【Nov/Dec】Suzhou-Venice of the East

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Suzhou is a charming city as his history, described as a paradise city, can be traced back to 2,500 years ago. 

An old Chinese proverb praising the beauty and prosperity of Suzhou says, "In heaven there is paradise, on earth there are Hangzhou and Suzhou." It has long been a heaven for scholars, artists, and skilled craftsmen, and it still is today.

This 2 days Suzhou tour involving visiting its exquisitely-designed garden, boating along the Grand canal, walking on the antique canalside street, will help you get a better understanding of Suzhou culture from different perspectives. 

Join us to unveil the cultural experience and get fully entertained and educated in this beautiful city.

ITINERARY

Arrival in Suzhou

Humble Administrator's Garden

Pingjiang Road

Jinji Lake 

Tiger Hill

Shantang Street 

Shantang Kunqu Opera

BASIC CONTENT

-How to become VIP of FCN-

1.Entrance ticket:

① Humble Administrator's Garden

② Tiger Hill

③ Pingjiang Road

④ Jinji Lake

⑤ Shantang Street

⑥ Shantang Kunqu Opera

2.FCN Private English&Chinese-speaking guide

3.History explained by a local professional English-speaking guide

4.Accommodation as listed in the itinerary (4-star standard),Single supplement is CNY600 if needed

5.Local transportation as detailed on your itinerary

6.All meals as listed:

- Day1:Hotel Breakfast、Local specialties dinner

- Day2:Hotel Breakfast

7.Accident insurance

* This price is for reference only, the specific ticket price is subject to the actual on-site

The beautiful waterside City of Suzhou in Jiangsu Province in South China is most famous for its elegant classical gardens. Among these, the Humble Administrator's Garden, covering about 52,000 sq. meters (12.85 acres), is the largest and most renowned. Due to its unique designs and ethereal beauty, the garden has garnered many special honors. It is listed as a World Cultural Heritage site and has also been designated as one of the Cultural Relics of National Importance under the Protection of the State as well as a Special Tourist Attraction of China. Along with the Summer Palace in Beijing, the Mountain Resort of Chengde in Hebei Province and the Lingering Garden in Suzhou, it is considered as one of China's four most famous gardens. No other classic garden in the country has been honored more than this one.

The Humble Administrator's Garden was originally built in 1509 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It was initially a private garden of a former government servant named Wang Xianchen. It was said that Wang was frustrated in his official career, so he intended to build a garden after retire and just do some gardening work like planting trees and cultivating vegetables there. He thought that was a simple life led by a humble man like him, hence the name of the garden. The garden was created upon the old relics of a residence and a Taoist temple. Water feature is the main background and its natural landscape includes small forests, hills and rock formations. It also has man-made pavilions, halls and parlors. Unlike the Grand View Garden and other famous gardens in Beijing, it is a representative work of the Ming Dynasty building style.

Eastern Section

The Eastern Section is dotted with sheer hills, green grasses, dense bamboo and pine forests and winding streams. The main building is the Orchid and Snow Hall (Lanxue Tang), whose south wall has a panoramic map of the entire garden. Besides, there is a Lotus Pavilion (Furong Xie) in the garden. Half built above water while half built on a terrace, the pavilion is an excellent place to admire lotuses in summer. Another impressive structure is the Heavenly Spring Pavilion (Tianquan Ting), which gets its name after an ancient well whose water tastes very sweet.

Central Section

The Central Section is the truly elite part of the garden, with one-third of its area covered by water. It is lined with exuberant trees and elegant parlors. Pavilions and courtyards are clustered throughout. The Hall of Distant Fragrance (Yuanxiang Tang) is the main building that is named after a lotus pool nearby. When the summer comes the pool is filled with lotuses and the heady fragrance wafts into the building. The hall is designed with oversized glass windows on all sides for easy viewing. Nearby is the Small Flying Rainbow Bridge (Xiaofeihong), a rare type of bridge and the only one in the garden you can walk across.

Western Section

The main building in the Western Section is a stately and ornate hall which is divided into two by a massive screen. The south part is 18 Camellias Hall (Shiba Mantuoluohua Guan) and the north part is the 36 Pairs of Mandarin Duck's Hall (Saliu Yuanyang Guan). In a nearby pool where the ducks were fed, stands an octagonal Pagoda Reflection Pavilion (Taying Ting); there is an optical illusion here - it appears as if a pagoda was lifting when all we actually see is the reflection of the pavilion.

