Current Time in Suzhou
About Suzhou
Suzhou is located in China, in the Northern Hemisphere, and is one of the most populous cities in the world with a population of around 6,715,559. It runs on Asia/Shanghai time, currently UTC+8:00 relative to UTC. Suzhou does not observe Daylight Saving Time, so this offset stays fixed year-round.
- CountryChina
- Population6,715,559
- Latitude31.3041°
- Longitude120.5954°
- Time zoneAsia/Shanghai
- Current UTC offsetUTC+8:00
- Daylight Saving TimeNot observed
Sunrise & Sunset in Suzhou Today
For Sunday, October 11, 2026, calculated from Suzhou's own coordinates.
Sunrise
Sunset
Daylight
Seasons in Suzhou
Approximate dates — the exact moment a season begins shifts by about a day from year to year.
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Top Places to Visit in Suzhou
Humble Administrator's Garden
The Humble Administrator's Garden, first built in 1509 for a retired official named Wang Xianchen, is the largest of Suzhou's classical gardens and among the finest surviving examples of the Jiangnan garden style that flourished in this region during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Spread across roughly five hectares and divided into eastern, central and western sections, the garden uses water as its organizing element, with ponds, pavilions, covered walkways and carefully placed rockeries designed to reveal a sequence of framed views rather than a single overall vista. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997 alongside several of Suzhou's other classical gardens, it remains the most visited of the group and can get genuinely crowded during peak season, making an early-morning visit worthwhile for a quieter experience of the garden's carefully composed scenery. The adjoining Suzhou Garden Museum, dedicated specifically to the history and design principles of Chinese classical gardens, makes a useful companion stop for context.
From Suzhou Shuofang Airport (in nearby Wuxi) or via Shanghai's airports, take a train or bus to Suzhou, then Metro Line 6 or Line 4 to the station nearest the garden cluster in Gusu District.
From Suzhou Railway Station, take Metro Line 4 or Line 6 toward the Gusu District garden cluster, a short walk from the Humble Administrator's Garden.
From Suzhou's long-distance bus stations, take the metro toward Line 4 or Line 6 and ride to the Gusu District garden cluster.
Tiger Hill
Tiger Hill has been one of Suzhou's most celebrated scenic spots for over a thousand years, centered on a leaning seven-story pagoda built in 961 AD that has tilted more than two and a half meters off vertical over the centuries, sometimes called the Leaning Tower of China. According to local legend, the hill takes its name from a white tiger said to have appeared here to guard the tomb of Suzhou's founder, He Lu, King of Wu, believed to be buried somewhere on the hill alongside a legendary collection of ancient swords, none of which has been definitively found. Sword Pool, a small pond partway up the hill, is tied to this legend and remains one of the site's most atmospheric spots, framed by rock formations bearing centuries of carved inscriptions from visiting scholars and officials. The surrounding grounds include gardens, bonsai displays and teahouses, making it easy to spend a couple of unhurried hours beyond just the pagoda itself.
From Suzhou Shuofang Airport (in nearby Wuxi) or via Shanghai's airports, take a train or bus to Suzhou, then Metro Line 2 directly to Tiger Hill station.
From Suzhou Railway Station, take Metro Line 2 directly to Tiger Hill station.
From Suzhou's long-distance bus stations, take the metro toward Line 2 and ride directly to Tiger Hill station.
Pingjiang Road
Pingjiang Road has followed the same canalside route for more than 800 years, its layout still closely matching a stone map of the city carved in 1229, making it one of the best-preserved examples of the historic street grid that once defined old Suzhou. Whitewashed buildings with dark tiled roofs line both the road and the parallel canal, now housing teahouses, small museums, bookshops and boutique crafts stores rather than their original residential or commercial uses, while narrow stone bridges cross the water at regular intervals. It remains one of the most photogenic and evocative streets in Suzhou, especially in the early morning or evening when foot traffic thins out and the canal's reflections are calmer. Several narrow side alleys branch off the main road, rewarding visitors willing to wander beyond the main pedestrian flow for a quieter look at the neighborhood's residential character.
From Suzhou Shuofang Airport (in nearby Wuxi) or via Shanghai's airports, take a train or bus to Suzhou, then Metro Line 1 to the station nearest Pingjiang Road in Gusu District.
From Suzhou Railway Station, take Metro Line 4 toward Gusu District, then transfer or walk to Pingjiang Road, near the garden cluster.
From Suzhou's long-distance bus stations, take the metro toward the Gusu District garden cluster, a short walk from Pingjiang Road.
