Shanghai and Her Amazing Neighbours

Day 1

Place & Transport: Arrive in Shanghai, Flight not included
Today's Activities: Airport to Hotel Transfer (Shanghai)

Day 2

Place & Transport: Shanghai to Suzhou, Train No. D444 (Shanghai Railway Station - Suzhou Railway Station) Dep 17:35 - Arr 18:11
Today's Activities: Hotel to Train station Transfer (Shanghai), Train station to Hotel Transfer (Suzhou), Yuyuan Garden, Yuyuan Market, Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall, The Shanghai World Financial Center, Julong Silk Exhibition
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch at Lv Bo Lang Restaurant

- Yuyuan Garden: Located at a very busy marketplace in a complex of traditional-style buildings, backing onto Yu Gardens, you can find everything there from popular local snacks and food, crafts, antiques and souvenirs to Starbucks, teahouses and some great restaurants. There is a small (reconstructed) Temple (Chenghuang: Temple of the City Gods) in there as well.
- Yuyuan Market : Located next to the Yuyuan Garden and also known today as the City God Temple, it was built in the fifteenth century during the Ming Dynasty. The City God Temple is a Taoist temple which is composed of many halls such as the Grand Hall, Middle Hall, Bedroom Palace, Star Gods Hall and etc. The City God Temple has a great influence on the residents of Shanghai. The religious festivals of the temple are considered to be the festivals for all Shanghai people.
- Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall: A short walk across Renmin Square from the Shanghai Museum, this is a fascinating insight into Shanghai's future. The 2nd floor has a giant walkaround model of the city, and other floors have great displays, interactive exhibitions and walkthroughs of aspects such as the ports, greening, leisure etc.
- The Shanghai World Financial Center : The Shanghai World Financial Center is a super tall skyscraper. It is a mixed use skyscraper, which will consist of offices, hotels, conference rooms, observation decks, and shopping malls on the lower floors. The hotel component has 175 rooms and suites and goes by the name: The Park Hyatt, Shanghai. On September 14, 2007, the skyscraper reached 492.3 meters (1,615.2 ft) and became the tallest structure on mainland China, including Hong Kong, as well as the world's third tallest building (including unfinished ones), after the Burj Dubai and Taipei 101.
- Lv Bo Lang Restaurant: Lv Bo Lang Restaurant is located near the Yuyuan Garden and specializes in 4 types of Shanghai-style food, Shanghai-style snacks, shark's fin dishes and crab feasts. The restaurant has hosted heads of state from more than 40 foreign countries including President Clinton.
- Julong Silk Exhibition: Julong Silk Exhibition is a window into Suzhou Maowang embroidery group situated Shanghai. There are two exhibition where you can see how silk is produced from the silk cocoons and turned into the fabric. It has become a popular spot for foreign tourists looking for authentic, quality products.
Address: Dagu Road, Shanghai

Day 3

Place & Transport: Suzhou to Overnight train, Train No. N418/N419 (Suzhou Railway Station - Huangshan Railway Station) Dep 23:39 - Arr 10:00
Today's Activities: Hotel to Train station Transfer (Suzhou), Lingering Garden, Humble Administrators Garden, Tiger Hill, The Grand Canal
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch at Yangyang Dumpling Restaurant

- Lingering Garden: Suzhou is famous for its gardens.Lingering Garden is an elaborate succession of small gardens. Lingering in a garden you will marvel at its unique architecture and art. It is located on No.338 Liuyuan Road, Suzhou City.

Designed to "linger" through the generations, with a succession of small beautifully landscaped gardens, pools and pavements and a pavilion for each season. It has wonderful covered walkways, carved corridors, elaborately shaped doorways and perfect viewpoints for a variety of perspectives on this special garden.
- Humble Administrators Garden: The garden is the best representative of Chinese classical gardens, constructed in the Ming dynasty,which focuses on a central pond with pavilions, terraces, chambers, and towers located nearby, the garden is divided into three parts: the eastern, middle and western parts.

At 5 hectares the largest of these beautiful gardens, it is one of the most famous one. It provides everyone with pleasure. Don't miss the Garden Museum - actually don't miss any of this lovely place. Tourists may wear comfortable shoes, as there's a lot of walking here.
- Tiger Hill: Tiger Hill, known also as Surging Sea Hill, is a large hillock, standing 36 meters high and covering an area of some 14,100 square meters. Going up to the hill, you will find a number of historical sites, including some from 2,500 years ago, which are as old as the Suzhou city.

It is a beautiful park around the hillock where, according to legend, King Wu was buried in 514BC, guarded by a white tiger. A gentle climb passes attractive historic spots, each with own tale such as Sword Testing Rock, Miss Wu’s Tomb, Sword Spring, 1000 People Rock, to the leaning pagoda at the top. Tourists may walk down past tea bushes to the pretty canal and wooden boats. Horse-drawn or electric carts may travel some of the paths.
- The Grand Canal: The Grand Canal ranks alongside the Great Wall of China as the country's greatest engineering achievement and it is the longest man-made waterway in the world. Cruising on the Canal, you can see the local peoples' life.

Known as the land of rice and fish, Suzhou city has a network of picturesque lakes and canals both large and small, which all link in eventually to the Grand Canal. The view from the little boats that ply the smaller canals is enchanting, whilst the traffic on the Grand Canal reminds you of Suzhou that it was the original source of the 'sea' silk road.
- Yangyang Dumpling Restaurant: Originally established as a dumpling factory, Yangyang has developed into a restaurant serving diversified cuisine. Combining traditional delicacies with western-style food, Yangyang has been recognized by overseas tourist magazines.

Day 4

Place & Transport: Overnight train to Huangshan
Today's Activities: Train station to Hotel Transfer (Huangshan), Hongcun Village, Xidi Village, huangshan museum
Meals: Chinese Lunch at Leigang villa

- Hongcun Village: It's located in the place which is about 10 kilometers off the northeast part of Yixian County. An ancient town over 800 years old leaning against Mt. Huangshan, it is folded in the fog of the Mt. which makes it look like a river and mountain picture. It enjoys the reputation of "The Chinese town in the pictures". Especially, the whole town distributes like a cow, which made it one of the wonders in the world culture heritage. The famous film "Crouching Tiger" was made here.

Surrounded by a picturesque moat with bridges to the village and a half-moon shaped pond in the centre, this is a favourite haunt of artists, and students often stay with local families to paint here. Laid out to represent a buffalo, it is one of the prettiest places in the area, known as the Chinese town in the pictures and has been listed by UNESCO for its beauty and largely undeveloped traditional streets and houses. Various halls, dwellings and an old school are open to visitors.
- Xidi Village: Xidi is located at the foot of Mt. Huangshan. It's 54 kilometers away from Huangshan City.First built 900 years ago in Song Dynasty with UNESCO, its traditional architecture is well preserved. The buildings and the street patterns, reflect the socio-economic structure of an enduring period of Chinese history. Don't miss the large memorial archway.
- Leigang villa: "chinese-style food and local food ,leigang restaurant is situate on the top of the leigang hill .Here, clean air, beautiful environment, pleasant scenery.It is surrounded by bamboo forest and peach tree.Standing on the hill,you can do a bird's eye view to the whole Hongcun village.
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- huangshan museum: Huangshan museum is the biggest comprehensive exhibition in Huangshan. It showcases products of all types including ink stone, Hui-style ink, paintings, Hui-style carvings, ancient books, old porcelain. It has become a popular spot for foreign tourists looking for authentic, quality Hui-style products.
Address: No.24 huishang,huangshan City