In recent years, the Humble Administrator's Garden has been the site of many floral exhibitions. Every spring and summer, the Azalea Festival and the Lotus Festival are held here. There are bonsai shows in the aptly named Bonsai Garden (Penjing Yuan) in the Western Section while precious Chinese stones are shown in the Elegant Stone House (Yashi Zhai) in the Central Section.

Located in the center of Suzhou City, Pingjiang Road is the largest and best-preserved historical block in Suzhou. It’s a 1.6km-long (about 1mi) narrow road along the old canal, Pingjiang River, still maintaining its ancient Chinese water town features.

With a history of over 2,500 years, Pingjiang was once the main road of the ancient east Suzhou city. This road can be seen on the map of Suzhou in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279).The government has protected and reconstructed the old buildings and alleys in accordance with their previous appearances and the “water flowing along the roads and alleys” structure.

Many small alleys intersect Pingjiang Road, including Xuanqiao Alley, Shilinsi Alley, Chuanfang Alley, Donghuaqiao Alley, Caohuxu Alley, Dingxiang Alley, Daxiao Xinqiao Alley, Xiaojiao Alley and Niujia Alley, etc. Along the alleys are many old residential areaswhere celebrities used to live. Nowadays they have been changed to bars, teahouses, and cafes, while still maintaining their former appearances.

What to See along Pingjiang Road

【Tasting Delicious Food】

Pingjiang Road is not only well-known for its long history, but also for the food which may make your mouth water. The food in Pingjiang Road is closely related with the ancient food culture of Suzhou. The most featured food in the street can be divided in three parts. The first is tasty cakes which are cooked by the locals on traditional clothes including Osmanthus Cake, Fermented Glutinous Rice Ball Soup, Glutinous Rice Cake in Bamboo Tube, stall tea and so on. The second is the delicious snacks sold in the small shops , like Pan Fried Pork Bun, yogurt and a diversity of meat. The last part is the traditional Su Cuisines (苏帮菜) cooked in famous restaurant with certain scale. Squirrel-like Mandarin Fish, Tofu Boiled in Chicken Broth, Crab Tofu, Minced Pork Congee with Preserved Egg are all worthy of trying.

【Learning Kun Opera Culture】

 Located in Zhangjia Lane of Pingjiang Road, Suzhou Opera Museum (including Kun Opera Museum of China and Suzhou Pingtan Opera Museum of China) is a professional museum displaying the history, culture and art of Kun Opera. It is equipped with exhibition hall of Kun Opera, Suzhou Opera, Suzhou Pingtan and some interesting musical instrument. Apart from appreciating the culture of Kun Operal and Pingtan (storytelling and ballad singing in Suzhou dialect), you could also have a wonderful sight of delicate buildings . Combined architecture relics and exhibition relics together, Suzhou Opera Museum shows an association of activity and inertia, view and sound, ancient and modern. There is an old stage in the museum with a classical stage with uniquely designed sunk panel. The patterns in the sunk panel is quite exquisite and the design strengthens the voice and makes the tune lingering in the house magically. In every Sunday, free Kun Opera performance will take place in the museum and performance time is 14:00 ~ 15:30.

【Exploring Old Story】

The tranquil atmosphere is hidden in the lanes on the other side of Pingjiang River while the prosperity of Pingjiang Road is presented in the main street. Each lane enjoys its distinguished feature and story . One most lane is Xuanqiao Lane where once lived two famous person Hong Juan (洪钧) and Sai Jinhua (赛金花). The romantic story of them is prevailing in Pingjiang Road till today. Hong Jun became the No. 1 Scholar after the imperial competitive examination in 7th Year of Tongzhi Emperor (1861) and then became a noted official. He married Sai Jinhua who was a hot geisha as his third wife. As the resided in the Xuanqiao Lane, Sai Jinhua always listens to the storytelling, ballad singing and Kun Opera in Pingjiang Road.

Beside that ,there were many former residence of famous people, for example, the former residence of a bookworm whose name was Huang Pilie in the Xuanqiao Lane, it was said that the residence was his little library. Besides, you can also see the former residence of the famous doctor Qian Boxuan and the Garden of historian Gu Jigang. However, these old residence were changed into residential area. Although the main hall of the residence and the carve patterns on the woodwork still keep their original appearance, the high wall can not segregate the life of town. Now you can only find the remains of history in the window bar or in the purl or even on the rock. Perhaps, the most meaningful memory of Suzhou was embodied in the life of local residents and the culture of old residences.

