Suzhou is known as a paradise on earth for its relaxing lifestyle and beautiful scenery. Suzhou’s winter is peaceful and charming.

In winter, hot springs are the most popular tourist destination. Although hot springs are not exclusively owned by Suzhou, bathing in a hot spring surrounded by Suzhou’s beautiful scenery is a uniquely Suzhou experience.

Nearly all hot springs in Suzhou are situated among beautiful landscapes, such as Sushan hot spring in Dayang Mountain in the southern Jiangsu region, Yishe hot spring in Linhu town, Tianyi hot spring in Wangshan Mountain, Sijiyue hot spring in the Shushan natural ecological village, Haiquan Bay hot spring in Shajiabang and Golden Phoenix hot spring in the phoenix scenic area of Zhangjiagang.

Suzhou people have an exquisite diet. Suzhou residents prefer to eat seasonal foods prepared in a healthy way. Winter is a good time to taste Suzhou-style delicacies.

The top recommendation is mutton. Mutton is one of the best foods to eat in winter. Mutton from Mudu town, Dongshan, Taicang and Kunshan are very popular in Suzhou.

Suzhou’s snacks also stimulate visitors’ appetites. There are many cheap but delicious snacks along Suzhou’s streets and lanes, including plum blossom cake on Shantang Street, pan-fried buns on Guanqian Street, fried glutinous cake in lard, red bean porridge and radish dumplings on Pishi Street. The snacks are not only tasty but also healthy.

Besides eating delicious food, tasting tea in Suzhou is another wonderful experience. Visitors can have a tea break at the tea houses on Pingjiang Road or taste hand-made jasmine tea in an ancient building club. Yanguang Pavilion and Zijin Temple are also popular places to have tea.