If you ever have an injury or illness, and are looking for doctors or hospitals in Suzhou, you’re in luck. There are some excellent hospitals and plenty of doctors who speak English and understand western standards in medicine and personal privacy. Read More>>

Honey, can you take the kids today? When you hear these words… don’t panic! The October break is coming and the colder, wetter weekends of winter are on their way… and you have the kids. What are your options in Suzhou? Answer: plenty! Your teenagers can ... Read More>>

It used to be that Suzhou was seen as a burg on the fringe of the real city life in Shanghai. Not anymore, now it is the Shanghainese who escape via the 22 minute bullet train to Suzhou for its gardens, restaurants, comparatively fresh air and its friendly, ... Read More>>

OK you have done Suzhou’s famous classical gardens, explored the canals and had some great food. Now it’s time to have some fun and go Shopping! Suzhou is a great place to find bargains but you’ve got to know where to go. Read More>>

Suzhou is at the junction of the north-south axis of the Grand Canal and the east-west running Yangtze River. As with most great crossroads, such as Istanbul, New York or London, a lot of passersby stop, settle down and start selling food. In Suzhou you ... Read More>>

An informal but aesthetically rich traditional Bavarian beer hall with its own brewery, live entertainment and very well prepared Bavarian comfort food. Cuisine Style: Though German food does not have the cache of great French or Italian cooking on the ... Read More>>

What’s next in Suzhou? You’ve done it all; you’ve walked through classical gardens, peeked down dark hallways of houses in the old town and been to Tiger Hill. Believe it or not, there are still lots of obscure and interesting corners that capture the ... Read More>>

Suzhou is known for its gardens and its good times; but a bit of exercise in between the work and the party is “de rigueur” if you want to keep healthy and trim. After the building mania, the rash of restaurant opening and the ever changing bar scene on ... Read More>>

Ever notice how it feels like you can only get one or two errands done a day in China, especially when you’re using public transportation? What once were simple, everyday tasks can easily turn into an entangled web of wants vs. obligations:... Read More>>

The guide books all describe Suzhou as ‘The Venice of the East’… When my family and I got here we were not disappointed, but it struck us that except for industrial transport, nobody was on the water. We brought our inflatable kayak and have since ... Read More>>

One of the classiest, most satisfying ways to eat in China has manifested itself through the swift, popular rise of 5-star hotel buffets. Most 5-star hotels have them, and though comparatively pricey in China, the variety and quality of the food is among ... Read More>>

Indian cuisine can be a transcendental experience, and not just because spicy food is an aphrodisiac – though that helps. Also, it’s transcendental not only because Indian cuisine ranks amongst the best and most revered cuisines in the world, often ... Read More>>

Up until this year, the club scene in Suzhou could be compared to a collection of Steven Seagal movies: they’re hackneyed, all the same, but can be enjoyable from time to time. Fortunately a number of new clubs have opened with an eye to change the ... Read More>>

Over the past few years, Suzhou’s New District (苏州新区) has budded into a cultural hot-spot, full of great venues for eating and drinking, while still maintaining an unassuming charm all but lost in the more westernised sections of Suzhou. SDND is home to... Read More>>

“Work is the curse of the drinking man,” my grandfather always says. It’s true that the cost of going out and enjoying your favorite drink can whittle away at your paychecks. Fortunately, there’s no better way to save a few bucks on drinks than to get ... Read More>>

Suzhou’s emergence as a gathering point for white-collar professionals has propelled the health and beauty industry ahead by leaps and bounds. Where there was once merely up-scale hair salons that offered massage services on the side, there are now dozens ... Read More>>

On the outskirts of Suzhou, just a short bus ride from the city center, the misty and tranquil Tai Hu Lake, the third biggest freshwater lakes in all of China, modestly sequesters a selection of tiny villages, pagodas, shrines, monasteries and scenic ... Read More>>

Suzhou is known around the world as a city full of beautifully laid-out classical gardens. What’s often overlooked in this green paradise, however, are the multitude of city parks and public spaces that add to the city’s charm. Unlike their touristy ... Read More>>

Visitors who are taken on the requisite trip to Guan Qian Street (观前街), the main pedestrian shopping area in Suzhou, are often taken aback at the surging hordes there. In contrast, Shi Quan Street (十全街) is a peaceful lane for shoppers, but the stores ... Read More>>

Long a famous destination for viewers of classical Chinese gardens, Suzhou is also home to dozens of specialized museums that try to capture some of the millennia of history that has run through this city. Large and small, each facility seeks to focus on ... Read More>>

For newcomers from abroad, Suzhou can be a challenging place to shop in. Until very recently, there were no shopping malls to speak of, just numerous department stores with luxury brands on display. Indeed, much of Suzhou’s commercial space seems polarized ... Read More>>

Downtown <br /> Suzhou’s bustling downtown area puts a premium on space, and that is reflected in the relative lack of good outdoor dining options. There are several locations, but development and subway construction have put the kibosh on a number ... Read More>>

It’s been years in the making, but Suzhou is finally home to more than a handful of locally owned and operated Western restaurants. While the dining situation is far from on par with first tier cities like nearby Shanghai, the options are already ... Read More>>

Suzhou’s burgeoning live music scene has never enjoyed more venues or a greater following. Within just the last year or so, we’ve seen a steady rise of music-friendly spaces all the way from downtown to east of Jin Ji Lake. No matter what your taste in ... Read More>>