First Impressions of Suzhou

My first impression of Suzhou was the food! I tried crab roe noodles, a popular dish in the Jiangnan region, at a random restaurant and it was delicious! The ice tofu pudding was so good that even kids who don't usually like tofu pudding loved it! I also tried Suzhou-style mung bean soup for the first time. The combination of mint, mung beans, glutinous rice, and honey dates was unique and delicious! I wore a jasmine bracelet and ate an ice cream topped with dried flowers. At that moment, I felt like a Jiangnan woman. "When you arrive in Suzhou, you will see that every house is built along the river. There is little idle land in the ancient palace, and there are many small bridges in the water alley." How can you visit Suzhou without taking a boat ride on Pingjiang Road? As you drift along the water, you can admire the black tiles and blue bricks of Jiangnan, watch the ripples in the water, and enjoy the view of the houses along the river. This is the slow life of Suzhou. Even though Suzhou's gardens are crowded with tourists, they still exude an elegant and lively charm. The gardens are sometimes spacious and sometimes winding, with pavilions, ancient trees, bamboo, vines, and lotus flowers. They embody the Chinese cultural concept of imitating nature and transcending it. My first impression of Suzhou was that it was a poetic water town that made me lose track of time!