Adventures to the water villages

Being my last week in Shanghai and China I really wanted to make the most of it and explore as much as I can, but with Beijing a good 5 hours away and Nanjing just 2 I wanted somewhere a little closer, where is that you ask? Suzhou. Only a half hour bullet train away from Shanghai it was definitely my next adventure, a bonus is that along the way to Suzhou there were numerous water villages which I could have stopped by which further sealed the deal.

I decided to make Suzhou just a day trip and leave at 7 to get a full day worth of travel in. Just a wise word of advice, whenever you decide to travel near Chinese New Years be sure to give yourself a looooot more time to get your ticket, sadly I learnt this the hard way and ended up missing my first train, but nevertheless I was able to exchange my ticket to a later train and my adventure was still on track.

First I decided to check out a water village halfway between Shanghai and Suzhou which was only a 15 minute bullet train and half hour bus away; Luzhi Water Town.  It is one of the famous water villages around the Suzhou/Shanghai area and it was easy to see why, the tranquillity and culture of the village was very calming, and walking through all the small laneways and bridges over the canals was a rejuvenating change of pace form the bustling streets of Shanghai.

The quiet streets of Luzhi made for a calming stroll along the canals.

One of the gardens in Luzhi(Sadly it was winter) but regardless of the season the view and atmosphere was very relaxing and the walk around the garden was filled with different cultural statues.

One of the many small laneways filled with stores that sell different goods.

After I was done exploring Luzhi, I hopped on a bus straight to Suzhou. Driving into Suzhou was something, it was definitely a massive change from the Shanghai landscape; there were trees everywhere, the roads were less cluttered and the general sight of more green was a sight for sore eyes. My first stop in Suzhou was to Guanqian Street, which is known for its shopping and food, but of course I was there to check out the food. I spent around 2 hours just walking around browsing all the stores, and I would definitely recommend checking out whenever you are in Suzhou. Next up was the highlight of my trip at Shangtang Street, which is pretty much a smaller water town within Suzhou. I made sure to go at night since everything becomes illuminated and it looks amazing, it made me very reminiscent of the town in Spirited Away, it also made for some amazing photos and this has to be a must visit place when you are in Suzhou.

As soon as you reach Shangtang Street this is the view you are met with. Honestly one of my favourite places I’ve visited in China and I just love the whole décor and vibe.

Most buildings were illuminated which made for some fantastic photos and views.

The streets were busy with many vendors selling odds and ends, as well as some food stalls.

Lastly, what blog of mine would be complete without food? So while in Shanghai I went to check out the food markets at Zhangjiang Hi Tech Park, and it was a variety of stalls set up in a small area that served various different Chinese dishes, and the best part? Its cheap and affordable, even though I wasn’t to take as many photos due to the rain, here are a few I’ve taken as well as bonus food from the rest of the week.

One of the many food vendors set up, this place sold marinated oysters and scallops that were chucked on the grill for a few minutes, they were delicious and only cost 15 RMB for 4.

I love chips, so as soon as I saw these bad boys I swiped them up for 5 rmb, they were marinated potato cuts which certainly hit the spot.

What food markets would be complete without skewers? This stall had a variety of skewered meat, 5 RMB could get you 3 skewers (P.S the 3 skewers on the left are mine).

I don’t know what exactly this thing is called but it was like different meats in a pastry, but the point is that it was delicious and I would definitely eat it again.

Sadly, this will be my blog here as my month in China is over, however being here has really opened my eyes and has definitely inspired me to come back another time just to explore, there is so much to see and do in China apart from the food and culture and that is something I’m looking forward to experiencing when I come back.

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