5 Facts about Suzhou for Tourists - Everything Travellers Should Know about Suzhou

Travellers heading to Suzhou may be surprised to find that the city is one of the 20 most popular tourist hotspots in all of China. Coming in at Number 18 according to date collected by TripAdvisor back in 2016, Suzhou is no obscure vacation hub but one that attracts thousands of visitors annually. Tourists who are planning a visit to the area, therefore, must be wary of avoiding the crowds as well as the bad weather conditions that are prevalent at certain times of the year. As a rule of thumb, the best time of year to visit the city is from April to September as sunny skies prevail throughout the period. November signals the end of the city's verdant period so the winter months should be avoided along with local holidays that fall during the beginning of May and then once again in October when the Spring Festival brings hoards of locals to the city.

There is an ancient Chinese quote that proclaims the gardens located to the south of the Yangtze River as the finest on the planet and "Suzhou's gardens are the best among them." Indeed, the classical gardens found in this part of China have been classified as UNESCO World Heritage Sites for good reasons and no tour of Suzhou would be complete without exploring the iconic gardens in the city including the Lingering Garden, the Humble Administrator's Garden, the Lion Grove Garden, the Canglang Pavilion and the Retreat and Reflection Garden. All of these garden spaces date back to the Ming and Qing dynastic periods.

Travellers will also be relieved to find out that Suzhou is one of the most affluent cities in the country as the big tech companies in the city have made residents some of the best earners in China. With the third-highest per capita income among the largest cities in China, Suzhou residents earn more than their Shanghai and even Beijing counterparts. This is a great advantage for tourists as this means the city boasts some of the best and most contemporary transportation facilities and tourism infrastructures in China. Suzhou is also not as polluted as most Chinese cities although the cost of food, as well as rooms or furnished apartments in Suzhou, is priced higher.

Those who are based at Ascott Midtown Suzhou and other centrally located rests will attest to the fact that dining out is the way to go when in a food capital the likes of Suzhou. The city's food scene is in fact, world-famous thanks to the many signature dishes and desserts that are served in its top eateries. The seafood cuisine is perhaps the most famous aspect of local cuisine in Suzhou.

Home to a series of water towns, every tourist must visit these historic areas at least once during a getaway in the city. From Tongli and Shantung Street to Luzhi, these areas are pristine examples of Chinese water towns.