[2024 Suzhou Stay] Travel Guide for Garden Hotel SUZHOU (Updated Sep)
Suzhou New Exhibition Hidden in the Jiang Family Villa:
In a luxurious small Western-style building in the ancient city
Elegant decoration blending with the charm of the Republic of China
The exhibition is set on the second floor
Take this opportunity to visit the former residence of Jiang Weiguo, which is not open to the public
📗Exhibition Theme | Water of Canglang
👨🏻🎨About the Artist | Yan Wenliang, one of the important founders of Chinese art education, is known as one of the "Four Great Principals" of the China Academy of Art along with Xu Beihong, Liu Haisu, and Lin Fengmian. His works integrate the essence of both Chinese and Western art, full of emotion and poetry.
🖌️Exhibition Content | The exhibition features 14 documentary photos and 12 replicas of Yan Wenliang's oil paintings, all created during his time in Paris and his later years (1980s).
🕰️Exhibition Time | 2024.9.9～2024.11.8 Tickets available on the official WeChat account
9Exhibition Venue | Lixige, Nanyuan Hotel (Former Residence of Jiang Weiguo), Second Floor
Not many people, very quiet. Photography and exhibition enthusiasts should not miss it ❗Great for photos❗
📍Address | Nanyuan Hotel, Suzhou
Joseph Mitchell Max-30
Suzhou | Stay at the intoxicatingly elegant and tranquil Jiang's Garden.
|Stay at the intoxicatingly elegant and tranquil Jiang's Garden. Nanyuan Hotel Suzhou
This is a well-established five-star hotel in Suzhou, and also the private residence of Chiang Kai-shek, the former residence of Yao Zhicheng and Chiang Wei-kuo, and the site of Lin Biao's "571" secret project. It is more like a private garden than a hotel. The area is quite large, densely covered with green plants, with mountains, water, and cats. It is very deep, quiet, and elegant, forming a sharp contrast with the surrounding bustling city. There are many restaurants and bars on Shiquan Street, and it is also very convenient to walk to Pingjiang Road for 20 minutes.
This time I stayed in a double bed room in the south branch, in Building 8. The room and bathroom are quite large, and you can see that they are cleaned and there is no peculiar smell. The minibar, desk, and bathtub are all available. The toiletries are all L'Occitane, and the towels are all disinfected and packaged. There was a fruit plate on the first day of check-in. The room also provides a sandalwood stick that can be lit in the incense burner to help relax and sleep. The breakfast is very rich, with a full range of Chinese and Western styles, and you can see many foreign tourists.
Every hour, the hotel will have someone to guide and introduce the history and relics of the hotel, including the former residence of Chiang Wei-kuo, etc. The "571" project site is a bit cool, with the red flag car used by Lin Biao at the time, and a secret air passage to the underground, entering the underground office, and understanding the entire process of history.
It is quite suitable for staying here for convalescence and relaxation, and it is good for families, couples, and business trips. There are not too many fancy and modern elements, and more are immersed in the quiet nature and garden design.
ethantravel
Suzhou Nanyuan hides in a classical corner of Suzhou
Hiding in a classical corner of Suzhou, I discovered this hidden paradise - Suzhou Nanyuan Hotel. Every step reveals a new scene, as if traveling back to the poetic and picturesque Jiangnan!
📍Name: Suzhou Nanyuan Hotel
📍Address: No. 99, Daichengqiao Road, Gusu District
The design of Suzhou Nanyuan Hotel is based on the concept of "garden + home", with a unique and elegant style that integrates the essence of Jiangnan gardens. The exterior features white walls, grey tiles, and dark brown wood as the main colors, creating a simple and ancient charm. The Ming Pavilion in the garden, known as the "Small Master of Nets Garden", is small yet exquisite, full of Jiangnan charm.
✅Highlights
✨Garden Villa Style: Located in the heart of the city, yet enjoying the tranquility of a private garden, a blend of tradition and modernity.
✨Garden Home Design Concept: Every corner reveals the designer's craftsmanship, blending the warmth of home with the beauty of nature.
✨One-stop Conference Service: Balancing business and leisure, whether for work or vacation, you will receive thoughtful care.
✅Nearby Attractions
✨Master of Nets Garden Stroll: Next door is the Master of Nets Garden, where you can take a morning walk or an evening tour to experience the beauty of Suzhou gardens in all seasons.
