Shantang Laojie St — Restaurant in Suzhou City

A beautiful slice of old Suzhou, peaceful and full of charm!

I visited Shantang Street in the early afternoon, and it was such a lovely experience. The street is lined with traditional buildings, old stone pavements, and a peaceful canal that runs alongside. You really feel like you’ve stepped back in time 🏯✨

There were quite a few people around, but it wasn’t too crowded, which made it easy to stroll, snack, and take photos at my own pace. I enjoyed some traditional Suzhou snacks (highly recommend the osmanthus cake 🌼) and found a cozy little tea house tucked upstairs where I listened to live pingtan performances. That was one of the highlights of the day 🎶🍵

Shantang Street is also full of little shops selling handmade crafts and souvenirs. It’s a great place to pick up gifts or just soak in the atmosphere.

Tips:

Wear comfy shoes as there are lots of walking!

Check out the tea houses on the second floor, many are hidden gems.

Even though I went during the day, I hear it’s especially beautiful when the lanterns light up in the evening 🏮

If you’re in Suzhou, this is definitely a must-visit spot especially if you love culture, history, and a touch...

EXTREMELY CROWDED. to make it worse, the people were very rude & uncultured. coughing, shouting, knocking into you, spitting phlegm everywhere. streets are narrow already but there will be motorcycles, cars, and even garbage trucks just passing thru and honking once every few seconds. was only there for a day but all of these were enough to ruin my experience in and impression...