Blue Gate Youth Hostel

Top choice in Suzhou


The teensy common area has reasonably priced beer (from ¥10) and an easy atmosphere for getting to know your fellow travellers. Rooms are basic and dorm mattresses are thin, but the location is great and the helpful manager speaks excellent English. Watch your head on the stairs.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Suzhou attractions

1. Twin Pagodas

0.13 MILES

Beautifully enhanced by flowering magnolias in spring, this delightful courtyard and former temple contains a pair of sublime pagodas, which don't often…

2. Sūzhōu Park

0.27 MILES

Small but charming public park in Sūzhōu's downtown area. Popular amongst local retirees, this is a great place to experience China's outdoor group…

3. Pingjiang Lu

0.32 MILES

On the eastern side of the city, this canalside road has whitewashed local houses sitting comfortably side by side with teahouses and trendy cafes selling…

4. Soochow University

0.39 MILES

Before the communists took over, this college was China's oldest private university, founded by missionaries of the Methodist church in 1900. The…

5. Kunqu Opera Museum

0.52 MILES

Down a narrow lane, this small museum is dedicated to kūnqǔ, the opera style of the region. The beautiful old theatre houses a stage, musical instruments,…

6. Temple of Mystery

0.55 MILES

Lashed by electronic music from the shops alongside, the Taoist Temple of Mystery stands in what was once Suzhou’s old bazaar, a rowdy entertainment…

7. Garden of the Master of the Nets

0.59 MILES

Off Shiquan Jie, this pocket-sized garden is considered one of Suzhou's best preserved. Laid out in the 12th century, it went to seed and was later…

8. Garden of Harmony

0.61 MILES

One of the lesser-visited gardens around Suzhou is the charmingly small Qing-dynasty Garden of Harmony, which has assimilated many features of older…