Seven Mile Shantang: A Stroll with Delights

🌈 Suzhou's Seven Mile Shantang, this 3,600-meter-long ancient street spanning millennia, carries the thousand-year memories of Jiangnan's water towns. In 825 AD during the Tang Dynasty, when Bai Juyi served as the governor of Suzhou, he excavated the Shantang River, built embankments, and paved roads, creating a "parallel river-street" layout. It earned its name from its approximate length of seven li (about 3.5 km).

✅ Scenic Highlights: The Poetic Dwelling of Picturesque Jiangnan
Shantang Street is soulfully defined by its waterways, with meandering canals like silk ribbons. The Ming and Qing-era buildings with white walls and black tiles on both banks reflect in the water like an ink-wash painting. At nightfall, thousands of red lanterns light up in succession, transforming Shantang Street into a flowing "Gusu Prosperity Scroll." The warm glow illuminates the bluestone paths and river waters, with flickering light and shadow evoking a sense of time travel through millennia.

✅ Cultural Legacy: The Millennia-Old Elegant Homeland
From Bai Juyi's public welfare project to today's cultural tourism landmark, Seven Mile Shantang has always been Suzhou's cultural gene bank. Whether it's the sound of Pingtan storytelling in the morning light, the silhouette of lanterns at dusk, or the aroma of crab and sweet glutinous treats on the tongue, each tells the thousand-year elegance of Jiangnan's water towns. This ancient street is not just a geographical coordinate but also a cultural homeland in the hearts of Chinese people.

✅ Food Recommendations: The Culinary Heritage of Water Town Flavors
1️⃣ Crab Roe Noodles: Featuring hairy crabs from Yangcheng Lake, the crab roe and meat are hand-picked and stir-fried with lard to make crab oil, then mixed with alkaline noodles. The golden crab paste coats the chewy noodles, delivering a rich, savory flavor with tender crab meat—each bite encapsulates the essence of Jiangnan's autumn.

2️⃣ Plum Blossom Cake: Originating from Suzhou in the Southern Song Dynasty, glutinous rice flour molds are filled with red bean paste or purple sweet potato filling, adorned with small glutinous rice balls and raisins. When baked, they resemble plum blossoms—crispy on the outside, soft and chewy inside, sweet but not cloying. Legend has it Emperor Qianlong praised them as "surpassing imperial palace desserts."

3️⃣ Fermented Glutinous Rice with Poached Eggs: A warm breakfast choice for Suzhou locals, the slightly sweet and mildly intoxicating fermented glutinous rice pairs with tender poached eggs. The broth is often enhanced with osmanthus or gorgon seeds, offering both nourishment and authentic Jiangnan flavors.

📍 Address: Shantang Street, Gusu District, Suzhou
🚄 Public Transport: Metro Line 2 (Shantang Street Station)
🚩 Tips: Visit early morning (6:30-8:30) to avoid crowds and enjoy the tranquil ancient street; night tours (after 19:00) feature lantern-lit scenery and Pingtan performances, with the last boat around 21:00.
🗺 Nearby Attractions: Xiyuan Temple, Lingering Garden

Post by IsabellaWatson_76 | May 26, 2025