Citywalk route for Spring Festival shopping in Suzhou

As Spring Festival is less than a month away, Suzhou locals have begun to stock up necessary provisions for the most important holiday of the year. In case you have no idea what and where to buy, here is a citywalk route for Spring Festival shopping in the city.

Route: Pishi Street皮市街→Guanqian Street观前街→Daru Lane大儒巷

Transport: Take Suzhou Rail Transit Line 6 to Xuanqiaoxiang Station悬桥巷[地铁站] and walk 600 meters to reach Pishi Street

Best time: 1 p.m.-4 p.m.

Pishi Street

Pishi Street, located to the north of Jiuxueqian and south of Xibei Street, was a place where leather (pi in Chinese) merchants from across the country opened shops and stalls, turning it into a lively market (shi in Chinese), hence its name.

Yang Zhaodi Pastry Shop

The shop杨招娣糕点 is popular among both old-timers and tourists. It opens at 2 p.m. and closes once the pastries are sold out. The lard cake with red bean is its signature product.

Flower, Bird and Handicraft Market

The Flower, Bird and Handicraft Market花鸟工艺品市场 on Pishi Street is bustling all the year round, especially before Spring Festival, when the locals buy some flowers to add the final touch to their New Year decoration.

Guanqian Street

Walking south along Pishi Street, you will arrive at Guanqian Street, the most famous pedestrian street in the city that has been prosperous since ancient times.

Huang Tian Yuan

Founded in 1821, Huang Tian Yuan黄天源 is hailed as Suzhou's "King of Pastry." With Spring Festival approaching, its four must-have products - osmanthus rice cake, lard rice cake, eight-treasure rice pudding, and small glutinous rice ball - are extremely popular.

Cai Zhi Zhai

Cai Zhi Zhai采芝斋 was established in 1870 and is a time-honored band selling candy, pastries, preserved fruit, roasted seeds and nuts, and salty snacks.

Ye Shou He

A well-known time-honored band, Ye Shou He叶受和 first opened its doors in 1885 and specializes in Suzhou-style cakes and pastries.

Dao Xiang Cun

Originated in 1773, Dao Xiang Cun稻香村 is among the first China Time-honored Brands recognized by the Ministry of Commerce. Its pastries are made from top materials and are time-consuming to create.

Daru Lane

Daru Lane links Guanqian Street with Pingjiang Road. Originally known as Dashu Lane, it was renamed Daru Lane because Wang Jingchen, a daru (scholar who combines profundity with virtue) in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), once lived there.

Hall of Yituan Heqi

The Hall of Yituan Heqi一团和气馆, or Hall of a Ball of Harmony, integrates the exhibition and experience of Taohuawu woodcut New Year prints and the sale of creative products, allowing visitors to feel the charm of the intangible cultural heritage up close.

The Taohuawu woodcut New Year print originated in the Ming dynasty and was named after its production area - Taohuawu Street in Suzhou. It is one of the five great woodcut New Year prints in China and is among the first to be included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List.