Kunshan occupies a strategic gap between Shanghai (50 km east) and Suzhou (37 km west), and its extraordinary economic growth over the past thirty years is a direct consequence of that location. It has one of the highest concentrations of Taiwanese-owned manufacturing in mainland China, and the business-traveller economy has produced a well-developed hotel and restaurant scene relative to its modest size. For leisure visitors, though, the main reason to come is Zhouzhuang, the ancient water town that lies 15 km to the south and is technically within Kunshan's administrative jurisdiction.
The old town centre has Tinglin Garden, a refined classical garden named in honour of the 17th-century scholar Gu Yanwu who was born here. It is smaller and less crowded than Suzhou's famous gardens but entirely genuine, with the characteristic Jiangnan arrangement of pavilions, rockeries, ponds, and covered walkways. The Kunshan Opera Museum covers kun opera — kun qu — the classical musical theatre form that originated in this county and was inscribed by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage; a live performance is worth seeking out if the timing allows.
Qiandeng, 15 km south, is a quieter ancient water town that gets a fraction of Zhouzhuang's visitor numbers but preserves a more authentic atmosphere: old stone bridges, canal-side residences from the Ming and Qing periods, and streets where daily life still happens rather than being staged for tourism. The contrast with Zhouzhuang is instructive.
Kunshan is served by Shanghai metro Line 11, which makes it effectively part of the Shanghai transit network, and multiple high-speed rail services run to both Shanghai and Suzhou in under 30 minutes. It is genuinely easy to include in a day's circuit between the two major cities.