How is Suzhou not considered a coastal city...

Only now do I realize how charming Suzhou is! Wumen Misty Waters × Modern Gardens And!! Having tea by the wisteria window at Yipu Garden, and watching egrets return to their nests at Dushu Lake Church is just too magical! Tested, magnolias are currently shedding their petals like snow at Couple's Retreat Garden! Oriental Water City is the GOAT! 🪷🍜 [How to Get There] 🚄 High-speed rail to 'Suzhou Station' (closest to the ancient city!) / 'Suzhou North Station' 🪺 City transportation: Walk + shared bikes within the ancient city, take Metro Line 1 to Jinji Lake [3-Day Suzhou Lifestyle Itinerary] Day 1: Gusu Essence | Morning Tea × Hidden Water Alleys ▫️ 6:30 AM: → Fengmen Hengjie Street for the morning market (drink 'bubble wontons' + eat 'ginger juice pork chop', buy freshly peeled gorgon fruit) ▫️ 8:00 AM: → Yipu Garden (¥10! Snap photos of the wisteria window without crowds, order a cup of Biluochun tea in the teahouse and listen to Pingtan recordings) ▫️ Noon: → Twin Pagoda Market (Designer wet market! Eat 'Dajiangjiang Red Bean Tangyuan' + 'Qingnianchun Biluochun Milk Tea') ▫️ Afternoon: → Pingjiang Road sculling boat (Avoid the main canal! Turn into Huxiangshi Lane, watch old people sun-drying quilts by the river) ▫️ Night: → Master of the Nets Garden Night Garden (¥100 to listen to Kunqu Opera 'The Peony Pavilion: A Dream' + watch the Canglang Pavilion projection show) 🏡 Stay: Pingjiang Road 'Blossom Hill Hotels & Resorts' Day 2: Double-Sided Embroidery | Suzhou Museum Light & Shadow × Ferris Wheel Sunset ▫️ Morning: → Yaba Shengjian (Lindun Road Branch) (Opens at 6:30 AM! Crispy bottom + juicy filling, served with beef vermicelli soup) ▫️ 9:00 AM: → Suzhou Museum Main Building (Book one week in advance! Wait for the countdown of light and shadow on the rockery) ▫️ Noon: → Yuxingji (Xibei Street Branch, limited to May-June! Be quick with the toppings for your noodles) ▫️ Afternoon: → Jinji Lake Art Museum (Free to see contemporary Suzhou embroidery art exhibition) → Eslite Bookstore stairs for film-like blockbusters ▫️ Magic Hour: → Dushu Lake Church (6:00 PM egrets return to the woods, the cross's reflection in the water is stunning) 🌃 Stay: Jinji Lake 'Park Hyatt Suzhou' Day 3: Taihu Seclusion | Ancient Village Tea Aroma × Carved Building ▫️ Morning: → Drive/charter a car for 1 hour to Dongshan Town (¥150) ▫️ Morning: → Luxiang Ancient Village (Eat freshly steamed 'white jade square cakes', find the Ming Dynasty alley behind the Jiexuan Archway) → Carved Building (Look up and count the 100 phoenixes, 'carved everywhere'!) ▫️ Afternoon: → Zijin Nunnery (See the Southern Song Dynasty clay sculpture 'Wisdom Eye' that hasn't faded for a thousand years) → Qiyuan Garden (The only garden by Taihu Lake) 🚖 Return: Take a taxi back to the city before 5 PM (approx. 1.5h) [Key TIPS] 1️⃣ Private Garden Guide 🌿 Alternatives to Humble Administrator's Garden: Yipu Garden (Wisteria) > Master of the Nets Garden (Night Tour) > Canglang Pavilion (Bamboo Shadows) 📸 Couple's Retreat Garden Marriage Certificate Easter Egg: Book the marriage registration office in advance to get a garden marriage certificate (for couples only!) 2️⃣ Seasonal Radar 🍃 Spring (March-May): Yan Du Xian (salted pork and bamboo shoot soup) | Yipu Garden Roses 🍂 Autumn (September-November): Tu Huang You Ban Mian (crab roe noodles) | Gorgon Fruit Sweet Soup | Tianping Mountain Red Maples 3️⃣ Mastering the Deep Alley Food Rule Soulful Delicacy | Location | Secret Tip Next to Panji Cangshu Lamb | Savory scallion oil filling + sweet sesame filling Sweet Porridge | Pishi Street Bird & Flower Market | Pan Yulin old couple sets up stall at 12 PM Osmanthus Fermented Rice Balls | Suiliuju (Jianxin Lane) | Pair with cold dressed shepherd's purse wontons! 4️⃣ Transportation Pitfall Avoidance Guide 🚇 Download the 'Su-e-xing' APP for metro rides 🚫 Do not take taxis on Pingjiang Road/Shantang Street! Walking > Tricycle (bargain down to ¥20/ride) 5️⃣ Off-the-Beaten-Path Walking Routes 🚶 Citywalk Secret: ✅ Xibaihua Lane → Dinghui Temple Lane (see century-old ginkgo trees) → Shoutao Lake (pretend you're in Guilin) ✅ Moonlight Wharf → Ligong Embankment (night view reflection photo spot) 6️⃣ Hanfu Photography Easter Egg 📸 'Mojing' rent Hanfu for ¥60/day → Couple's Retreat Garden wedding attire photos > Master of the Nets Garden night scene fan dance The soul of Suzhou is the floating wisteria fragrance in Yipu Garden's teahouse, the hot juice that splashes out when you bite into the crispy Yaba Shengjian, and even more so, the 0.01 second when an egret's wing tip brushes past the rose gold sunset in front of Dushu Lake Church. Three days are too short, just enough to have a moist dream amidst the sculling sounds of Pingjiang River 🛶✨ Appendix: 24h Suzhou Stomach Challenge Chart ⏰ 6:00 AM Fengmen Hengjie Street Bubble Wontons ⏰ 9:30 AM Pan Yulin Sweet Porridge ⏰ 12:00 PM Yuxingji ⏰ 3:00 PM Twin Pagoda Market Haitang Cake ⏰ 7:00 PM Suiliuju Fermented Rice Balls ⏰ 10:00 PM Xueshi Street BBQ