Expat Choice: Cool places, food in Suzhou during Spring Festival

During the Spring Festival, Suzhou is enveloped in a festive ambiance. Treat yourself to the fun places and culinary delights recommended by Suzhou expats and have a good time during the Spring Festival in the city!

Ecuador 
About 2 years in Suzhou
If you visit Suzhou, the Humble Administrator's Garden拙政园 is a must-see. It's a quintessential Chinese garden with stunning mountains and water landscapes. 

Each season offers unique beauty: spring blooms with flowers like peaches and plums; summer features lotus flowers at spots like the Far Fragrance Hall; autumn brings poetic charm with maple and osmanthus; and winter creates an elegant scene with snow-covered ancient buildings.

Netherlands
2 years in Suzhou
When I have friends visiting me in Suzhou, I want to show them the beautiful diversity of the city, resulting in a very cramped schedule! We may start at Tiger Hill Tower虎丘塔 and take the boat to Shantang Street山塘街, or go to Pingjiang Road平江路 and Humble Administrator's Garden, eating some sugarcoated haws on a stick on the way. Next, I will take them to the Gate of the Orient东方之门 where they are always impressed by the modern feeling that Suzhou also has! 

My favorite place to be introduced to people is my neighborhood in Suzhou New District. It's here where they can experience regular life in China best, with amazing and very affordable food all around. Maybe we'll climb Shizi Mountain狮子山 or stroll around Tianping Hill天平山, but for sure no one leaves Suzhou without experiencing pingtan.

Venezuelan
4.5 years in Suzhou

You can paddle or kayak across the river斜塘河 in the Xietang area, which has a unique Suzhou style. In this area, you can also find many key Suzhou-style architectural wonders as well as a foodie area for a relaxing afternoon. It is definitely a good not-to-miss experience in SIP. 

You can have evening drinks near the Jinji Lake金鸡湖 and Times Square圆融时代广场. After taking a few drinks here, it is worthwhile to take a night walk around the area. It is definitely a relaxing and chilling experience if you want to escape the busyness of tourist locations. 

USA
7 years in Suzhou
If you haven't decided where to go or happen to be in Suzhou this Spring Festival holiday, be sure to visit Six Arts Museum六悦博物馆 in Lili Ancient Town. The open-exhibit-style Six Arts Museum is a fascinating cultural destination where visitors can enjoy an immersive traditional Chinese folk art experience through the stimulation of each of their six senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and intuition. 

Spanning an awe-inspiring exhibition space of 18,000 square meters, the museum is divided into over 60 themed exhibition halls, showcasing an extensive collection of more than 40,000 ancient folk art pieces and artifacts. I guarantee you will find the trip worthwhile.

Iris Stefansdottir

Iceland 
2.5 years in Suzhou
One of my favourite Suzhou traditional dishes would have to be the Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish. It does look as strange as the name suggests. The fish is deboned and fried in a way to make it look like a squirrel, but the sweet and sour taste of it is absolutely delicious. I would recommend trying this dish in a nice Chinese restaurant to newcomers in Suzhou.

Source：iSzhou