2018

Language and Culture Center

Duke Kunshan University

FUN IN KUNSHAN

Contents 九方城 9 Square Shopping Mall ................................................................................................................... 1

正仪老街 Zhengyi Old Street ........................................................................................................................ 4

重元寺 Chongyuan Temple .......................................................................................................................... 6

森林公园 Forest Park ................................................................................................................................. 10

皮市街花鸟市场 Bird and flower market at Pishi Street ........................................................................... 13

阳澄湖站&自行车道 Yangcheng Lake Station & Bicycle Lane .................................................................. 16

悦丰岛 Yuefeng Island： ............................................................................................................................ 19

1 九方城 9 Square Shopping Mall

九方城 9 Square Shopping Mall Challenge level ★★☆☆☆

Who will like this trip: Suitable for whole family

Description: This relatively new upscale shopping mall is very popular in Kunshan. It has a large variety of local and Western name-brand stores. It also features an international supermarket, a full cinema, fitness center, early learning center, countless restaurants (both Asian and international), eye-glass and prescription stores, clothing stores and much more. There is a two-floor underground parking garage (free for three hours, 10 yuan/h thereafter). Be warned that you may still have difficulty finding parking on weekends. It is however easy to reach by bus, taxi or Didi (see travel details below).

Operation time：Sunday–Thursday 10:00 – 22:00 Friday - Saturday 10:00 – 22:30

Address: 萧林路 666 号, No.666, Xiaolin Road

What this place has:

• A nice photoshop (outside the shopping mall) with cosmetic services. They can provide official photographs for legal as well as fun and social purposes. A great bakery (1F). Various and delicious bakery food and coffee drinks.

• G-Super Greenland Global and international foods (-1F). This is kind of supermarket, but the goods are coming from all over the world. And it has not only daily supplies but also ready-made food.

• A cinema (4F). We recommend you purchase tickets via AliPay in case the good seats are sold out.

2 FUN IN KUNSHAN

• One restaurant we recommend is called Xibei (西贝筱面村) (5F). It is famous for noodle products and they have an English menu.

• "HoneyMoon Dessert" (1 F) is a fun dessert venue with lots of interesting combinations especially for kids.

• Attached to the mall you will find the Crown Plaza Hotel. To access the hotel you need to leave the mall and enter by the hotel lobby. On the 2nd floor is the newly opened and very popular "Burger Bar." Even the Veggie Burger is good!

Tips:

The most popular restaurants can be crowded and sometimes have a wait. Think about planning to go early or make a reservation.

Most of the restaurants are at -1 (basement) floor and 5th floor. There is a café that is popular on the internet outside the shopping mall, passed the

Crown Plaza Hotel, which is called Yearn Tours (妍图). How to get there:

• By taxi/ Didi: about 15 minutes, 20RMB • By bus: No.155/ No.22. If you choose to take No. 155, get on at Zuchongzhi Road Duke

Avenue station (祖冲之路杜克大道站) and get off at Xiaolin Road Zizhu Road Station（萧林路紫竹路站）. If you choose to take No. 22, you can start at the Kunshan Duke University bus stop and get off at Xiaolin Road Zizhu Road Station（萧林路紫竹路

站）.These buses stop within 5 minutes’ walk of 9 Square.

Chinese language learning:

Places

九 E

jiǔAA E 方 E

fāngAA E 城 E

chéngAA E 商 E

shāngAA E 场 E

chǎng

9 Square Shopping Mall

(AE地 E

dìAA E 下 E

xiàA)A E 停 E

tíngAA E 车 E

chēAA E 场 E

chǎng

(underground) parking

A E 电 E

diànAAE梯 E

tī

elevator/escalator

卫 E

wèiAA E 生 E

shēngAA E 间 E

jiān

Toilet/restroom

Activities

A E 买 E

mǎiAA E 东 E

dōngAAE西 E

xi

buy something

A E 吃 E

chīAA E 饭 E

fàn

have a meal

A E 上 E

shàngAA E 楼 E

lóu

go upstairs

3 九方城 9 Square Shopping Mall

Picture gallery:

