Pingjiang Road in Suzhou

Attractions Overview

Pingjiang Road is a historical old street in Suzhou and a path along the river. Its name is Ping Jianghe. Pingjiang Road Historic District is the most completely preserved area of Suzhou's ancient city so far. It can be called an epitome of the ancient city.

Chinese Name: 平江路
English Name: Pingjiang Road in Suzhou
Type: Suzhou Scenic Area, Suzhou famous spots & Artificial attractions
Best Time: All Year Around
Recommended Visiting Hours: 3-4 hours
Opening Hours:open all day
Location: East of Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province

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Why is Pingjiang Road So Special?

With a history of over 2,500 years, Pingjiang was once the main road of the ancient east Suzhou city. This road can be seen on the map of Suzhou in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279).The government has protected and reconstructed the old buildings and alleys in accordance with their previous appearances and the “water flowing along the roads and alleys” structure.

Where is Pingjiang Road

Located in the center of Suzhou City, Pingjiang Road is the largest and best-preserved historical block in Suzhou. It’s a 1.6km-long (about 1mi) narrow road along the old canal, Pingjiang River, still maintaining its ancient Chinese water town features.

Main Attractions of Tongli Water Town

Many small hutongs intersect Pingjiang Road, including Xuanqiao Hutong, Shilin Temple Hutong, Fang Chuan Hutong, Donghua Bridge Hutong, Caohuxiu Hutong, Dingxiang Hutong, Daxiaoxinqiao Hutong, Jiao Xiao Hutong and Niujia Hutong. There are many old residential areas where celebrities used to live in the alleys. Today, they have become bars, teahouses and cafes, while still maintaining their original appearance.

Seventeen StoneBridges

Seventeen stone bridges have been standing on the river near Pingjiang Road for hundreds of years. Most of them still look like hundreds of years ago, each with a different story and unique bridge railing sculpture.

The Chinese Kunqu Museum

The Chinese Kunqu Museum is located in the middle of Zhangjiaxiang, Pingjiang Road District. This building was once the Jin Quan Guild Hall, and is the best preserved among the more than 100 provincial guilds in Suzhou. As the hometown of Chinese classical opera Kunqu, Suzhou government built this museum to protect and inherit Kunqu art. In the museum, visitors can see the splendid stage of the Jin Quan Guild Hall, many Kunqu manuscripts created by Kunqu professionals and famous singers in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and the pipa (four stringed instruments in ancient China) used by Pipa King Xue Laqing. The most valuable and wonderful part of the collection is the movable opera stage, decorated with white jade and glass lotus lamps. The museum holds a Kunqu opera performance every Sunday at 2 p.m.

Suzhou Pingtan Museum

Near the Kunqu Opera Museum is Suzhou Pingtan Museum. Pingtan is regarded as one of three unique culture heritages of Suzhou together with Kunqu and Suzhou Classic Gardens. Inside this museum is a screen drawing of the great Pingtan master, Liu Jingting, in the early Qing Dynasty learning skills from his teacher, a stone pillar built in 1926 to honor the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Pingtan troupe naming Guangyu Troupe, an exhibition hall of 27 kinds of Pingtan genres, and various Pingtan materials including unique copies, scripts, and audio records. Every afternoon, Pingtan artists perform on the Pingtan stage in this museum, the Depth of Wuyuan, set the same as it was 100 years ago.

Where to Eat along Pingjiang Road

Snack stalls along the street are run by local residents. They wear clothes with the characteristics of a watery region and sell sweet osmanthus jelly, fermented rice wine tangyuan, moon cakes filled with meat, Chinese flowering crabapple cakes, etc. You can eat these snacks while walking and experience Pingjiang culture.

Street shops on the road are also attractive. At the northern end of Pingjiang Road, Le Rangzi’s Belgian muffin store serves freshly baked fragrant muffins decorated with cream and fruit. The famous Ji Jiao party is a place to taste delicious chicken feet and duck tongues. In addition, there are fried steamed bread shops and the famous “fox yogurt”, which sells special yogurt with different flavors. Some restaurants in Suzhou attract tourists from all over the world. Famous restaurants on this road include Sohu Restaurant and Yuxiang Island Restaurant. Visitors will not miss sweet and sour mandarin fish, crab tofu and braised pork trotters.

Best Time to Travel Pingjiang Road

March-April and September-October are the best travel times in Pingjiang Road.

But in Hangzhou, there is no season or weather. No matter in spring, summer, autumn and winter, rain or shine, rain or snow, it can conjure up a beautiful appearance. September-November: The weather is crisp in autumn, and sweet osmanthus trees full of Longgui rain are fragrant for ten miles. Before and after the Mid-Autumn Festival, you can watch the spring tide in Qiantang during the day and enjoy the moon in the lake at night. March-May: The spring breeze is warm and the spring water is intoxicating. It is most suitable for strolling along the Suzhou Creek and enjoying the flowers.

How to Get There

• By Metro
  Take metro line 1 to Lindun Road Station or Xiangmen Station. Walk for about 300m (328yd) to the south end of the road.
• By Bus