The Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced the first batch of national nighttime cultural and tourism consumption clusters on October 19. Suzhou’s Zhouzhuang Ancient Town and Jinji Lake Scenic Area were included in the list together with other 118 tourist attractions across the country.
Zhouzhuang Ancient Town
Zhouzhuang Ancient Town is one of the first batch of national 5A-grade tourist attractions. Visited by 5.5 million tourists a year, the ancient town is committed to creating the “Night Zhouzhuang” tourism brand. The eight nighttime tourism events greatly enrich the tourists’ night itinerary.
With the application of digital technologies, Zhouzhuang has introduced several mind-blowing “night show” events, i.e. Nanhu Bay Water Show and Xianjiang Bay Light Show, and evolved into a fashionable go-to destination in Suzhou.
Visitors can explore the “1086 Downshifting Block” and other “night entertainment” must-go places to have a colorful nightlife in Zhouzhuang.
The night market puts crafts unique to Jiangnan on full display. The “night painting”, with Shuangqiao Bridge as the center, outlines a premium tour route for tourists.
“Night Banquet” themed catering service allows the visitors to taste the authentic water town food.
Water town traditional melody and opera culture are oozing in the air. Kunqu opera and pingtan performances add much charm to the ancient town at night.
Famous hotel brands, including Seclusive Life and Scholars Hotel, moved into the town and helped improve the quality of “nighttime accommodation” service. Since the establishment of the Ancient Town B&B Association, Zhouzhuang has become one of the tourist attractions in the Yangtze River Delta that provide the widest selection of B&Bs.
Ticket price: RMB100 yuan
Address: No. 43, Quanfu Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Kunshan City, Suzhou
Jinji Lake Scenic Area
Jinji Lake Scenic Area is a fence-less open tourist attraction rated at national 5A grade and represents the most fashionable and vigorous side of Suzhou. At present, 26 large culture and tourism agencies as well as more than 1,700 tourism-related businesses flourish in the scenic area.
Up to 13 fashionable consumption events, including the Double 12 Shopping Festival and the Double 5 Shopping Festival, took place in Suzhou in the past year. A wide variety of markets debuted along the Jinji Lake and enriched the experience of residents and tourists through colorful music performances, interactive installation, and open-air film screenings.
Yuanrong Sky Screen takes on a new look and provides an immersive experience for visitors through 3D animation technology.
A special nighttime boat tour route allows the tourists and residents to experience the Sky Screen from a different angle.
Drone performances, “Encounter A Young Suzhou” nighttime flash mob show, nighttime sailing, and many other impressive consumption scenarios extended the “opening hours” of Jinji Lake. Most art galleries in the scenic area opened until 10 p.m. Eslite Bookstore and Suzhou Center launched the “36-hour Opening” event and provided more options to enjoy the nightlife in Suzhou.
Address: Jinjihu Avenue, Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou