Just west of Shanghai lies beautiful Suzhou, a city so crisscrossed by canals, lakes and waterways that it has long been dubbed the ‘Venice of the East.’ Despite being a city with an urban population of over 8 million, Suzhou’s center is a haven of calm traditional Chinese aesthetics, with idyllic gardens threaded together by narrow canals and crossed with enchanting arched stone bridges.

Suzhou’s canals form part of the ancient UNESCO World Heritage Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, acting as a vital cultural lifeline for the city, similar to Venice’s artery-like Grand Canal. But where today in Italy you’ll find stripe-shirted Gondoliers pushing through the canals in ornate gondolas, here it’s brightly lit long canal boats and traditional wooden boats operated by men in conical hats.

Suzhou presents a convenient addition to a Shanghai trip, as it takes as little as 23 minutes from Shanghai by high-speed train, making it viable even for a day-trip. However, we’d suggest staying at least a night or two to see the delightful glowing red lanterns adorning the buildings along the canal in the evenings.

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Gardens, Bridges, and Atmospheric Waterways

Suzhou’s beauty lies very much in the old parts of the city rather than the newer elements, though the contrast between old ornate canals and futuristic cityscapes found in districts like Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) is really quite striking. Though the modern topography is still a far cry from the towering futuristic skyscrapers of Shanghai. A real draw in Suzhou is its UNESCO-listed classical gardens, many punctuated by flowering magnolia and towering pagodas. The Humble Administrator’s Garden is one of the largest and most popular, while the idyllic Lingering Garden (pictured), whose pavilions, ponds, and carefully placed limestone rocks create wonderful miniature landscapes to explore, is perfect for slow walks and lingering contemplation.

It’s along the canals where the Venice comparison feels most fitting. In historic districts like Pingjiang Road, narrow lanes run parallel to the water, lined with charming teahouses, small museums, shops, and traditional houses. As night falls, red lanterns flicker to life, casting warm reflections across the canals, while arched bridges frame postcard-perfect views, lending the center a charming aesthetic not too dissimilar to Taiwan’s romantic Jiufen, home to the teahouse that was the inspiration for the anime Spirited Away.

A main tourism thoroughfare in Suzhou is Shantang Street, an ancient walking street, now a hub of pubs and restaurants, shops and boat rides. It’s a good place to start your explorations to see the delightful arch of the Tonggui Bridge and the quaint architecture characteristic of the area.

A Taste Of Suzhou’s Su Cuisine

While Suzhou’s canals and serene gardens reflect its past, the city’s food scene offers an eclectic mix of intriguing regional specialties, intimate teahouses, and riverside cafés that perfectly complement its romantic, lantern-lit waterways, which have helped Suzhou earn a reputation as one of Asia’s most romantic destinations for couples. The local cuisine is known as Su Cuisine, it’s part of the Jiangsu province’s cuisine – one of the eight great cuisines of China, alongside more recognizable regions like Sichuan and Hunan.

The food here is delicately flavored with a focus on seafood. Specialties like Squirrel-shaped mandarin fish are served with a glossy sweet-and-sour sauce, while shrimp and Biluochun, a prized Chinese green tea, are paired to create Biluochun Tea Shrimp, showcasing the city’s connection to its waterways, nature, and tea culture. Suzhou-style noodles are diverse and flavorful, often served in rich, clear broths with cuts of tender pork belly, and seasonal delicacies like steamed hairy crab from Yangcheng Lake are served in autumn.

Traditional teahouses are a highlight in Suzhou, lining those pretty canal streets and set at the corners of the city’s gardens, with standouts like Pin Von at Pingjiang Road, which, with its full English menu, is good for those don’t speak Mandarin. Despite no longer occupying its original address, Pin Von has served tea in Suzhou since the Qing Dynasty (1875-1908). Mornings are particularly convivial, reverberating with the clinks of tea-ware filled with local black teas, often served with sweet and savory dim sum delicacies.

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Read the original article on Islands.