If old Chinese walls are your thing, visit Xiangmen Gate at the City Wall of Suzhou – one of eight historic gates that sits along this ancient perimeter wall that once guarded the city. The entirety of the wall encompasses Suzhou’s “historic district,” however Xiangmen is special because of it’s locale. This gate sits closest to the famous Pingjiang Road, and is easily accessed from Xiangmen Station on Metro Line 1. As a historically preserved attraction, you can actually scale parts of the refurbished wall and see portions of wall ruins. There’s a museum and small cafes, along with a vast and lush park – The Couple’s Garden – that edges up to the back of Xiangmen. The wall itself trails The Outer River, which includes a long walking pathway that follows alongside it for almost it’s entirety.
Go for a walk around the grounds, stop for refreshments, and even scale to the top for a unique view of the canal and surrounding city scape. It’s great for a leisurely day out with the family. For the fitness enthusiasts, the large grounds are great for excercise. Additionally, boat rides and tours of The Outer River can be purchased. In the summer, kayaks are also available to rent.
Xiangmen Gate at the City Wall of Suzhou is an understated attraction
The rich history surrounding Suzhou and the City Wall of Suzhou is quite vast. That of the wall allegedly stretches back to 514 B.C. Portions of the city wall that remain today date around 1662, with certain sections having been restored.
The equally ancient city of Suzhou, China, boasts many famous attractions. Those Suzhou attractions include Pingjiang Road, “Tiger Hill,” Shangtang Street, The Humble Administrators Garden, and Boa’en Temple Pagoda, amongst others. Modern, but famous, Suzhou attractions include Dongfanzhimen, Jinji Lake, the Culture and Expo Center, and more. Given that these places are frequented by tourists, the city gates tend to be overlooked by visitors – which is all the more reason to go. Not only are the architecture and history spectacular, but it’s also a great place to soak up the culture. Locals love to go to the city gates, and are often hubs for evening activities among the Suzhounese. Line dancing, skateboarding, Tai Chi, and general strolling are common activities that take place at the gates by night when the weather is good. By day, you’ll find elderly locals sitting about drinking tea and shooting the breeze or exercising.
The City Wall of Suzhou, Xiangmen, and its sister gates are a bit downplayed because they aren’t mapped by local tourism as “main attractions,” however they’re just as much a part of the history and culture.
And, they all typically connect to some sort of park and have pretty, natural walkways for leisurely wanderings. Historic markers and statues are usually strewn about the gate areas too.
Travel in China can be wearisome at times, especially in hustling cities like Suzhou, so consider visiting the wall if you want a dip back into nature for some peace. And, visit Xiangmen at night to taste the modern, traditional culture enjoyed by locals today.
Xiangmen Gate is free, easily accessed, and close to Pingjiang Road
The best part about Xiangmen and the other city gates are that they’re FREE! You can go and wander all you want, and at most hours of the day or night, at no cost to you. Better yet, is that historic Pingjiang Road is but a hop, skip, and a jump away.
Pingjiang Road is one of Suzhou’s most famous attractions. It’s home to traditional and old structures dotted along the city’s inner canal systems, and filled with silk and fan shops, local cuisine, and street buskers. It’s very touristy, but still manages to make you feel like you teleported back into ancient China. Many, many locals still live on Pingjiang or down side streets connecting to it, despite this being a touristy area.
Getting there is easy
Take Line 1 (the green line) to Xiangmen Station and use Exit 3. You will exit the station at Cangjie Street. Take a right and walk directly to Ganjiang East Road, Suzhou’s main road (literally less than 50 feet away). Once you’re facing Ganjian, take a left and walk toward the bridge that crosses The Outer River. The west entrance of Xiangmen Gate will be on your left.
To get to Pingjian Road head to the right from Exit 3 at Ganjiang East Road. It’s the same if you’re exiting the west entrance of the gate. It’s less than a football field’s length away, you can’t miss it.