A E 下 E

xiàAA E 楼 E

lóu

go downstairs

A E 看 E

kànAA E 电 E

diànAA E 影 E

yǐng

watch movies

Clothes

A E 上 E

shàngAAE衣 E

yī jacket

AE裤 E

kùAAE子 E

zi pants

A E 裙 E

qúnAAE子 E

zi skirt

A E 鞋 E

xié shoes

Others

A E 眼 E

yǎnAA E 镜 E

jìng glasses

A E 化 E

huàAA E 妆 E

zhuāngAA E 品 E

pǐn

cosmetics

A E 电 E

diànAA E 影 E

yǐngAA E 票 E

piào

movie ticket

Bakery

G-Super Greenland Global and international foods

Cinema

Xibei restaurant

4 FUN IN KUNSHAN

正仪老街 Zhengyi Old Street Challenge level ★★★★★

Who will like this trip: Adults. There are no real entertainments for children, they might get bored :).

Description: This is a water town in Kunshan. Compared to Zhouzhuang (a larger water town to the south of the city), this water town is less touristic and provides a more authentic view of traditional life in the area. - This place is the origin of Green Dumplings and Bulb Wonton. In the case of bulb wonton Zhengyi is the only place to try it.

Address: 上塘街 142 号 No.142, Shangtang Street (This is a landmark location called Yilushuangfeng Tea House (依绿霜枫茶书院) on the old street)

Things to do:

• Get the feel of life in an authentic Chinese water town. • Try bulb Wonton. This is a must-eat at Zhengyi Old Street. The Hongxia bulb wonton (红

霞泡泡馄饨) is the most famous. (After paying for the food, you have to pick up the food from the window by yourself. Locals usually choose the pork chop to match with the bulb wonton.) We also recommend some other bulb wonton restaurants – Shenji bulb wonton (沈记泡泡馄饨) and Xiao Hua bulb wonton (小花泡泡馄饨).

5 正仪老街 Zhengyi Old Street

• Try green dumplings. This place has the most authentic green dumplings, and we highly recommend Wenkui Zhai (文魁斋). (Green dumplings are a seasonal food, they only have this during Tomb-Sweeping Festival.)

• Try all kinds of pastries. (Jiu Niang pastry is a Kunshan specialty. It comes in two flavors (Rose flavor and Red Bean flavor )

• There is a tea house called Yilushuangfeng Tea House (依绿霜枫茶书院 ) on the old street. You have to take off your shoes and put on the slippers that they supply when you walk in. The environment is fabulous. They have many delicate plants and some animals such as goldfish, tortoises and parrots. The price is 60RMB/person and the private room require the minimum consumption (200RMB).

• There is also a nice café called House, Coffee and Books (老屋，咖啡与书) there. People there are very nice. They have various books for you to read and freshly ground, hand-poured coffee.

Tips:

This water town hasn’t been developed into a tourist spot, so there is not much beautiful scenery to enjoy, but very original.

Besides from the wonton and pastry, there is no other specialty food to eat at the town. Green dumplings are sold only during the spring, and if you would like to buy them , you

probably have to wait in line. There is meat in bulb wonton; if you are vegetarian, you have to pass this up. You might consider trying the bulb wonton first, and then then explore the town.

How to get there:

• By Taxi/Didi: about 15 minutes, 21RMB • By bus: No.129 and No. 128. These two lines can be caught in front of Zuchongzhi Road

Duke Avenue and City railway Yangchenghu Station.