A famous Song Dynasty (960-1279) poet, Su Shi said, 'It is a lifelong pity if having visited Suzhou you did not visit Tiger Hill.' This epitomises the general opinion of those who have seen this local beauty spot with its many attractions that we shall endeavour to describe for you.

Tiger Hill, known also as Surging Sea Hill, is a large hillock covering about 3.5 acres (14,100 square metres) and only 118 feet (36 metres) in height. Climbing it, you will find a number of historical sites some of which can be traced back over 2,500 years to the founding of Suzhou. Although the hill is relatively small it has rich history. These are just some of the highlights of what to be found there.

The Tomb of King He Lu

In 496 BC during the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC-476 BC), He Lu, King of the Wu State perished during the war fought against the Yue State. His son buried him on the hill and three days after the funeral a white tiger came and sat upon the grave as though guarding it. From that time on it has been known as Tiger Hill.

Tiger Hill Pagoda (Huqiu Tower)

The pagoda stands on the hill's summit and is the Pagoda of the Yunyan Temple. As the oldest pagoda in the vicinity of Suzhou it has come to be a symbol of the city and has the distinction of being China's Leaning Tower. Built during the Northern Song Dynasty (959-961), it is a seven-storey octagonal tower following the style of the timber pagodas built during the early Tang Dynasty (618-907). It is 158 feet (48 metres) high and for the past four hundred years has leant 3.59 degrees to the northwest.

Sword Testing Stone and Sword Pool

King He Lu was a zealous collector of rare swords and it is said that he tested them upon this stone. The crevice thus made in the rock is the only evidence of the existence of these swords, as it is believed that they were buried beneath the Sword Pool as funerary objects. Another mystery that surrounds the tomb is the whereabouts of the remains of the 1,000 workers who built it and who were put to death upon completion of the task.

Lu Yu Well

Lu Yu was an authority on the art of tea and wrote the first ever book on the subject entitled 'The Treatise of Tea'. As an old man, he lived on Tiger Hill and it was here that he wrote the final part of his book. Lu Yu excavated the well and declared that the water from it was the third best throughout China. Consequently, upon the research and teaching of Lu Yu, tea growing and consumption came to be important factors in the daily life of Suzhou citizens.

Sword Pool

Entrance to Sword Pool

Verdant Mountain Villa (Yongcui Shanzhuang)

Built in the tenth year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the villa is a masterpiece of the splendid gardens for which Suzhou is so famous. As the only garden without lakes or pools in Suzhou, the villa distinguishes itself from others. It was constructed according to the outline of the hill with exquisite pavilions, paths, and decorated by luxuriant woods and flowers. The Verdant Mountain Villa was designed so that it embraced the natural vistas and views from the halls and porches, which are the most pleasing to the eye.

Wanjing Villa

The ancient art of bonsai tree growing originated in China and there are hundreds of magnificent specimens on display at this villa. Many of the specimens you can see have been awarded prizes in prestigious bonsai competitions. The miniature replicas of full-sized gardens are sure to amaze you and will give an insight into the skill and artistry of Chinese master gardeners that has been handed down from long ago.

There can be little doubt that Tiger Hill is a wonderful sight with its leaning pagoda, waterfalls and landscaped paths. It is hard to believe that it was man made to be the cemetery of king but this is yet another part of the wonder in China, a land that will never cease to amaze and enthral the visitor with its heritage.

Kunqu Opera originated from Kunshan in Suzhou city is an old drama style listed as a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity” by the UNESCO in 2001. It is one of the oldest traditional operas of the Han nationality and is also a treasure of the traditional culture and art. Beginning from the late Yuan Dynasty (middle period of 14th century), Kunqu is over 600 years old and is reputed as the “ancestor of Chinese dramas” and the “mother of Chinese operas”.

Kunqu Opera as a Suzhou-birthed drama art is typically of rich Suzhou cultural features, but as its wide spread through the main part of China, it combines the characteristics of other famous Chinese operas. To provide the best stage effect and artistic beauty, Kunqu Opera is especially excellent with the fine makeup, soft and graceful singing, elegant actions, and traditional music, etc., which is really a hearty visual and audio feast.

Features of Kunqu Opera

Costumes

Costumes of Kunqu Opera are particularly abundant with rich colors and styles. Apart from the costumes in a Yuan and Ming dynasties style, others which are similar to the very popular garments and dressings of people in that period can also often be seen on the stage, such as the martial attires, clothes of officials of different levels and positions, etc.

