2 Days Suzhou Local Tour
Two short days in Suzhou can also be fruitful. You can see the beauty of Suzhou stretching endlessly along your way of exploration by rickshaw and canal. What’s more, you can discover the time-honored glamour of Suzhou at the most historic hill, pagoda and garden and experience what Suzhou elegant lifestyle is like at the teahouse.
Day 1 Lingering Garden – Panmen Gate- Pingjiang Old Street Rickshaw Tour – Suzhou Pingtan ( Lunch)
| Today’s Activities | You’ll meet the guide at Suzhou Railway Station and be transferred to the downtown hotel. With some brief rest, you’ll go explore Lingering Garden, one of the four most famous classic gardens in China. You sure fall attracted with the smart garden layout and delicate arrangement of trees, blossoms, ponds, pavilions, halls, bridges, rockeries, etc. Note the 3 iconic rockeries at the rear part of the garden. Then steer your attention to another historical landmark in Suzhou, Panmen Gate. The grand gate is part of the ancient city wall (built in 514 B.C.) and received restoration in 1351 (during Yuan Dynasty ) . Stand on top of the gate tower, you’ll feast the enchanting view of the whole old town of Suzhou. To have a better look at Suzhou, you’ll go on with a rickshaw tour around Pingjiang Old Street where the old lifestyle and everyday elements are kept to the utmost. To the leisurely pace of the rickshaw you’ll go past the vegetable market, the unpolished streets and traditional residents as well as the simple happy locals who enjoy every minute home. End today’s tour with an amazing spell of enjoying Suzhou Pingtan (Suzhou ballad singing and story telling) while sipping savory Chinese tea at the tea house. The performers, dressed in traditional costumes, would sing out the legends in beautiful gentle Suzhou dialect and to the elegant rythem of traditional musical instrument. You can never find more splendid melody elsewhere! |
Day 2 Grand Canal Cruise – Tiger Hill- Suzhou Silk Factory – Departure ( Breakfast, Lunch )
| Today’s Activities | After breakfast let’s start experiencing Suzhou by waterway. Relax yourself in the vintage hand-operated wooden boat and it will cruise with you along the Grand Canal, one of the 3 greatest projects in ancient China. Lighting up your eyes are all the elements that compose a water town – stone arch bridges, on-the-river markets, traditional yards shaded with willows, cormorant boat, etc. See what the mountains in Suzhou are like after so much water town scenery. You’ll go into the serene Tiger Hill. Attend more to two highlights, Sword Pool and Yunyan Pagada (more known as Tiger Hill Pagoda). The Sword Pool is said to be the spot where two military generals of the ancient Wu Kingdom tested their swords. Plus, on the bridge across the pool there is a pair of well holes. As the story goes by, the favorite imperial concubine, Xishi (one of the 4 beauties in ancient China), often did her make-up by looking at her water reflection at these two holes. The more famous Tiger Hill Pagoda is reputed as the Leaning Tower of Pisa in China. It just keeps leaning through the long history of over 1000 years. Look how magnificent it is. Then let’s turn to Suzhou Silk Factory to see how the silk is processed from silk worm to the final product, and the interesting traditional spinning wheel and silk history in China. End the rich eye-opening tour and leave for Suzhou Railway station to your next destination. Wish you a fine Suzhou memory! |
