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Photo: Chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A restored canal street running from Changmen to Tiger Hill. The southeast end of the street may be mobbed with tourists, but as you walk further north the souvenir shops and restaurants disappear, and you can take a leisurely stroll along the canal through a quiet residential neighborhood.
Shantang Street (Chinese: 山塘街; pinyin: Shāntáng Jiē; Suzhou Wu, Wugniu: Se1 daon2 ka1, Wu Chinese pronunciation: [se̞ dɑ̃ kɑ]), also known as Seven-li Shantang (Chinese: 七里山塘), is a street in northwestern Gusu District, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. The street connects Changmen (Chinese: 阊门) in the east with Huqiu in the west, with a total length of about 3,829.6 meters (2.38 miles), or a little more than seven li or traditional "Chinese miles". Due to the great history and events involving Shantang Street it is sometimes stated as being the "First Street in Shuzou".
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Liu Yuan 留园
One of the largest classical gardens in Suzhou.
西园寺
虎丘塔; Hǔqiūtǎ
This is also called the "Yunyan Pagoda", after the Buddhist temple it was once part of; the temple was burned during the cultural revolution. Some buildings have been reconstructed and a 48-m tall brick pagoda with seven stories and eight sides remains, though now missing its wooden outer skin. It is one of the few remaining examples of pagodas of this type and is sometimes called the "Leaning Tower of China" because it has tilted a bit since it was built in the 900s. Tiger Hill is of enormous importance historically and culturally, but much of its significance will likely be lost on foreign visitors.
阊门
This gate is well preserved and still used.