✨Shiquan Street Exploration: Just outside is the artistic Shiquan Street, where you can find handicrafts and taste local snacks.
✅Special Experiences
🍃Enchanting Night Scenery: The Nanyuan at night, with lights and ancient trees reflecting each other, offers a unique flavor.
🍃Family-themed Rooms: The best choice for family trips, allowing children to find joy in a classical atmosphere.
🍃Gourmet Hotel: Not only comfortable to stay, but also offering authentic Suzhou cuisine, a feast for both taste buds and eyes.
✅Convenient Transportation
Convenient Metro: Within walking distance to Metro Line 1 and Line 4, making it easy to travel to major attractions.
L1v1d1um_@qu@r1um
Accidentally stayed in a Suzhou garden - Nanyuan Hotel
This trip to Suzhou, the most satisfying part was the hotel.
The hotel itself is like a small garden, rich in historical heritage. It has the former residence of Chiang Wei-kuo, the second son of Chiang Kai-shek, a secret underground air-raid shelter built by Lin Biao, and the small but beautiful Mingxuan garden.
As soon as we entered the hotel lobby, we heard a guzheng performance. Knowing that we came for our wedding anniversary, the hotel upgraded our room type, decorated the room, and gave us red wine, embroidered sachets, and tea leaves. The room is a two-story suite, with a reception room on the first floor and a study and bedroom on the second floor.
The Suzhou-style noodles at the buffet breakfast were very tasty, one bowl of meat noodles and one bowl of vegetarian noodles.
The hotel's restaurant 'Soo He 1929' is somewhat mediocre, the squirrel fish is okay, but other dishes are not recommended by the hotel.
Next to the hotel is the Master of the Nets Garden, attached are beautiful photos of magnolia flowers in the Master of the Nets Garden.
EnchantBeam8
Suzhou Nanyuan Hotel
Suzhou Nanyuan Hotel is a very historic state guesthouse located on Shiquan Street in the old city district, very close to major attractions such as the Humble Administrator's Garden, Lion Grove Garden, Hanshan Temple, and the Gate to the East. During this trip to Suzhou, staying here with my family was a wonderful experience.
The hotel's garden is also a typical Suzhou garden, with many ancient trees and unique rocks. Guests can make free reservations for the hotel staff to explain the past and present of this guesthouse.
This place was the former residence of Chiang Kai-shek's second son, Chiang Wei-kuo, and Lin Biao and his wife. Through the explanation, we learned many historical stories, and we were fortunate to visit the civil air defense project of that time, seeing the ancient hand-cranked ventilation fan related to my field of study, as well as the old-fashioned Hongqi sedan.
There is a Suzhou-style noodle shop owned by the hotel at the north gate—Yan Yang Lou, which offers affordable prices and very good taste. Friends can try the Suzhou cuisine there, which is light and full of fresh flavors.
OasisOfTranquility
The Most Secluded Zen Monastery in Suzhou | Shangqing Zen Monastery (1574)
| Shangqing Zen Monastery (1574). Shangqing Zen Monastery is located inside the Nanyuan Hotel on Shiquan Street in Suzhou. According to the 'Wu County Annals', it was originally named Shangqing An and located at Loumen, established during the Ming Dynasty's Chongzhen period. In the eighth year of the Qing Dynasty's Tongzhi era, the abbot Fuchuan led his disciple Huigen to rebuild it at Nanyuan. In the 18th year of the Republic of China (1929), Chiang Kai-shek built a private residence here, and his second wife Yao Yecheng lived here with her son Wei Guo. Madame Yao, a devout Buddhist, turned it into a family temple and set up a Buddha hall. Due to long-term neglect in maintenance, the temple was destroyed. It was rebuilt in 2004. The Zen Monastery has two floors, is not large in scale, and is simple and elegant.
VoyagingDreamer
Nanyuan Hotel European Architecture | Former Residence of Jiang Weiguo (1655)
Former Residence of Jiang Weiguo (1655). The former residence of Jiang Weiguo is located within Nanyuan Hotel at No. 99 Daichengqiao Road, Suzhou City, formerly known as No. 7 Caizhenfang. It was initially built in 1925 and completed in 1929. The exterior is a European-style three-story building with three bays, covering an area of 1,500 square meters. Surrounded by ancient towering trees and shaded by greenery; it offers tranquility amidst the hustle and bustle and has a beautiful environment; the interior decoration is exquisite, magnificent and splendid. Despite enduring 90 years of vicissitudes, the building still retains its original charm and has been listed as a key cultural relics protection unit in Suzhou City.