Chinese language learning:

Places

A E 正 E

ZhèngAAE仪 E

yíA A E 老 E

lǎoAA E 街 E

jiē Zhengyi Old Street

A E 茶 E

cháAA E 社 E

shè teahouse

AE咖 E

kāAA E 啡 E

fēiAA E 厅 E

tīng cafe

A E 饭 E

fànAA E 店 E

diàn restaurant

6 FUN IN KUNSHAN

Picture gallery:

A E 商 E

shāngAA E 店 E

diàn store

Foods

A E 泡 E

PàoAA E 泡 E

paoAA E 馄 E

húnAA E 饨 E

tūn bulb wonton

A E 青 E

qīngAA E 团 E

tuán green dumplings

AE大 E

dàAA E 排 E

pái pork chop

A E 茶 E

chá tea

AE咖 E

kāAA E 啡 E

fēi coffee

Bulb wonton Green dumplings

Pastries

Old street Tea House

Cafe

7 重元寺 Chongyuan Temple

重元寺 Chongyuan Temple Challenge level ★★★★☆

Who will like this trip: Educational but no additional children areas.

Description: This was constructed in the year of 503, but destroyed during the Great Cultural Revolution. The temple was reconstructed in 2003 and has an area of over 300 mu. There are many scenic wonders such as the largest main Buddharupa, the biggest natural free life pond, the largest indoor Avalokitesvara, Goddess of Mercy Pavilion and so on. Anyway, this temple is huge and grand.

Operation time：Everyday 08:00 - 18:00

Address: 阳澄环路 33 号 No.33, Yangcheng Loop Road

Things to do:

• Hang out and appreciate the scenic wonders. • This place is located at Yangcheng Lake; you could walk along the lake and enjoy the

nature. There are many varieties of water fowl. Avalokitesvara Pavilion is located onan artificial island.

8 FUN IN KUNSHAN

• For the biggest indoor Avalokitesvara statue, you could take the elevator to the third floor to the shoulder of the Avalokitesvara statue. Then walk upstairs, you could see the whole Yangcheng Lake from the top of the temple.

• Have a bowl of vegetarian noodles to experience the monks’ daily diet. • There is a huge mass of lotus in the lake, so summer would be the best opportunity for

you to appreciate the lotus flower. • It is possible to reserve an over-night room and stay on site. However, you need a

Chinese speaker with you to make the reservation. Contact 0512-62890880-8159、8187 (Mr. Jiang and Mr. Wu) and make the order.

Tips:

This place requires a ticket. The price is 20 RMB per person, and you could buy the tickets in front of the gate of the temple. If you use the third party such as Meituan (美团), The Public Comment(大众点评), the price would be 14 RMB (before 4:00 pm)

Candles and incense are available, but not required if you are not a practicing Buddhist. The bicycle lane at Yangcheng Lake is close to there; you could bring your own bike or

rent the bike there. (Require the rent fee) http://www.chongyuansi.com.cn/a/wangzhanshouye/ This is the website for

Chongyuan Temple and they have the English version to choose.

How to get there:

There is a free parking lot near the ticket lobby, so it’s very convenient to drive there. You could set your GPS and tell the driver to stop there.

• By taxi/Didi: about 30 minutes, 40RMB

Chinese language learning:

Places

重 E

ChóngAA E 元 E

yuánAAE寺 E

sì

Chongyuan Temple

AE佛 E

fó

Buddha

佛 E

fóAA E 教 E

jiào

Buddhism

莲 E

liánAA E 花 E

huā

lotus

罗 E

luóAA E 汉 E

hàn

arhat

观 E

guānAA E 音 E

yīn

Avalokitesvara

9 重元寺 Chongyuan Temple

Picture gallery:

菩 E

púAAE萨 E

sa Bodhisattva

Foods

素 E

sùAA E 面 E

miàn

vegetarian noodle

Vegetarian noodles

10 FUN IN KUNSHAN

森林公园 Forest Park Challenge level ★☆☆☆☆

Who will like this trip: Suitable for the whole family

Description: This is an ecological wetland park. It's a fabulous place for you to ride a bike, have a walk, exercise, have a picnic, watch children play, or just relax. This 3,151-acre park has a great variety of plants, trees and specialty gardens. You will see bamboo gardens, many lotus ponds, plum and other fruit trees, fields of wildflowers, to mention just a few. If you are a fan of nature you will fall in love! The park is free. But if you have time you can pay to take a boat ride, visit a special botanical garden and (starting in 2019) visit a zoo with a petting area (great for children)!

