Shantang Street

Introducing Shantang Street
Shantang Street is a famous old pedestrian street in Suzhou. The local Chinese call this street, “Seven-Li Shantang”, whereby seven-li is the measure of distance in old China. Seven-Li is approximately 3.5km. The street connects Changmen in the east with Tiger Hill in the west, with a total length of about 3,829.6 meters (2.38 miles). It was added to the list of China’s “National Historic and Cultural Streets” in 2015.

Shantang Street Fast Facts
• Chinese Name: Shantangjie 山塘街
• Best Time to Visit: March to October
• Recommended Visiting Hours: About 2 to 3 hours
• Things to Do: Photography, Shopping, Architecture, Boating
• Opening Hours: 24 hours (Street); 08:00-21:00 (Some sites inside); 08:00-17:00 & 18:00-20:00 (Boating)
• Entrance Fee: Free (Street); ¥55 (Boating tour-Xinmin Wharf); ¥100 (Oriental Viennese night boating-Baijuyi Wharf)
• Address: Shantang Street, Gusu District, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province

What to expect at Shantang Street

Suzhou Shantang Street was built by digging the river and constructing dams in 825 A.D. when Bai Juyi, one of the most famous poets in Tang Dynasty, took the post of Suzhou Cishi (feudal prefectural governor). Owing to its distinguished geographic location and convenient water and land transportation, Suzhou Shantang Street was one of the streets which trade and culture were most highly developed in Ming and Qing dynasties, regarded as the No.1 Ancient Street in China.

The renovated Suzhou Shantang Street becomes the place which shows the essence of natural views and human landscapes of Suzhou, which is rated as the miniature of old Suzhou and the window of Wu culture. Suzhou Shantang Street parallels with the waterway. Along the street stand a good many stores and halls which have delicate and graceful styles and scatter properly. All of above present the street’s prosperity again. There is a folk song, singing “There is a paradise in heaven, but there are Suzhou and Hangzhou on the earth. Hangzhou has the West Lake while Suzhou has Shantang. Both are good places with boundless sceneries”, which is the vivid image of Shantang.

How to get to Shantang Street

By Metro
• Take Metro line 2 and get off at Shantang Street Station.

By Bus
• Take bus No. 7, 31, 34, 50, 64, 70, 85, 204, 304, 311, 318, 406, 415, 501, 522, 800 or 921and get off at Shantang Street Station.
• Take bus No. 146, 949 or Tourist Line 1 and get off at Hufu Daqiao Station.

Additional travel advice on Shantang Street
• Please take care when taking a boat tour. 
• Please take care of your belongings when exploring the street.