Romance in Suzhou: Ideas for Valentine’s Day

Valentine's Day is one of those events that slips up on us before we've had a chance to plan anything. So here's a look at some traditional and some unusual ways to let that special person know you haven't forgotten them.

Photo: daveandcharlotte.com

Chocolate and flowers

Chocolates and flowers are the classic expressions of affection. For the sweetheart with a sweet tooth, stop by The John Brown Chocolate Shop. They have a good selection of specialty chocolates and great gift wrapping. If you want to make it an evening of chocolate, take your significant other to the Bruxelles Chocolate Bar, across from The Nikuyaki Restaurant. Here you can choose a selection of Belgian chocolates and enjoy them at your table with a nice wine as you look over Jinjihu Lake. For a mega-sugar high get a custom made designer valentine cake from Couture Cakes in the basement of In-City Shopping Mall.
Stop off at Daisy's Flowers and pick up some flowers. They have a nice selection and the prices are not much higher than in the markets. Plus they do a nice job of wrapping them up.

The John Brown Chocolate Shop
Add: 365 Shiquan Jie, Suzhou
地址: 苏州市沧浪区十全街365号
Tel: 0512 6519 7077

The Bruxelles Chocolate Bar
Add: 39 Li Gong Di, S.I.P, Suzhou
地址: 苏州工业园区李公堤39号
Tel: 0512 6299 6999

Couture Cakes 卡顿尔
Add:  B020b, 1699 Xiandai Boulevard, SIP, Suzhou (Xiandai Boulevard crossing Sujia Hang Highway), S.I.P, Suzhou
地址: 苏州工业园区现代大道1699号印象城购物中心B020b号铺(近苏嘉杭高速)
Tel: 0512 6956 3889
Website: www.couturecakes.com.cn

Daisy's Flowers
Add: 107 Singa Plaza, 8 Jinji Hu Lu, S.I.P., Suzhou
地址: 苏州工业园区金鸡湖路107号馨都广场
Tel: 0512 67672681

The Perfect Dinner

As for dinner, I love Chinese food but the noise level in most local restaurants is not what you may be needing for a quiet, romantic evening. Try one of the places that offers a more intimate private environment, such as the Japanese restaurants with a tatami, cushions and the sliding paper doors. My favourite, with its dozen or so tatami rooms, is Da Ji Zhao Japanese Restaurant, in Shuhui Shopping Mall. The Celeste Tea House and Hotel also has a couple of cosy tatami tea rooms in the lobby of the hotel, which was an old family mansion. The bedrooms on the second floor all give onto a balcony overlooking the central courtyard.

Another great place for lounging while eating is the Indian restaurant Ganesh. On the mezzanine there are some private corners with dreamy white curtains, couches and cushions, a perfect place to woo a Valentine. The food is good but a bit pricy for the small quantities and drinks are expensive but Valentine's only comes once a year.

Finally, you could share a romantic dinner at the Sofitel, after which you could take an evening cruise around the moat. The city is beautiful at night with all the lights on the bridges. Pick up a boat at the north moat on Pingqi Lu across from the bus station or on the south-east corner across from Guihua Park on Nanmen Lu.

Da Ji Zhao Japanese Restaurant 大吉兆日本料理
Add: 82 Shihuifang Shangye Jie, S.I.P, Suzhou
地址: 苏州市工业园区师惠坊商业街82号
Tel: 0512 6270 6670,
Opening hours: 10:00 to midnight

The Celeste Tea House and Hotel
Add: 166 Pingjiang Lu, S.I.P, Suzhou
地址: 苏州市工业园区平江路166号
Tel: 0512 6770 5116

Galesh
Add: 1/F, Building C3, Moon Harbor, S.I.P., Suzhou
地址: 苏州市苏州工业园区月光码头C3栋
Tel: 0512 6956 9808

Sofitel
Add: 818 East Gangjiang Lu, Suzhou
地址: 苏州市干将东路818号 , 江苏省 
Tel: 0512 6801 9888

Activities within Suzhou

After dinner jump in a cab and head over to the Dragon Fly Retreat and share a sensuous massage. The scented candles, exotic soft music, and the warm gentle hands on the body are enough to set the scene for a successful closure for the evening.

If you want to do something a bit more original in the old town, take your date for an early outing to the Suzhou Pingtan Opera House. Tickets are cheap and there's a certain charm seeing all the old couples sitting around pouring tea for each other and listening to their favourite traditional songs sung live on stage.

A night stroll in Master of the Nets Garden in Suzhou of Shiquan Jie is another option. It is among the finest gardens in China and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They have classical Chinese music and dance in the evening but just walking the gardens is enchanting.

To bring the evening to a successful close take a quiet stroll up Pingjiang Lu, cross over the second bridge and turn into The Pingjiang Lodge for the night. This beautiful hotel, converted from a Ming Dynasty mansion, is a warren of halls and alcoves. The rooms are very well appointed with antique furniture but have the comforts of a fine establishment. This time of year rooms start around 400 RMB but for a little more and a bit of negotiation you can get a large room with a four poster “moon bed” bedecked with red silk quilts; an experience that takes you back in the days of princes and princesses.}

Dragon Fly Retreat
Add: East 1/F, Jiachen Building, 128 Jinjihu Lu, S.I.P., Suzhou
地址: 苏州工业园区金鸡湖路128号加成大厦1楼东
Tel: 67639636

Suzhou Pingtan Opera House  苏州戏曲博物馆
Add: 14 Zhongzhangjia Lane, Suzhou
地址: 苏州中张家巷14号
Opening hours: 8:30-14:30
Price: 5 RMB
Tel: 6727 3741

Master of the Nets Garden  网师园
Add: Daicheng Qiao Lu, 11 Kuojia Tou Xiang, Suzhou
地址: 苏州市沧浪区带城桥路阔家头巷11号
Opening hours: 7:30 to 17:30 during the day; 19:30 to 21:30 in the evening

The Pingjiang Lodge
Add: 33 Niujia Lane, Pingjiang District, Suzhou
地址: 苏州市平江区平江路钮家巷33号总机
Price: 400 RMB and up
Tel: 0512 65233888

Go all out – visit Tongli

Valentine's Day falls on a Tuesday this February. You might want to get a jump start on it by heading out to the water town of Tongli for the weekend. It is a 40 minute taxi ride but once you pay the admission and are inside the village it makes a very romantic setting for a weekend getaway. There are no cars on the cobble stoned ways and you can meander along the canals stopping off for a tea or visit one of the historic buildings included in the admission price. (Keep your ticket for verification!) There are many small hotels to choose from. We stayed in the Jin Shi Min Ju Kezhan. It was well located in the middle of the town and the proprietor's family was very friendly. This is a good time of year to visit as it is not crowded.

Jin Shi Min Ju Kezhan  金氏民居客栈
Add: 169 Yuxing Jie, Tongli, Suzhou
地址: 苏州市同里镇鱼行街169号
Tel: 0512 6332 3610

Whatever way you choose to celebrate this day for lovers, don't wait to make your plan. Cupid won't come knocking if you don't put out the welcome mat!
 

Related links
The Cream of the Crop: Suzhou's Best Western Restaurants
Suzhou: Discovering The Venice of the East By Boat
The Ultimate Pampering: Suzhou's Best Spa and Massage Venues