Shantang Street

七里山塘

The Seven-Li Shantang, a waterside street that Bai Juyi had dug and built in the Tang dynasty. It links Changmen Gate with Tiger Hill, and at night the red lanterns reflected in the water make it Suzhou's most classic water-town night scene.

Shantang Street lies in the northwest of the Old Town. In 825, during the Baoli era of the Tang dynasty, the poet Bai Juyi, then Governor of Suzhou, dug the Shantang River and built a dike to form the street. It runs about 3.6 km (seven li) from the Sengqiao Ferry at Changmen in the east to the Wangshan Bridge at Tiger Hill in the west, which is why it is called the “Seven-Li Shantang.” During the Ming and Qing dynasties it was the busiest commercial street in Suzhou, known as “the First Famous Street of Gusu.” Highlights include the eastern section (about 500 m from Changmen to Xinmin Bridge), which has been renovated into a tourist area with white walls, black tiles and lanterns hanging on both banks. Sights include the Yuhan Hall (the former residence of Wu Yipeng, a Grand Secretary of the Ming dynasty, about 20 yuan admission), the Antai Fire Brigade, an old opera stage (free Kunqu and storytelling performances on weekends), the Suzhou Chamber of Commerce Museum and Tonggui Bridge, which offers the best angle for night photos. The western section, which leads to Tiger Hill, keeps its local residential life, and its bluestone paths and old houses have a more down-to-earth feel. You can take a pleasure boat (about 50 to 100 yuan per person) to see the Shantang River at night. The street is free to enter. Food: Shantang Street has long-established shops such as Caizhizhai, Wufangzhai and Songhelou. You can also have a bowl of Aozao noodles or osmanthus and red bean paste at a small riverside eatery. Getting there: Exit 3 of Shantang Street Station on Metro Lines 2 and 4 leads directly to the entrance of the eastern section. A good plan is to arrive around 5:30 pm, explore the eastern section, take a boat to see the lanterns after dark, and then walk back to Changmen. This takes about 2 hours. If you have more time, you can walk from Tiger Hill back to the Old Town along Shantang Street during the day. Note: the eastern section is crowded on weekends, and some stretches of the western section are dimly lit at night, so take care.

Shantang Street

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