Perhaps some of you prefer staying indoors during the freezing days, but in fact Suzhou offers quite many leisure options for residents and tourists even in the depth of winter: a cup of tea, a bowl of mutton soup, a hot spring bath…Take a quick look at the following tips for a warm winter day!
A Cup of Tea in Garden
The teahouses hidden in the classical gardens are the prime destinations for many tea lovers. Apart from hot and refreshing tea, the teahouses also generously provide alluring garden scenery for the customers. Just imagine — you are having a fresh brew at the teahouse and the fragrance of the blooming wintersweet greets your nose. It will be a cozy and relaxed afternoon!
Recommendable Teahouses
The Lingering Garden, Guanyun Teahouse
Address: No. 338 Liuyuan Road, Gusu District
Opening hours: 7:30 – 17:00 (no admissions after 16:30)
Price: RMB45 yuan (January to March, June, November and December), 55 yuan (April to May, July to October)
The Garden of Cultivation, Yanguang Pavilion
Address: No. 5 Wenya Alley, Gusu District
Opening hours: 7:30 – 16:30 (mid-October to March 31), 7:30 – 17:00 (April 1 to mid-October)
Price: RMB10 yuan
The Couple’s Retreat Garden, Shuangzhao Teahouse
Address: No. 6 Xiaoxinqiao Lane, Cangjie Street, Gusu District
Opening hours: 7:30 – 17:00
Price: RMB20 yuan (January to March, June, November to December); 25 yuan (April to May, July to October)
The opening hours of each tea house may vary due to the epidemic. Please call the tea house for more details of their services. Also, make reservations before visiting the classical gardens.
Mutton Soup
Suzhou people are fond of mutton and of course they are good at cooking mutton. Apart from the famous Cangshu mutton, local districts and county-level cities in Suzhou also have secret recipes for mutton.
Dongshan white cut mutton slices go well with wine and give a unique flavor to the dish when poured over the noodles. People in Taoyuan Town prefers to braise mutton in brown sauce. The mutton cooked this way is a bit spicy but very tasty.
The Shuangfeng Town in Taicang known far and wide for its mutton noodle soup. The mutton toppings are deliciously savory while the noodles have a smooth and chewy mouthfeel. When you finish the noodles, don’t forget the soup. It’s absolutely the essence of the noodle soup! Besides, you can also try Xushi mutton soup in Changshu (常熟徐市羊汤), Shipu mutton in Kunshan (昆山石浦羊肉), and Leyu mutton in Zhangjiagang (张家港乐余羊肉).
Recommendable Mutton Restaurants
Xindongfang Mutton Restaurant
Address: No. 80 Qionglong Road, Wuzhong District
Shuangfeng Meng’s Mutton Restaurant
Address: No. 110 Fengbei Road, Taicang
Dongshan Mutton Restaurant
Address: No. 59 Moli Road, Wuzhong District
Shipu Mutton Restaurant
Address: No. 401 Hongchuan Road, Qiandeng Town, Kunshan
Shen’s Mutton Restaurant
Address: Intersection of Mintai Road and Binhe Avenue, Changshu
Hot Spring SPA
It’s really satisfying to soak in the hot spring in frigid winter. It will not only stimulate blood circulation and speed up metabolism, but also relieve emotional stress and relax body and mind. Besides, the minerals in the spring water are good for skin as well.
