Suzhou Creek in Shanghai

Suzhou Creek in Shanghai

Attractions Overview

The coast of Suzhou River was the center of Shanghai's initial formation and development, which gave birth to almost half of ancient Shanghai. It took another 100 years to become the water framework for building an international metropolis Shanghai.

English Name: Suzhou Creek in Shanghai
Type: Shanghai Scenic Area, Shanghai famous spots & Shanghai attractions
Best Time: All Year Around
Recommended Visiting Hours: 2-3 hours

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Why is Suzhou Creek so Special?

Suzhou River was named after Suzhou City in Jiangsu Province by foreign businessmen. When Shanghai opened its commercial port in the middle of the 20th century, they always cruised to Suzhou along the river. The romantic movie “Suzhou River” released in 2000 chose the river as its theme and won the Shivos Tiger Award at the 29th Rotterdam International Film Festival and the Best Film at the 15th Paris International Film Festival in the same year.

Where is Suzhou Creek?

Suzhou River, also known as Suzhou River, Suzhou River and Wusong River, is one of the tributaries of the Yangtze River. It originates from Taihu Lake and finally enters Huangpu River east of Waibaidu Bridge, winding about 125 kilometers (77 miles), of which nearly 53 kilometers (33 miles) pass through Shanghai. When you walk along the river bank, you can enjoy the ancient European bridges on the river, as well as the western buildings and shikumen houses on the river bank. You can also take a boat tour of these landscapes.

Main Attraction of Suzhou Creek

Bridges on Suzhou Creek

Thirty-one bridges have been built on the 53-kilometer-long waterway in Shanghai. The most famous bridge on the river is Waibaidu Bridge built in the 1920s. It is the first steel riveted bridge in China and the only unequal-height truss bridge located at the intersection of Suzhou River and Huangpu River. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, 18 bridges have been built on rivers in the city. Most bridges were built or rebuilt to the East River in the style of arch bridges in European cities.

Walking west from Waibaidu Bridge, you will appreciate many ancient and wonderful bridges, such as Zhapu Road Bridge, Sichuan Road Bridge, Henan Road Bridge, etc. As classical and important landscape bridges on the river, they are the representatives of European bridges, with smooth lines and meticulous carving, which keep harmony with the architectural style along the river.

Shanghai General Post Office

As a witness of modern Shanghai, the Western-style Shanghai Post Office has preserved many typical Western-style buildings on the Suzhou River, such as the Shanghai Post Office, the former British Consulate, the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce, the Foursagade and the Asthouse Hotel. All the buildings form the nostalgic scenery of Shanghai. These buildings are part of the city’s history. When you look at the buildings along the river, you will also find the past written on their lines.

Shanghai Post Office is located at the northern end of Sichuan Road and Bridge, which is the highlight of the building. Built in the mid 1920s, it is designed in a eclectic style. The top of this eight-story building has a baroque decorative terrace. The completion of Shanghai Post Office became a sensation in Shanghai at that time because it was the first steel structure with brick exterior walls.

Different from the Greek language of East Suzhou, the section from Henan Road to Hefeng Road is full of lanes of different ages and forms. For example, Li Siwen sits on the south bank of the river and on both sides of Datong Road, extending southward to Xinzha Road. Founded in 1916, Li Siwen is an early representative of Shanghai Shikumen residence. Western structures, decorations and materials are used in the building.

The river has even gathered many large factories and workshops. In recent years, most industries have moved out of the riverside, while many artists and artists rent empty houses as studios and galleries, such as M50 and the creation garden. Those wild warehouse-style rooms are both special and interesting.

Best Time to Travel Suzhou Creek

The best travel time is spring and autumn, usually March-may and September-November.

Catkin, peach blossom and flying warbler are most suitable for outing in the suburbs in spring. Peach Blossoms in Nanhui, Cherry Blossoms in Gu Village Park and Tulips in Shanghai’s Fresh Flower Port are in full bloom. They are the best time to enjoy flowers. Autumn with red leaves all over the sky is the best time to taste hairy crabs. The so-called “autumn wind is ringing and crab legs itch”. At this time, hairy crabs have yellow legs, thick crab fat and beautiful crab meat, which make people drool.

How to Get There

Take metro line 10 or line 12, and get off at the Tiantong Road Station. Then, walk southwards for around 200 meters (220 yards) to Waibaidu Bridge.
Take metro line 8 or line 12, and get off at the Qufu Road Station. Then, walk southwards for around 200 meters.
Take metro line 1 and get off at the Xinzha Road Station. Then, walk northwards for around 500 meters (540 yards).
Take metro line 1, line 12 or line 13, and get off at the Hanzhong Road Station. Then, walk southwards for around 150 meters (160 yards)
Take metro line 13, and get off at the Jiangning Road Station. Then, walk eastwards for around 250 meters (270 yards).
Take metro line 4 or line 7, and get off at the Zhenping Road Station. Then, walk southwards for around 100 meters (110 yards).
Take metro line 11 or line 13, and get off at the Longde Road Station. Then, walk southwards for around 100 meters.
Take bus no.934, no.330, no.37 or no. 868, and get off at Biduqiao Station. Then walk southwards along Daming Road to the river bank.
Take bus no.135, and get off at Changzhi Road Mingxing Road Station. Then walk southwards along Daming Road to the river bank.

Useful Travel Tips

The rainy season is from mid-June to early July, with continuous rain. From the end of August to the first half of September is the typhoon season, often with sudden storms, these two periods of travel to Shanghai must take umbrellas.

The entertainment life in Shanghai is quite rich. The modern facilities and natural scenery in major theme parks and parks make people feel relieved and happy. Shanghai, as the birthplace of Chinese movies and the host of one of the world’s nine major film festivals, has many cinemas with state-of-the-art audio and video equipment, which can experience incomparable viewing effects. If you are a fan and fan, then in Shanghai, a series of world-class art venues and theatres will definitely make you feel full of happiness.
You can buy a wide range of Shanghai specialties, snacks and handicrafts in Shanghai, such as spiced beans and pear paste candy from the Old City God Temple, which are generally available in local specialty stores and supermarkets.