Characters

There are basically five characters in Kunqu Opera, namely Dan, Sheng, Jing, Mo, and Chou. Each one has their only personal characteristics and is indispensable in this artistic performance.

Dan (旦): All the women characters are called Dan in Kunqu. Among them, Zheng Dan (正旦) is usually the most important female character who plays a loving wife or chaste woman, Wu Dan (五旦) plays an unmarried miss or kind chivalrous lady, and Lao Dan (老旦) usually is an elder female actress who plays a mother or sometimes a male role.

Sheng (生): Sheng is the general name of all men characters aged from about 20 to 50 years old. It is mainly divided into Jin Sheng (巾生) and Guan Sheng (官生). Jin Sheng usually is the leading actor of a love story who is a young scholar holding a folding fan in his hand. And Guan Sheng is an official with a gauze cap on the head.

Jing (净): Jing is commonly known as the “Painted Face (大花脸)” with the colorful makeup on his whole face. All Da Mian (大面) are positive characters, and the faces are various in color, mainly are red and black, sometimes are purple and blue. Bai Mian (白面) is often a treacherous official. Except for the eye lines, the whole face is painted white. In some occasions, Bai Mian can be a female character or an ordinary character that is not absolutely good or bad.

Mo (末): Mo usually acts elder men over middle ages with long beard. Wai (外) is the eldest with white or grey beard. Lao Sheng (老生) and Fu Mo (副末) are younger and have black beard.

Chou (丑): Chou has several types. Fu Chou (副丑) acts a role that has high social status but often does evil things secretly, such as a crafty official, evil lawyer, gangster and so on. Xiao Chao (小丑) on the contrary is very comical and expresses the inner world directly through his facial expressions and body languages. Chou characters in Kunqu Opera sometimes involve martial arts performance.

Accompaniment

Since Kunqu Opera comes from southern China and has been influenced by the dramas and operas in northern China, it now has a mixing musical accompaniment of both areas. Kunqu Opera takes in a lot of different crooked cards shaped from the ancient dancing songs, poetries of Tang (A.D. 618-907) and Song (A.D. 960-1279) dynasties, folk songs of different ethnic groups, so the music is much of traditional Chinese style. Furthermore, traditional Chinese musical instruments like Sheng, Xiao, Suona horn, Sanxian, Pipa, etc. together make distinct but songful accompaniment for every Kunqu Opera.

Located in the east of Suzhou, Jinji Lake is the largest city lake park in China. It’s a symbol of Suzhou as “New Paradise on Earth”, where people can enjoy their leisure time and the beautiful broad view of the lake. Jinji means “golden rooster” in Chinese; this lake was named so because a legend has it that a golden rooster once fell into the lake from heaven. Below are major scenic zones around the lake:

Li Gong Di Causeway

At the south of the Jinji Lake, lies the Li Gong Di Causeway with the total length of 2.2km (1.37mi). Using several bridges connecting small islands, painted in grey, white and black, and built in traditional Suzhou architectural style, Li Gong Di Causeway shows the south China water town features. At night, glittering lights here make a lively ribbon shining on the lake. Li Gong Di Causeway is a corridor clustered by restaurants from all over the world. Project I, Commercial Street has well-known brands from Italy, France, Germany, Japan, Belgium and Hong Kong, as well as China Time-honored Brands and Suzhou local brands. Project II, Water Alley Neighborhood, has Dai Guan Shan, Xiao Nan Guo and other world chain brands. Project III, Theme Gourmet Island has three special zones, Traditional Chinese Dishes, Fashion Gourmet Zone and Exotic Gourmet Zone.

Ferris Wheel Park

On the east bank of Jinji Lake, Ferris Wheel Park has the highest above-water Ferris wheel in China, the diameter of which is 120m (131yd). Sitting on the Ferris wheel gives the visitor a bird-eye’s view of the lake park. Apart from the Ferris wheel, other amusement facilities including a roller coaster with the butterfly-shaped track, a double-level merry-go-round, a 28-seat 4D theater, and thrilling Ghost Ship bring visitors an exciting adventure.

Moonlight Harbor

Jinji Lake

Jinji Lake at nightMoonlight Harbor is a beautiful block on the northeast side of Jinji Lake. From here visitors could have a 270 degree view of the lake scenery, thus it’s called the first place to see Suzhou night scenery. European architectures are built in the blocks, including restaurants, clubs, training center, jazz bars, and hotels. Visitors could also take a sight-seeing boat from the harbor to the Peach Blossom Island and Linglong Island in the lake.