Lingering Garden
Lingering Garden, dating to the Ming dynasty and significantly expanded during the Qing, is renowned among Suzhou's classical gardens for its ingenious integration of architecture and rockery, using covered corridors lined with calligraphy-inscribed steles to link a sequence of courtyards, halls and rock formations. Its centerpiece rock, Cloud-Capped Peak, standing roughly 6.5 meters tall, is considered one of the finest specimens of Taihu limestone rockery in China, prized for its perforated, weathered texture traditionally associated with scholarly garden aesthetics. A UNESCO World Heritage Site alongside the Humble Administrator's Garden, it's generally considered slightly less crowded than its more famous counterpart while offering comparably sophisticated garden design, making it a good second stop for visitors wanting to see more than one classical garden without repeating the same crowds. The garden's layout rewards a slow, winding walk rather than a direct route, since much of its design intent lies in the sequence of views revealed at each turn.
From Suzhou Shuofang Airport (in nearby Wuxi) or via Shanghai's airports, take a train or bus to Suzhou, then Metro Line 2 toward the Liuyuan (Lingering Garden) station.
From Suzhou Railway Station, take Metro Line 2 directly toward Liuyuan station, near the garden's entrance.
From Suzhou's long-distance bus stations, take the metro toward Line 2 and ride toward Liuyuan station.
Suzhou Museum
Suzhou Museum, completed in 2006, was designed by the celebrated Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei, who was born in Suzhou and drew directly on the city's classical garden and whitewashed-wall architectural traditions for the museum's design, blending them with clean modern geometric forms and natural light. The museum's collection focuses on Suzhou's own history, including archaeological finds, classical Chinese painting and calligraphy, and decorative arts tied to the city's long traditions in silk and craftsmanship. Pei's building itself, with its white walls, gray-tiled rooflines and a central courtyard pond framed by rockery arranged like an ink-wash painting, is widely considered as significant an attraction as the collection inside, and admission is free. It sits directly beside the Humble Administrator's Garden, making the two an easy and natural pairing for the same visit.
From Suzhou Shuofang Airport (in nearby Wuxi) or via Shanghai's airports, take a train or bus to Suzhou, then Metro Line 4 or Line 6 toward the Gusu District garden cluster, a short walk from the museum.
From Suzhou Railway Station, take Metro Line 4 or Line 6 toward the Gusu District garden cluster, a short walk from the museum.
From Suzhou's long-distance bus stations, take the metro toward the Gusu District garden cluster, a short walk from the museum.
China National Holidays
2026
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thu, Jan 1 |
| Spring Festival | Tue, Feb 17 |
| Qingming Festival | Sat, Apr 4 |
| Labour Day | Fri, May 1 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Fri, Jun 19 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Fri, Sep 25 |
| National Day | Thu, Oct 1 |
2027
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Fri, Jan 1 |
| Spring Festival | Sat, Feb 6 |
| Qingming Festival | Sun, Apr 4 |
| Labour Day | Sat, May 1 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Wed, Jun 9 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Wed, Sep 15 |
| National Day | Fri, Oct 1 |
2028
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Sat, Jan 1 |
| Spring Festival | Wed, Jan 26 |
| Qingming Festival | Tue, Apr 4 |
| Labour Day | Mon, May 1 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Sun, May 28 |
| National Day | Sun, Oct 1 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Tue, Oct 3 |
2029
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Mon, Jan 1 |
| Spring Festival | Tue, Feb 13 |
| Qingming Festival | Wed, Apr 4 |
| Labour Day | Tue, May 1 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Sat, Jun 16 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Sat, Sep 22 |
| National Day | Mon, Oct 1 |
2030
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Tue, Jan 1 |
| Spring Festival | Sun, Feb 3 |
| Qingming Festival | Thu, Apr 4 |
| Labour Day | Wed, May 1 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Wed, Jun 5 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Thu, Sep 12 |
| National Day | Tue, Oct 1 |
Daylight Saving Time
Suzhou does not observe Daylight Saving Time. The UTC offset stays fixed at UTC+8:00 year-round.
Time Difference from Top 10 US Cities
Time Difference from Top 10 Cities Worldwide
Frequently Asked Questions About Time in Suzhou
What time zone is Suzhou in?
Suzhou, China uses the Asia/Shanghai time zone. It is currently on CST (UTC+8:00). The live local time is shown at the top of this page.
Does Suzhou observe Daylight Saving Time?
No. Suzhou does not observe Daylight Saving Time, so it stays on UTC+8:00 all year round and never changes its clocks.
What time is sunrise and sunset in Suzhou today?
The sun rises at 5:56 AM and sets at 5:32 PM in Suzhou today, giving 11h 35m of daylight.
What is the time difference between Suzhou and New York City?
New York City is 12 hours behind Suzhou right now. The full comparison against other major cities is in the tables above.
What is the UTC offset for Suzhou?
Suzhou is currently UTC+8:00. This offset is fixed and does not change during the year.