Handicrafts and silk are the most outstanding native produce of Suzhou. Suzhou's arts & crafts represent a unique cultural style and workmanship developed over a thousand years under the influence of the Wu Culture and the skills of generations of artisans.

Most representative of Suzhou style are embroidery, fans, national musical instruments, scroll mounting, lanterns, mahogany furniture, jade carving, silk tapestry, traditional painting pigments of Jiangsixutang Studio, The New Year's wood-block prints of Taohuawu Studio, etc. Marked by exquisite craftsmanship and elegant color, all the products are warmly acclaimed in China and overseas. By inheriting the workmanship and elegant designs of the traditional handicrafts, the silk industry of Suzhou has developed a modern mass production scale and become the mainstay of China's silk export with superior quality and output. It is also the most notable item in tourist shopping.