LORETTA CONNER
Suzhou! Shantang Street! Suzhou-style garden design! Who wouldn't love such a hotel!
Suzhou Nanyuan Hotel
Selected for the 2023 Must-Stay List | Suzhou-style Garden Design | Leisure & Entertainment | Renovated in 2013 | Free Parking | Near Subway | Gym
No. 99, Shiquan Street with Chengqiao Road
6.2 kilometers away from Shantang Street by car, about 15 minutes
700 meters away from Nanyuan North Road Subway Station - Exit 1, about 9 minutes
ABIGAIL PIERCE
The unextinguishable ultimate aesthetic deeply ingrained in our ancestors is indeed unique
Hi, I'm a spicy girl👋, and I want to share the beauty captured by the camera📷 with everyone.
Last autumn, I took a trip to Suzhou and was deeply amazed by the Chinese aesthetics of Suzhou gardens😲! Of course, I couldn't miss this spring either🌸~ In March, magnolias🌼 quietly bloom in Suzhou, set against the flower windows, like a natural traditional Chinese painting🎨. There are also camellias, bamboo forests, everywhere is full of spring🌳, rendering the beauty of the south of the Yangtze River to the fullest.
I have to say, the landscaping of Suzhou gardens really deserves to be the pinnacle of Chinese aesthetics👍! It cleverly uses techniques such as framing, borrowing, leaking, adding, contrasting, separating, sandwiching, and blocking views, integrating nature into the gardens. Every step reveals a scene, and everywhere is poetic and picturesque🤩, steeped in the essence of traditional culture. This deeply meaningful Chinese romance really moves me every time I see it💓, and once again I am touched by the aesthetic of our ancestors😭.
📷 Photo taken with: iPhone15promax
📅 Date: 24.03.12
📍 Photo spots
P1 Lion Grove Garden
P2 Lingering Garden
P3 Twin Pagodas
P4 Lion Grove Garden
P5 Twin Pagodas
P6 Lingering Garden
P7 Lion Grove Garden
P8 Master of the Nets Garden
P9 Lion Grove Garden
P10 Lion Grove Garden
P11 Master of the Nets Garden
P12 Master of the Nets Garden
P13 Lion Grove Garden
P14 Lion Grove Garden
P15 Lingering Garden
P16 Lion Grove Garden
P17 Nan Yuan Hotel
P18 Lingering Garden
SeraphiraMoonshadow456[
Suzhou 4 Days 3 Nights Comfortable Travel Guide~
This trip was with my mom, focusing on comfort~ We basically slept until eight or nine in the morning and didn't leave the hotel until ten~ The last day was arranged for a visit to the ancient town, and we rented a car in advance~
Day1️⃣ Check into Nanyuan Hotel - Wander in the Master of the Nets Garden - Eat noodles on Shiquan Street - Visit Canglang Pavilion and Ke Garden - Stone Inscription Museum - Continue eating on Shiquan Street - Return to the hotel
Checked in at 11:30, walked three minutes across the street to the hotel, toured the Master of the Nets Garden~ I really loved this garden, the eaves reflected in the pond were so beautiful~ It was cloudy on the first day we went, and the sense of antiquity and desolation was magnified~ After leaving the garden, we walked to Shiquan Street and ate at Wantai Xing~ Had both red and white soup noodles, delicious toppings~ After eating, we navigated to Canglang Pavilion, choosing to walk through the small alleys, twisting and turning, both close and interesting~ Ke Garden is across from Canglang Pavilion~ After visiting, we walked three minutes to the Stone Inscription Museum~ After that, we walked back to Shiquan Street to eat~ Had Lu's baked buns, bought alkaline bread, ate at fufuland~ Returned to the hotel
Day2️⃣ Take the subway to Lion Grove - Suzhou Museum - Eat wontons nearby - Visit Humble Administrator's Garden - Pingjiang Road - Couple's Retreat Garden - Eat green poplar wontons on Guanqian Street
