Our time in Suzhou felt like two completely different trips. There was the ancient city, with its canals, classical gardens, and traditional architecture, and then there was the modern city, filled with glass towers, luxury malls, and sprawling business districts. That contrast might sound like China as a whole, but Suzhou takes it to another level.
The divide makes more sense once you learn about Suzhou’s modern history. Decades ago, the city became a major destination for foreign investment, especially through the development of the Suzhou Industrial Park. What began as a manufacturing and export hub has gradually evolved into a center for Chinese-led research and development, attracting companies focused on biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and advanced engineering. Yet despite all of that modernization, Suzhou has managed to preserve much of the character that made it famous in the first place, creating a city that feels suspended between China’s past and its future.
Old Suzhou
The ancient city was a fun place to explore, with its maze of narrow alleyways and canals lined with shops and street vendors. It was here that I discovered durian cheesecake is absolutely disgusting! I had tried frozen durian before and found it tolerable, but in cheesecake form the fruit’s infamous odor was far more pronounced—and far less enjoyable. Thankfully, the best matcha ice cream we had in China was hidden somewhere in those same alleyways, more than making up for the experience. While ancient Suzhou is filled with the traditional vendors you find in many Chinese water towns, the silk shops stood out. We ended up having a great conversation with one artist whose work was especially memorable.
Suzhou is perhaps best known for its gardens, so we made time to visit a couple of them. The first was Tiger Hill and the Yunyan Pagoda, which dates back to the 10th century. The atmosphere at Tiger Hill—with its winding hillside paths, bonsai gardens, performers, ancient Chinese architecture, and canals—made it one of the highlights of the trip. Although it was busy, it felt far more manageable than many other cultural sites we visited in China.
That experience stood in sharp contrast to the other garden we visited: the Humble Administrator’s Garden. As the most famous garden in Suzhou, the massive lines at 7 a.m. made it clear just how popular it is. The garden itself was undeniably beautiful, with impressive buildings and carefully designed landscapes, but the overwhelming crowds combined with the relatively compact space made it one stop on the trip we ultimately wished we had skipped.
Modern Suzhou
Our exploration of modern Suzhou was limited to our final day. We took the subway from our hotel without a clear destination in mind, curious to see where we would end up. As it turned out, the stop we chose was in a heavily residential district. Outside the station, residential towers stretched in every direction, though many were shorter than what I had grown accustomed to seeing elsewhere in China. The area featured broad, western-style boulevards and abundant green space, but very little retail.
We soon found a walking path that led through a series of meticulously maintained parks toward the lake. Willow trees lined the route, framing views of the skyline, while glimpses of a nearby Ferris wheel added to the scenery. The parks felt calm and carefully designed, offering a softer contrast to the dense urban environment around them.
After some time, we reached the edge of downtown, where glass office towers and shopping centers began to appear. Hungry, we headed into a large mall. Like many malls in China, it was filled with luxury brands and featured an entire floor dedicated to mid- and high-end restaurants. We chose a Japanese curry restaurant for lunch. On the mall’s lower level was a high-end grocery store, another feature that seems common in modern Chinese shopping centers.
From there, we continued along quiet, immaculately maintained streets until we arrived back at the lakefront. Across the vast expanse of water, I caught sight of an even larger downtown skyline. I had assumed we were already in the city’s main center, but China’s scale can feel almost surreal, and navigating Chinese mapping apps — even in English — often leaves you unsure of exactly where you are.
We eventually reached another retail and dining district made up of red-brick buildings that felt strikingly American in style. Nearby stood a grand cultural and arts complex, where we visited an impressive art gallery.
Of all the places we visited in China, modern Suzhou reminded me the most of the United States, though with noticeably better infrastructure, particularly its high-quality subway system. At the same time, compared to many other parts of China, it also felt somewhat sterile. Still, the beautifully designed parks and expansive lake views helped offset that feeling.
