placed in the centre and diners take from them with serving chopsticks; guests wait for the host or eldest to start; Suzhou cuisine is lightly sweet and often ends with a soup
- Dress
- Smart casual is fine everywhere; modest dress is expected at temples; comfortable shoes are essential on garden paths and stone bridges
- Gifts
- Silk scarves, tea or local sweets are appreciated; gifts are presented with both hands and the recipient may decline once or twice before accepting; sets of four are avoided
- Business
- Business cards are exchanged with both hands; relationships (guanxi) matter; meetings often end with a banquet; punctuality is expected
- Tipping
- Tipping is not customary in restaurants, taxis or hotels except occasionally in international hotels
Useful phrases
A few words go a long way.
你好
Hello
nǐ hǎo
谢谢
Thank you
xiè xie
不好意思
Excuse me / Sorry
bù hǎo yì si
多少钱?
How much is it?
duō shao qián
太贵了
Too expensive
tài guì le
厕所在哪里?
Where is the toilet?
cè suǒ zài nǎ lǐ
我听不懂
I do not understand
wǒ tīng bù dǒng
我要这个
I would like this
wǒ yào zhè ge
不要辣
No spice, please
bù yào là
干杯
Cheers
gān bēi
请带我去这个地址
Please take me to this address
qǐng dài wǒ qù zhè ge dì zhǐ
救命!
Help!
jiù mìng
侬好
Hello (Suzhou dialect)
nóng hǎo
Religion & spirituality
Understanding faith in Suzhou.
Main: Officially secular; Buddhism, Taoism and folk religion are the most widely practised traditions, with smaller Protestant and Catholic communities and Islam among the Hui minority
Sites:
- Xuanmiao Guan (Taoist temple), Guanqian Street
- Hanshan Temple (Buddhist), famed from the Tang poem 'Maple Bridge Night Mooring'
- Xiyuan Temple (Buddhist), with a Hall of 500 Arhats
- Lingyan Mountain Temple, Mudu
- Ruiguang Pagoda near Panmen
Holy Days:
- Lunar New Year (January or February)
- Qingming Festival (early April), when families sweep tombs
- Buddha's Birthday (eighth day of the fourth lunar month)
- Mid-Autumn Festival (September or October), when mooncakes are eaten
- New Year's Eve bell-ringing at Hanshan Temple
Conversations: Religion is discussed only lightly in public. Visitors can enter temples freely, buy incense at the gate, and should follow local practice by not stepping on thresholds.