Suzhou

This is one of "China's Four Gardens" and a world cultural heritage site. The Humble Administrator’s Garden is known for its water landscape that highlights the ambiance of the Southern Chinese villages built on bodies of water. It is elegant and delicately designed. In the garden, different kinds of ancient architecture were built on water. They are scattered strategically and not one is the same as another. The garden is divided into three parts: the east, the middle, and the west. Each part has its own characteristics, especially the central garden, which basically maintains the simple and natural style of the Ming Dynasty gardens and represents the best of the whole garden.

Tiger Hill has a history of more than 2,500 years and is a landmark of Suzhou City. The attractions here are mostly historic sites with a beautiful view. Although Tiger Hill is only a small hill, it contains natural landscapes such as cliffs and ravines. Because of its construction history, many cultural attractions have been formed. In the garden, buildings and plants are built to complement each other according to the exquisite Jiangnan garden style. Here, you can learn about the story of the Spring and Autumn Period and visit the lopsided landmark, Yunyan Pagoda.

In 1984, a painting by famous chinese artist Chen Yifei announced Zhouzhuang Water Town to the world, and since then Zhouzhuang has been regarded by many as one of the best water towns in China. This ancient town has a history of more than 900 years old with many houses built in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Known as Yao City or Zhenfang lane in ancient times, the town was once a part of the Kingdom of Wu, playing an important role in the distribution of silk, ceramics, art pieces, and food. With lakes on the four sides, the beauty of Zhouzhuang has to be discovered through its water lanes and stone bridges. Taking a boat ride would be an interesting option to tour around the town. Famous sites include Zhang Hall, Shen Hall, and the underwater tomb of Shen Wansan, a famous Yuan Dynasty Businessman. If you stay around till the lights light up at night, you can enjoy a view that is seemingly made up from a fairytale.

Lion Forest Garden, Humble Administrator's Garden, Lingering Garden, and Canglang Pavilion are collectively known as the “Four Famous Suzhou Gardens”. The Lion Forest was built in the Yuan Dynasty and was originally a back garden of Zen temples. It was later purchased as a private residence. This garden was treasured by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, who always stayed here during his visits to Southern China. Although the Lion Grove Garden is small, the artificial mountains in the park are very well-known. The strange rocks resemble dancing lions. The connection between the artificial mountains is not dissimilar to a maze. You can play hide-and-seek in the stone maze or count the number of observable stone lions.