Operation time：5:00 in the morning to 8:00 in the evening. The bike path is open 24 hours and is lighted at night.

Address: 阳澄环路 33 号 No.33, Yangcheng Loop Road

Things to do: • It’s a fabulous place to ride the bicycle. You can use your own bicycle or you can rent

there. I highly recommend you rent the public bicycle. The renting spot is at the South gate of the park and the renting fee is free for one hour (1RMB/hour for each hour

11 森林公园 Forest Park

afterwards). You could also choose to rent a three-person pedicab for 40RMB or a five-person pedicab for 80RMB (each requires a 200RMB deposit).

• Have a picnic and enjoy the huge grass lawn. There is a self-service store next to the huge lawn where you can use your Wechat or Alipay to buy refreshments, water and snacks.

• There are many featured attractions such as Rainwater Garden, Baicao Garden, Crabapple Garden, Mallard Beach, Lotus Pool, Rose Garden and so on.

• There is also a 24/7 self-service library where you could take away one book and read on the lawn.

Tips:

For renting the public bicycle, scan the QR Code on the bicycle locker by Alipay. the renting fee is free for one hour (1RMB/hour for each hour afterwards)

The bicycle lane crosses the whole park and the newly built bicycle lane crosses the river and the road. It passes over some of the lotus ponds and other beautiful parts the park.

The pedicab is not that easy to ride you may have to get off and push when you go uphill.

This park is huge. If you want to see the entire in one visit, then riding the bicycle is a better option compared to walking. If you are hiking, there are plenty of shady places to stop and rest.

How to get there:

There is a parking lot in front of the gate, it requires 5 RMB in one hour and 1RMB/h for exceeding hours.

• By taxi/Didi: about 15 minutes, 15RMB • By bike: 25min, free for the public bicycle. • Bus 31 takes you directly to the south and the west gate. The 32 will take you to the

Sports Center which is a 5-minute walk from the south gate of the park. • The South gate of the park is next to the Sports Center and Cultural complex. Many of

the most popular apartment communities are found next to this complex and provide great access to the park.

Chinese language learning:

Places

A E 森 E

sēnAA E 林 E

línA A E 公 E

gōngAA E 园 E

yuán

Forest park

A E 三 E

sānAA E 轮 E

lúnAA E 车 E

chē

pedicab

A E 竹 E

zhúAA E 林 E

lín

bamboo garden

12 FUN IN KUNSHAN

Picture gallery:

A E 桃 E

táoAA E 园 E

yuán plum garden

A E 果 E

guǒAA E 园 E

yuán fruits garden

AE湖 E

hú lake

Pattern of Payment

现 E

xiànAA E 金 E

jīn

cash

A E 支 E

zhīAAE付 E

fùAA E 宝 E

bǎo

Alipay

A E 微 E

wēiAA E 信 E

xìn

Wechat-pay

Bicycle Lane

Rose Garden One of the entrances

The main road in the park

13 皮市街花鸟市场 Bird and flower market at Pishi Street

皮市街花鸟市场 Bird and flower market at Pishi Street Challenge level ★★★★★

Who will like this trip: Suitable for whole family, be careful with small children

Description: This is a big market that sells animals (dogs, cats, hamsters, tortoise, rabbits, birds, lizards, insects and so on), and also all kinds of flowers and plants. You can also treat yourself to a great variety of Suzhou style desserts. This is a splendid place to buy flowers and plants because of the great variety and the reasonable prices. The market is spread out over many alleyways these can be quite narrow. You will probably need more than one afternoon to see the whole market. Take your time it might be a good place to visit more than once.

Operation time：Whole day, there is no gate

Address: 皮市街 172 号 No.172, Pishi Street

Things to do:

• Enjoy the special market in the alley. • Explore the birds and insects that you have never seen. • If you go in colder weather you may even see the vendors put the insects inside their

coats in order to keep them warm. This a special Suzhou practice. • Spend time choosing your favorite flower or plant and buy it. • Taste the authentic sweet porridge which you could taste only in Suzhou and there is a

stall called Pan Yuling sweet porridge (潘玉麟) which I highly recommend.

14 FUN IN KUNSHAN

• Taste sweet cake called "tiger’s feet" and shredded radish cake at the street stall. • Taste all kinds of pastries at Yang Zhaodi Pastry. This shop opens from 2 pm and closes

when the pastries sell out - get them fast! Tips:

Keepi close to your companions. It is easy to get lost in the many alleys. When it is time to have a meal, you might consider the Aozao noodle restaurant nearby. If you want a big meal, you might want to go to Deyue Lou (得月楼), which has a long history and the food there is very authentic Suzhou style.

How to get there:

The market is located at a crowded street that has many alleys, so you have to park the car nearby such as at Guanqian Street (parking price: 10yuan/h).

By taxi/ Didi: about 45 minutes, 90RMB

Chinese language learning:

Animals

A E 狗 E

gǒu

dog

A E 猫 E

māo

cat

A E 仓 E

cāngAA E 鼠 E

shǔ

hamster

AE乌 E

wūAA E 龟 E

guī

tortoise

AE兔 E

tùAAE子 E

zi

rabbit

A E 鸟 E

niǎo

bird

AE蜥 E

xīAAE蜴 E

yì

lizard

A E 昆 E

kūnAA E 虫 E

chóng

insect

Foods

AE奥 E

àoAA E 灶 E

zàoAA E 面 E

miàn

Aozao noodle

A E 老 E

lǎoAAE虎 E

hǔAA E 脚 E

jiǎo

tiger’s feet

15 皮市街花鸟市场 Bird and flower market at Pishi Street

Picture gallery:

Pan Yuling (潘玉麟) sweet porridge

Sweet cake which is called tiger’s feet (老虎爪) Patty with turnip shreds (萝卜丝饼)

Yang Zhaodi Pastry (杨招娣糕点)

16 FUN IN KUNSHAN

阳澄湖站&自行车道 Yangcheng Lake Station & Bicycle Lane Challenge level ★★☆☆☆

Who will like this trip: This location is for practical transportation needs. It's not really fun!

Description: In addition to Kunshan South Station, Yangcheng Lake Station is another bullet train station, which is smaller than Kunshan South Station but more convenient. Noticeably, there are fewer train numbers than Kunshan South train station. And the bicycle lane is very closed to the station, you could park your car there.

Operation time：Yangcheng Lake Station: 06:20-07:00, 08:50-11:10, 14:30-15:00, 16:40-17:55, 18:40-19:35, 20:05-20:40, 21:20-21:55 Bicycle lane: open all day

Address: 新澄路, Xin Cheng Road

Tips:

The hours of operation can vary so you should check the trains arrival or departure time before going there. (Business Hours: 06:20-07:00, 08:50-11:10, 14:30-15:00, 16:40-17:55, 18:40-19:35, 20:05-20:40, 21:20-21:55)

The car parking lot is free, and you could find a parking place easily. You have to walk many steps to the station and the elevator is broken. So be prepared if

your luggage is heavy.

17 阳澄湖站&自行车道 Yangcheng Lake Station & Bicycle Lane

For the bicycle lane, you could rent the public bicycle by Alipay (scan the QR Code on the bicycle locker). It’s free in one hour and 1RMB per hour for exceeding hours.

The bicycle route is along the outside of Kunshan city, from Tongcheng Road to Yangcheng Lake. It is open 24 hours.

How to get there:

By Taxi/Didi: about 15 minutes, 20RMB

By bus: No.129. You can be picked up in front of Zuchongzhi Road Duke Avenue Station (祖冲之

路杜克大道站) and get off at Yangcheng Railway Station (城铁阳澄湖站).

Chinese language learning:

Picture gallery:

A E 阳 E

YángAA E 澄 E

chéngAAE湖 E

húAA E 站 E

zhàn Yangcheng Lake Station

AE自 E

zìAA E 行 E

xíngAA E 车 E

chē bicycle

A E 火 E

huǒAA E 车 E

chē train

A E 高 E

gāoAA E 铁 E

tiě bullet train

Yangcheng Lake Railway Station

The bicycle lane

18 FUN IN KUNSHAN

The map of the bicycle lane

19 悦丰岛 Yuefeng Island：

悦丰岛 Yuefeng Island： Challenge level ★☆☆☆☆

Who will like this trip: Suitable for whole family.

Description: It is a beautiful island right beside the Fairmont Yangcheng Lake Hotel, about 15 minutes by car, 50 minutes by bus (the bus passes by several scenic areas) and 50 minutes by bike. It is a wonderful destination to spend half a day in good weather and then have lunch/dinner at the Wugu restaurant (五谷餐厅) on the island or in the Fairmont hotel (two restaurants to choose from within the hotel and a Saturday night buffet. Bar area with pool table). The island is Family\Kid Friendly (great for kids, plenty of open spaces far from any traffic, plenty of other families) and pet friendly, though pets may not be allowed in the hotel.

Operation time: Whole day, recommend going there before 6:00 pm because there’s no light at night.

Address: 马鞍山西路 3668 号 No.3668, Ma’an Shan West Road

Things to do:

• Enjoying the nature. Lots of grass by the waterfront for a picnic. • Picking organic vegetables and harvesting honey. Seasonal cooking activities (e.g.

making green dumplings 青团) are also available from time to time. Discover educational initiatives at the Organic Farm.

• Great for light hiking. Many miles of scenic trails throughout park. • Excellent for birdwatching. Many migratory waterfront species.

20 FUN IN KUNSHAN

• Photography. Beautiful sunrise\sunset photography over the water front. Lots of beautiful flowers and vegetation.

• Sports: golf, badminton, basketball, biking, kayaking, canoeing, tennis, boating, paddling • Animals! Mini-pigs, sheep, birds… Many of the animals are free-range. There are also

petting zoo style areas.

Tips:

Despite its beauty and convenience this area is relatively uncrowded. You can get 15% off in the Fairmont restaurants if you show them your DKU ID card. Cyclists: This area is excellent as both destination and starting spot. You will want to put

this on your cycling map right away! As a starting destination you can travel from this park to the Bacheng water town and other parks (on your way you might spot a dinosaur!)

How to get there:

The entrance of the island is right beside the Fairmont Yangcheng Lake Hotel (阳澄湖费尔蒙酒

店) on Huanhu Road (环湖路).

• By taxi/Didi: about 15 minutes, 25RMB • By bike: about 50 minutes from DKU, a very nice ride, with lots of trees and flowers

along the road. Nice and wide bike lane on the Ma’anshan Road (马鞍山路). • By bus: 8 and 128. These two lines can be picked up in front of Times Central community

and near the New Life Hub. These buses stop within 5 minutes’ walk from the hotel. The hotel is visible from the road.

Chinese language learning:

Animals

A E 猪 E

zhū

pig

A E 羊 E

yáng

sheep

A E 鸟 E

niǎo

bird

AE兔 E

tùAAE子 E

zi

rabbit

Places

A E 悦 E

YuèAA E 丰 E

fēngAA E 岛 E

dǎo

Yuefeng Island

A E 费 E

FèiAAE尔 E

ěrAA E 蒙 E

méngAA E 酒 E

jiǔAA E 店 E

duàn

Fairmont Lake Hotel

21 悦丰岛 Yuefeng Island：

Picture gallery:

AE五 E

WǔAAE谷 E

gǔAA E 餐 E

cānAA E 厅 E

tīng

Wugu Restaurant

Sports

A E 高 E

gāoAAE尔 E

ěrAAE夫 E

fū golf

AE羽 E

yǔAA E 毛 E

máoAA E 球 E

qiú badminton

A E 篮 E

lánAA E 球 E

qiú basketball

AE骑 E

qíA AE自 E

zìAA E 行 E

xíngAA E 车 E

chē biking

A E 划 E

huáA A E 船 E

chuán boating

A E 网 E

wǎngAA E 球 E

qiú tennis