History Hidden in Garden
In-depth discovery of Jiangsu province includes: leisurely trip to Suzhou gardens and Tongli Water Town, a visit to the must-see Yuantouzhu Park in Wuxi, and the historical sites of Nanjing, another ancient capital of China.
Highlights
- Take a gondola in Tongli Water Town
- Watch a performance of Pingtan in Lingering Garden
- Walk in Yuantouzhu Park at the bank of Taihu Lake
- Appreciate colorful clay figurines in Xihui Park.
- Visit magnificent Sun Yatsen Mausoleum
- Ride a boat along the Qinhuai River
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Suzhou via Shanghai Day Trip
Ryan from #chinahighlights was my guide beginning in Shanghai when I landed the day before. He had a huge bouquet of flowers from China Highlights company for me when I arrived at the Shanghai airport. Next We went to Humble Administrators Garden which was already inundated with throngs of Chinese Tourists and visitors. It was a super lovely day so I don't blame them for visiting! I was wearing my own Han Fu dress so I felt very much at home because that's what the girls and women do, go to these places for photos! This garden despite all the people was super great. The features and layout including bonsai. Especially Azalea, we're stunning. Clean and neat. Worth your time anyway you cut it. Next was the smaller The Garden of The Master of Nets. Along the way Ryan explained some of the history and features of these places as we went along. Somehow both these gardens merged in my mind! I love Gardens, so I could go to these places daily! Finally, we drove to Tongli Old Town. Another places where girls and women dress up for outings and pictures. I wish I saw more men indulging! Lovely little town, I loved the layout and feeling like I had time travelled. The little boat cruise was jumping again with Chinese visitors and tourists. I really felt happy that they were out enjoying themselves after the recent past.... After the boat Ryan took me to Pingjuang Road, which is mostly a pedestrian street. He mentioned the Film Industry and showed me a monument and street tiles for all the movies that had been made there. A light lunch and walked back out of the area to the parking lot area where we began. A super lovely day with No Hassles! more
May 2023, JeanneC
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Wonderful Suzhou experience
We had another amazing tour with China Highlights. Cultural tour to Suzhou was so informative and fun with our amazing guide Mr Lin and our wonderful Wendy who brought us together. Many thanks to both of you! Looking forward to our next adventure. more
Apr 2021, tiillly
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Beautiful garden city tour with Cathy and China Highlights
I've been to Suzhou many times on business but I wanted to explore more when my wife and I planned a two week trip to China. We took the train in from Xian - which gave us an opportunity to see the countryside while relaxing on the smoothest trip I've had by rail. China highlights took care of all the details for us. Our guide Cathy is very proud of her city and knows its history well. We enjoyed two days of tours including the Humble Administrators garden, Tiger Hill pagoda and gardens, a canal cruise, the silk museum and a rickshaw tour through a residential area with stops in the local markets. Throughout Cathy was able to highlight points of interest as well as answer any questions. The restaurants were great as well with a nice variety of foods to enjoy. more
Oct 2019, Traveldad65
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Suggested Itinerary
Private guide and driver will pick you up in the Shanghai airport. Enjoy a hassle free transfer with a comfortable non-smoking car. After about a 1.5h journey, you will arrive at one of top 6 water towns in China- Tongli Water Town. Take a gondola ride along the canal, see how people still live in a traditional way right along the canal, and photograph ancient houses setting on the bank. It's a historic and quaint town with vendors, original old houses and waterways. This leisurely journey gives insight of Chinese ancient life.
Suzhou gardens and water towns are admired for two unique highlights.. First, the Humble Administrator's Garden, a symbol of Suzhou's great culture and history. Stroll along the ponds, wood carvings and rocks. Secondly, the Suzhou Museum is a small but enjoyable museum to see a nice selection of Chinese artifacts. Learn more about Suzhou's culture and history with the help of your guide..
Lingering Garden is another well-preserved ancient Chinese garden. Record your special China trip with some amazing photos of the garden. Hear live ancient music is the air, watch a performance of Pingtan(storytelling and ballad singing in Suzhou dialect). Take a boat ride along Suzhou's ancient canal to see local people's lives.
The Lingering GardenAfter a western breakfast at the hotel, you will head out to explore Wuxi. It takes about 1h to arrive at the city. Take a walk at Yuantouzhu Park, this park is especially beautiful with blossoms in spring. It is the number one must-see place of Wuxi. Visit Liyuan Garden, a typical peaceful park on the bank of Taihu Lake. Listen to its love story dating back thousands of years. A charming sunset park - great for dusk walks.
Plum Garden in spring is full of blossoms. Stroll through the beautiful flowers, historic sites and gardens. Go to Xihui Park, an incredibly preserved old town. Appreciate the exquisite art of the colorful clay figurines in the park.
Yuantouzhu ParkTake a morning train to Nanjing, one of China's ancient capitals. Visit magnificent Sun Yatsen Mausoleum. Sun Yatse was the father of modern China. Your guide will help you learn about the modern history of China.
Walk into Nanjing Confucian Temple, a quiet place for both travelers and local people. See the fantastic white buildings with black roofs, and double golden dragons with red walls. Enjoy a boat ride along the Qinhuai River, Nanjing's mother river. The night cruise is full of atmosphere and is even more beautiful.
Good to know:1. For Sun Yatsen Mausoleum: There are a lot of steps in front of the site, prepare for a long walk.
2. If you are still energetic in the evening, you can have walk along the Qinhuai River to see a different side of Nanjing. Enjoy amazing night scenery of the city.
Sun Yatsen MausoleumLeave for Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty, a peaceful natural locale coupled with historical sights. A very beautiful place especially if you come in autumn when the maple leaves all turn red. It's A wonderful place to learn about the first emperor and culture of the Ming Dynasty. It's a must visit place for history buffs. Take a stroll along the city wall which represents a true masterpiece of military architecture and design during the Ming Dynasty.
Take a train in the afternoon back to Shanghai, a 2 hour journey. Your guide will take you to the railway station and leave after you get into the security check queue.
Good to know:The emperor of Zhu Yuanzhang, the owner of Xiaoling Tomb, is the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty. His tomb is the second most famous after the Ming Tomb Clusters in Beijing.
Trip Notes
1. What's the best time to visit Suzhou?
You can visit Suzhou at any time. Every season has different beautiful scenery. Beautiful flowers in spring and colorful leaves in autumn make them more popular. Avoid Chinese national holidays like May 1st, China National Day (Oct.1th-7th).
2. How to get there?
High speed train from Shanghai to Suzhou can be as short as 40 min. But we will arrange a non-smoking car to maximum your comfort and time.
3. Extend to Suzhou's Neighbors
To Hangzhou (1-2 days)
Arrange 1 to 2 days to experience the unique Hangzhou: the romantic and heavenly West Lake, Lingyin Temple, the Former Residence of Xueyan, an in-depth Dragon Well Tea culture exploration.
To Shanghai (1-2 days)
Add Shanghai before or after the Suzhou tour: Yuyuan Garden, Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center, the Bund and Zhujiajiao Water Town.
Price includes:
