Suzhou Shopping

Besides famous for silk and embroidery, Suzhou offers many must-buys, such as sandal wood folding fans, silk fans, wood cut paintings, jade carvings, calligraphy, paintings and silk lingerie. The green teas, velvet blankets, moon-cakes and pine-seed candies are also worth buying.  Gifts for friends are easily available here.

Suzhou has another unique feature - hair embroidery, a special technique that uses human hair to be worked onto a silk backing.  There is also kesi, or carved silk, which makes use of a weaving process that mixes raw and boiled silk.  Material of this type was once reserved for imperial robes but can now be bought as paintings, scrolls and waistbands. Just enjoy your shopping in Suzhou!

What to buy

Handcrafts

Su Embroidery

Su embroidery is one of the four major styles of Chinese Embroidery. Vivid depictions of animals, people, landscapes and flowers are popular themes of Su embroidery. Traditional embroidery is blended with fashionable contemporary elements, yielding a style of embroidery that is appreciated by both Chinese people and foreigners. You can enjoy more exquisite Suzhou embroidery in the Su Embroidery Museum, which is at No.262, Jingde Road.

Song Brocade

From ancient times, the silk produced in Suzhou has been considered among the best in China. As its name implies, Song Brocade, which is woven from the outstanding silk of Suzhou, is made in the style of the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Song Brocade, which is made in a variety of styles and serves many functions, is always elegantly designed and colored. If you want to learn more about the silk culture of Suzhou and do some shopping, the Suzhou Silk Museum is a must. It is located at No.2001 Renmin Road and can be reached by buses No.1 and 102 and the tourist special buses No.1 and 2.

Suzhou Fan

Suzhou fans are another of the fine handcrafts available in Suzhou. The traditional folding fans can be made of sandalwood or mandarin silk, while the newer style round fans are made of paper. They make good gifts for yourself or a friend back home.

Taohuawu Woodblock New Year Prints

Usually posted on exterior doors, Chinese New Year prints were originally used to exorcise the house of evil spirits. The combination of interesting subjects with woodblock printing helped this craft develop into a popular form of folk art. Incorporating auspicious themes that portray mother and child, local stories, religious motifs and well-known fables, Taohuawu Woodblock New Year Prints, which are internationally recognized, are created using a three-step process that requires the image to be drawn on paper, carved in the selected wood and then printed. You can purchase this Chinese traditional handcraft at No.190 Shantang Street.

Suzhou Writing Brush

Writing brush, ink stick, ink slab and paper are the four treasures of calligraphy in China. The special Huzhou writing brush that is currently produced in Suzhou, originated in Zhejiang Province. Brushes sold in Suzhou today have incorporated a series of improvements, becoming a distinctive specialty of the area.

Other

Biluochun Tea

Biluochun green tea is produced in Wu County, Suzhou of Jiangsu Province. It is one of the ten famous Chinese Teas and is noted for its smooth shape, fresh color, fragrant aroma and mellow taste. The best Biluochun tea leaves are picked during March and April, and the prepared tea leaves are curled like screws and covered with white fuzz. Production of authentic Biluochun tea is very limited, making it expensive and hard to find.

Business Street

Guan Qian Street

This street, located in the central downtown area, is the center of Suzhou commerce, due at least in part to the presence of shops that have been doing business here for many years. The Pine and Crane Restaurant, Cai Zhi Zhai and Huang Tian Yuan are all located here. Others, including Lu Gao Jian, which is noted for its unique meat products, and Sheng Chun Yang, which sells high-quality hams, are also famous in Suzhou. If food is not on your shopping list, you can visit the Heng Fu Silverware Shop, which was founded in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and enjoys an excellent reputation in China. For fashionable clothing, the Golden Eagle Shopping Center, located at No.1 Guan Qian Street, is your best choice.

Shi Quan Street

Hotels, restaurants, clubs and pubs, fashionable clothes and splendid handcrafts are all available on this bustling street in Suzhou. Exquisite Su embroidery can be founded in Su Xiu Tang. Jin Sha Ge and Bo Gu Tang are two stores that sell antiques, pottery and porcelain. Chinese paintings and calligraphy are sold in Rui Guang Zhai. This street is also popular with young people looking for fashionable and reasonably priced Japanese, Korean, and European style clothing. Tourist special route No.2 and regular buses No.204, 47, 501, 931, 55 and 811 will take you there.

Shilu (Stone Road) Pedestrian-zed Shopping Street

It is located in Jinchang District.  It is said the street had already been very prosperous in ancient time.  Reconstructed in 2003, and now it becomes one of the best shopping centers in Jiangsu Province.  Xinfeng Lane here is to be restored and become a special street with cafes and pubs.  People can enjoy the leisure life there after doing shopping.  The formal opening of Shilu Pedestrian-zed Shopping Street also stimulate consumers' popular enthusiasm with the market at night in the Shilu commercial area.  Business hours of the stores on Shilu (Stone Road) are prolonged to 10 PM.

Taoist Temple Street

It is the busiest shopping mall located in the city center.  The well-known Temple of Mystery on this street is a national monument.

Department Stores

Tower Department

Clothing, shoes, cosmetics, watches, furniture and so on are assembled here. The environment is comfortable, and the service is professional.

Address: No.23-29, Renmin Road

Opening hours: 10 am-10 pm

Metro Shopping Mall

Address: No.245, Guan Qian Street

Opening hours: 9:30 am-10 pm from Sunday to Thursday

9:30 am-10:30 pm on Friday and Saturday

Supermarkets

Carrefour Supermarket

Address: No.183-184, San Xiang Road, Suzhou

Metro Supermarket

Address: No.579, Changjiang Road, New District, Suzhou

Trust-Mart Supermarket

Address: No.288, Dong Wu North Road, Canglang District, Suzhou

Buses: No.1, 102,101 and 103