The only time slot available for the Suzhou Museum was 12:00-13:00~ So we went to the Lion Grove first~ The rockery in the Lion Grove was so much fun, it was already 12:30 when we came out, too late to eat so we went into the museum~ Rented an audio guide inside, browsed the cultural and creative products, bought fridge magnets, coasters, and Song brocade ornaments~ The Humble Administrator's Garden is right next to the Suzhou Museum, the colored glass windows of the Humble Administrator's Garden and the Lion Grove looked especially beautiful under the sunlight~ After leaving the Humble Administrator's Garden, we walked straight to Pingjiang Road, ate osmanthus cake, plum paste, and something like a rice ball~ Then we turned into a small alley to visit the Couple's Retreat Garden~ The garden was very quiet at sunset, with newlyweds taking photos~ After leaving the Couple's Retreat Garden, we went to Guanqian Street~ It's a bit like a pedestrian street, had a bowl of green poplar wontons and then took the subway back to the hotel~
Day3️⃣ Tour the attractions inside Nanyuan Hotel - Take the subway to Lingering Garden - Xiyuan Temple - North Gate of Tiger Hill - Take a boat to Shantang Street to stroll and eat
Nanyuan Hotel itself has some small attractions, you can stroll around after breakfast~ Took the subway at ten to Lingering Garden~ After leaving Lingering Garden, walked to Xiyuan Temple to pray, eat vegetarian noodles, feed pigeons, and take pictures of kittens~ Rested for a while and took the bus to the north entrance of Tiger Hill~ The Tiger Hill Pagoda is made of bricks, but it feels like it's imitating a wooden structure~ Outside the Sword Pool, there's a large slanted stone on the ground, with a rough feel~ From the south gate of Tiger Hill, went to the dock and took a boat to Shantang Street, enjoying the ancient sites along the waterway~ Took photos of Shantang Street during the day and at night~ Came out and ate pan-fried buns and red bean chicken head rice at Zhenxin Yuan~ Finally, picked up the car nearby and returned to the hotel~
Day4️⃣ Li Li Ancient Town
Drove to Li Li Ancient Town, the free route took about an hour, the ancient town was not commercialized, had few tourists, and no admission fee, the experience was good~ Ate Wang's spicy chicken feet~ Finally drove back to the high-speed train station~ Home sweet home~
Conclusion: In winter, besides the Humble Administrator's Garden, Pingjiang Road, and Lion Grove, there are not many people visiting the gardens in Suzhou, the experience is very good~ It's just too cold, almost froze to death in Suzhou haha~
genevieve.isabella.leclerc
The route recommended by Suzhou Culture and Tourism is not crowded even on holidays, making it very suitable for taking children out for a walk
🚶♀️Start from Gunxiufang behind Shiquan Street
Pass by Nanyuan Hotel, Suzhou No.10 Middle School, Daichengqiao Xiatang, Wuyachang, Baibu Street, Shengjia Dai, Wangxing Bridge
Finally arrive at Shuangta and Dinghui Temple
💡Although this route is not crowded with tourists, it is by no means niche. It is a representative Suzhou scenery - parallel waterways and adjacent river streets in a double checkerboard layout, and its location is right in the city center, parking is also convenient!
Tips:
✅Introduction of the attractions, there are codes on the buildings along the way, you can scan and read them yourself, Suzhou Culture and Tourism is really quite advanced in this aspect
We took one of the officially recommended routes called 'Xiaoxiang Youyou', each route has about half an hour of audio commentary
✅If you drive, it is recommended to park at Nanyuan Hotel, which has a huge parking lot
✅Shuangta Market is the only internet-famous spot, it is indeed crowded but it does not hinder taking pictures, it is not recommended to sit down for a meal, especially if you are with children, it is very inconvenient, you can consider takeout.
✅The best view of Shuangta is on the third floor of Suzhou City Tourist Information Center
Located at 276 Phoenix Street
Inside there are coffee shops, postcards and stamp collections, etc., the second floor is a bookstore
What's amazing is that across the street, Pingjiang Road is the kind of popular tourist area where it's so crowded that you can't get in, but here it's very quiet and it seems like not many people know about it
We took the pictures on New Year's Day 1.1, there really aren't many people in the picture🤦