5 Suzhou Snack Streets
These food streets have made Suzhou people’s lives as aromatic and tasty as a cup of good tea. They also exemplify the all-encompassing tolerance of Suzhou food culture. Strolling along the Suzhou food streets, eating and shopping, you will have the wonderful feeling that you are one of the local Suzhouers.
1.The Guanqian Pedestrian Street
The densely packed famous shops and stores along the two sides of the street have met people’s needs for shopping since long ago. Many of them are more than a hundred years old. People will be instantly reminded of the shops’ specialties and business styles upon just hearing their brand names. Take a leisurely stroll the street and enjoy the pleasant street view. When the evening gently closes in, the lights, like strings of pearls, lit up in Guanqian street, winding like “dragons” along the two sides of the street. In the stores, all varieties of clothes, accessories, jewelry, shoes, hats, scarves, fruits, potted landscapes, artifacts, and glassware are offered. There will be a sea of people seething with activity, resembling a scroll depicting a night tour in the bustling Quanqian Street.
Recommendation: Cai Zhi Zhai Sweets Store, Dao Xiang Cun Snack Store, Song He Lou Restaurant, and Guan Zhen Xing Restaurant
Address: Guanqian Street, Gusu District, Suzhou
How to get there: 1. Take subway Line 1 and Line 4 to “Le Qiao” station or “Cha Yuan Chang”/”Lin Dun Lu” station, then walk there
2. Take bus No.50 East Route, No. 50 West Route, No.55, No.112, No.178, No. 202, No.204, No.305, No.309, No.501, No.518, No.529, No.811, No.923, Night Bus No.2, Travel Bus No.2, Travel Bus No.5 North Route, or Travel Bus No.5 South Route to Cu Fang Qiao Guan Qian Street East station, then you will be at the east end of the Quanqian Street.
Nearby attractions: The Lingxing Gate, the Xuanmiao Taoist Temple, the Grand Hall of the Fortune God, the Hall of the Thunder God, and the Monument of Lin Zexu
2. The Eunuch Lane
Located to the south of the middle-Guanqian Street, the Eunuch Lane is the most bustling pedestrian street in Suzhou. It’s actually an inner street of the Guanqian Street. It’s also the most famous food street in Suzhou. The name “Eunuch Lane” came from the Eunuchs who used to live here and ran the silk business for Suzhou.
Recommendation: Song He Lou Restaurant, De Yue Lou Restaurant, Shanghai Lao Zheng Xing Resturant, Kung Tak Lam (Gong De Lin) Shanghai Vegetarian Cuisine
Address: A short alley between the city center and the Guanqian street
How to get there: take bus No.1, No. 305, No.101, and No.5 to Cha Yuan Chang Guan Qian Street West station, then walk there
Nearby attractions: The Lingxing Gate, the Xuanmiao Taoist Temple, the Grand Hall of the Fortune God, the Hall of the Thunder God, and the Monument of Lin Zexu
3. The Phoenix Street
It’s connected with the Shiquan Street and the Shizi Street. More than 40 catering enterprises gather here including various food courts, grand restaurants, hot pots, and snack stores. The sour cuisine from the east, the spicy cuisine from the west, the sweet cuisine from the south, and the salty cuisine from the north – all styles of cuisines compete and flourish here. The Phoenix Street has become one of the most famous food streets in Suzhou. Every evening, this place is ablaze with twinkling neon lights, and teeming with foodies who gather here like clouds, forming a scene of dazzling prosperity.
Recommendation: Xi Sheng Yuan Restaurant, Xie He Restaurant, the Run Restaurant, Wu Qu Fang Restaurant, and the Old City God Temple Pan-Fried Meat Dumplings
Address: Shiquan Street/ Fenghuang street, Gusu District, Suzhou
How to get there: Take bus No.40 or No.89 to the Shuang Ta (twin towers) station, or take bus No.2 to Shi Yi Zhong (the First Middle School in Suzhou) station, then walk there; a cab will cost around RMB 16
Nearby attractions: The former residence of Wu Dacheng, the Chai Yuan garden (new Museum of Education), the Master of Nets Garden, the former residence of Gu Linshi, and the Orchid Pavilion.
4. The Pingjiang Road
Beside its history, the most prominent feature of Pingjiang Road is the delicious food. On this old street, not only the well-maintained ancient architecture, but the food stalls along the street, the stores under the white wall and black tiles, are all closely related to the age-old food culture of Suzhou. Visitors can take a leisurely stroll along the road and inhale the culture of Pingjiang Road.
Recommendation: Tao Hua Yuan Ji (The Peach Blossom Spring) Restaurant, the Clove Original Kitchen, and the Gusu Family Banquet Authentic Suzhou Cuisine
Address: No.65 White Pagoda East Road, Gusu District, Suzhou
How to get there:
1.Near the Suzhou Museum and the Humble Administrator’s Garden. Walking there takes about 10 minutes.
To get to the Humble Administrator’s Garden, take Travel Bus No.1, Travel Bus No.2, Travel Bus No.5, bus No.202, No.313, No.923, No.529, No. 40, or No.178 and get off the bus at the Suzhou Museum | the Humble Administrator’s Garden | Shi Zi Lin station.
2.Take subway Line 1 to Xiang Men Station, then walk westward along Ganjiang Road for 400 meters. Nearby attractions: Suzhou Museum, the Humble Administrator’s Garden, Shi Zi Lin, and the North Half Garden
5. The Shantang Street
The unique geographical location of the Shantang Street has provided it with excellent land and water transport conditions as well as a uniquely charming block view, so that it has gradually been seen as the exhibition window of the Wu culture and the place to experience the Suzhou lifestyle. It’s a unique resource for Suzhou’s urban development and a special name card for cultural tourism. There are many varieties of delicacies on Shantang street, and those who have tried the food are unstinting in their praise. Delicacies like the ‘Plum Blossom Cake’, the ‘Crabapple Flowers Cake’, the ‘Stinky Tofu’, the ‘Pan-fried Buns’, the ‘Red Bean Cakes’, and the ‘Malt Sugar’ are all very enticing.
Recommendation: Da Shou Da Jiao Snack Shop, Hefu Noodle House, the sugar porridge shop, Jiang Nan An Restaurant, and Song He Lou Restaurant
Address: No. 218 Gaungji Road, Gusu District, Suzhou
How to get there:Take bus No.406, No.317, No.529, No.44, No.64, Travel Bus No.1, or No.304 to Shantang Street Station, then walk northward for 500 meters along the Guangji Road to reach there.
Nearby attractions:The Antai Fire Club, the Shaoxing Guide Hall, the Shang Tang Ge Art Museum, and the Assembly Hall of Old Shantang Folk Art
