Things are starting to move on the bar scene in Suzhou. There is a new Scarlet being built alongside a few other clubs that have opened up at Ligongdi. Zero Bar is a new addition on Shiquan street. Even Q’s Club closed for a couple of weeks to go under the hammer, emerging with a new interior, a new menu and a new sign proclaiming it to be the Drunken Club (even though the sign saying Q’s Club still hangs outside). But, by far the best new addition to Suzhou’s nightlife is Garbo’s. It’s exactly what Suzhou has been missing. The man behind it is named Lars. You may remember him as the manager of Dan’s Old Farmhouse. At Garbo’s he has brought together everything that a good bar needs, and he’s there almost every night pouring drinks and making sure that everything runs smoothly.

Without a doubt, this bar sells the best beer in town. Jane’s Pub Bar has some good choices, but it’s nothing like what Garbo’s has got. They keep Stella Artois, Krombacher and Boddingtons on tap, and at just 35RMB (a little more for...

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Having been in Suzhou for a long time, we thought that we had been to or at least heard of all of the UNESCO World Heritage Site gardens in Suzhou. A couple of weeks ago a friend mentioned this place, and we thought he must have been mistaken, but sure enough the Couples Garden Retreat does exist. It is the newest of all of the Heritage Site gardens having only really been completed in the late 19th century.

Here’s the thing. The Couples Garden is actually two gardens side by side, and they both require separate 20RMB tickets. The Suzhou Zoo is located in the part known as Ouyuan. The modern requirements of the zoo have largely transformed this garden, but Dongyuan sits pretty much unchanged since it was built.
We didn’t have a clue how to get to that green spot in the northeast corner of the old town though. We’d seen it a dozen times from across the canal but could...

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