Two Days Wandering Under the Wuxi Sun

🌆 A 48-Hour Stroll Through Wuxi’s Past and Present | Where Ancient Charm Meets Modern Flair 🚶‍♀️ One city, half the history of Jiangnan. Wuxi’s old streets hide the shimmer of a thousand-year-old canal, yet around the corner, you might bump into the sleek glass facades of modernity—this fascinating blend of old and new makes every visitor slow down, capturing the city’s dual personality through their lenses and taste buds. ------ 🏨 **Day 1: The Rustic Charm and Tech-Savvy Vibe of the Old Town** 🚄 **Morning | Arrival & First Impressions** • Take Metro Line 2 from Wuxi East Station to Wu'ai Square Station, and you’ll spot the Suya Hou Hotel right after exiting (closer than the "Sanyang Square branch" shown on maps!). At ¥158/night, it’s a steal—the front desk stocks sewing kits and hair ties, while a robot named "Ding Dong" delivers your takeout, blending tech with old-town coziness. 🍜 **Noon | Wuxi’s Classic Flavors** • A 10-minute walk to Xihe Wuxi Cuisine (Liangxi Bridge branch). Must-order: **Yulan Cake**! Crispy shell, juicy meatball filling with sweet-savory broth—so hot it’ll make you puff your cheeks but impossible to stop eating. Pair it with **Three-Delicacy Wonton Soup**, where egg shreds, seaweed, and dried shrimp dance in the broth—a taste of Wuxi childhood. 🏯 **Afternoon | Time Travel in Huishan Ancient Town** • Metro Line 4 to Huishan Ancient Town Station. Cobblestone paths wind through ancestral halls; bamboo shadows at **Erquan Academy** hide the legacy of *Erquan Yingyue* (Moon Reflected in Second Spring). Sip Biluochun tea brewed in a tin pot by the **Second Best Spring Under Heaven**, then grab a ¥5 box of **Huishan Crispy Cake** from a granny—peppery-saltiness with sesame, perfect with tea! 🌃 **Evening | Nightlife Along the Grand Canal** • Stroll to Nanchang Street as lanterns light up the ancient canal. Planned to visit **Nanchang Temple** but found scaffolding—opted for a bar instead, listening to *Taihu Beauty* by a live singer, watching boats shatter golden reflections on the water. ------ 🍜 **Day 2: A Modern Wuxi Gastronomic Adventure** 🥟 **Breakfast | A Sweet-Savory Wake-Up Call** • Rush to Xishengyuan (Fuxing Road branch). **Wuxi Soup Dumplings** have paper-thin skins—pierce gently, and amber broth gushes out, sweet yet umami. **Shrimp Wontons** are plump, the bouncy filling "dancing" between your teeth. Dip in ginger-vinegar sauce for the locals’ "morning ritual." 🌸 **Morning | A Lakeside Scroll Painting** • Taxi to Liyuan Garden. Cruise Taihu’s tributaries as the boatman hums *The Pearl Pagoda*, lake breeze carrying lotus scent. Ashore, explore **Four Seasons Pavilion**—spring peaches, summer lotuses, autumn osmanthus, winter plums framed in round windows, each snap a watercolor. 🛍️ **Noon | Lunch with a Side of Glam** • Metro to Sanyang Square, then head to Ya Long Ya Long Singaporean Restaurant on Level 6 of Plaza 66. **Bak Kut Teh** is herb-rich with fall-off-the-bone ribs; **Hainanese Chicken** glides with three dipping sauces. Post-meal, grab **ARTEASG** milk tea—Ceylon black tea + fresh milk, refreshing! 🍰 **Afternoon | Sweet Tooth Therapy** • Walk to AMAM, a locals’ secret "pretty shop." **Tiramisu** layers coffee-soaked ladyfingers with cloud-light mascarpone, dusted with bittersweet cocoa. **Earl Grey Milk Tea** is average, but the Insta-worthy Morandi-toned decor is a photo op! ☀️ **Tips: Wuxi Summer Survival Guide** • 🌞 **Sunscreen!** Liyuan & Huishan have lots of open areas—bring a parasol + mini fan. • 🚇 **Transport:** Metro covers major spots; taxis start at ¥10. Parking’s tricky in old town—go green! • 📸 **Photo Ops:** Huishan’s **Jichang Garden** koi pond, Nanchang Street’s **Qingming Bridge** nightscape, Plaza 66’s starry ceiling hallway. Wuxi’s magic lies in how it reconciles history with modernity. Whether you’re munching Yulan Cake in alleyways or sipping coffee behind glass facades, this city will steal your heart. 🌉✨