Suzhou Culture and Arts Center

Suzhou Culture and Arts Center, also called Suzhou Bird’s Nest for its appearance, is a part of Jinji Lake International Exhibition Zone. A Cultural Center, a Grand Hotel, a Performance Hall and Suzhou Arts Cineplex gather in this distinctive building. There are many shows held here every day, and visitors could enjoy ballet performances, dramas, or see a movie here.

Where to go shopping in Jinji Lake

Shinkong Place in Harmony Time Plaza and Jiuguang Mall are two main shopping malls on the east bank of Jinji Lake. This plaza is a well-designed city complex combining shopping, catering, entertainment, business, culture and tourism, covering 510,000m2 (51 ha). Most domestic and international brands can be found here. The most attractive spot in the plaza is the 500m-long largest LED sky in the world.

Shantang Street, an ancient riverside pedestrian road in northwest Suzhou, Jiangsu, is very popular with tourists. From Changmen Gate (the west gate of the ancient city) in the downtown, it winds northwest on the northern bank of the Shantang River, and ends at scenic Tiger Hill. It extends about 2.2 miles (seven li), hence the name ‘Seven-Li Shantang’.

In 825, Bai Juyi, a renowned Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) poet, was transferred to Suzhou as the governor. There and then he inaugurated the Shantang River canal project. Later, a road parallel with the river on the north bank was constructed. These made Shantang block into a busy transport and commercial hub. The Shantang Street is cited as ‘the First Street in Suzhou’ mainly for three reasons: a history of nearly 1,200 years; representative of the local streets and alleys; and associated with distinguished people and events.

Shantang Street can be sectioned into two by Bantang Bridge. The east part, from Duseng Bridge in Changmen, is built up with houses and shops; while the west part, from the Tiger Hill, is natural landscape. The entire block features typical characteristics of south China in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The clear river meanders along under small arched bridges interspersed with wooden boats adrift, passing numerous old residences and shops on the bustling street. All the above is a picturesque rendering of a beautiful ancient water town in south China. It is ideally a place to stroll, try all kinds of local snacks and pick up souvenirs. You should go boating to take in the street scene from a different angle.

When night falls and the red lanterns glimmer below the eaves, it becomes hard to resist. Tourists could not help exclaiming, ‘Yes, this is Suzhou!’

Old Shantang Street

The old street sector is about 395 yards (360 meters) long. Although it fills only one tenth of the length, it has the essence of the Shantang block and is called the 'miniature of the old Suzhou’ and the ‘window of Jiangsu culture’. It was a commodities hub, where merchants conducted business and community staged folk activities. It was one of the most eventful streets in Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing (1644 - 1911) Dynasties. Qing Emperor Qianlong liked the Shantang Street very much. When he toured Suzhou in 1762, he left words to praise the wonderful scene. It was engraved on a stele that is still kept at the entrance of the street. He even built an imitation ‘Suzhou Street’ in the imperial garden Summer Palace in Beijing.

Nowadays the street reflects prosperity of both the present and the bygone era, with numerous shops and commercial guild halls. Tourists can try various snack shops with time-honored brands, including Caizhizhai, Wufangzhai and Qianshengyuan. There are also many specialty shops selling featured souvenirs like wood engravings, stones carvings and embroideries.

Tonggui Bridge

There are eight side bridges on the riverbanks and seven bridges spanning across the river, and the most famous one is Tonggui Bridge, a single arch stone bridge. It is 21 yards (19 meters) long and 2.5 yards (2.3 meters) wide. Looking like a half moon, the arch of bridge and its shadow in the water form a perfect circle. The bridge is not unique, but it is the most photographed. It is worth a boating trip to experience the life of ancient residents there.

Yuhan Hall

To the southwest of the Tonggui Bridge lies the Yuhan Hall, the former residence of Wu Yipeng, a famous Ming Dynasty official.

Commercial Guild Museum

Commercial guild halls are offices for merchants from other places around China, mainly for the establishing contacts. Usually there are stages, wing-rooms, halls and even gardens. Since Shantang Street was one of the biggest Qing Dynasty commercial centers in southeast China, commercial guild halls abounded. A museum was built in 2005 to display the history of the commercial guilds and the commercial culture of Suzhou.

Tasting local delicacies should not be forgotten in your journey. Suzhou Cuisine belongs to the Jiangsu Style, which is one of the eight famous cuisines of China. The special sweet flavor and delicate appearance make the dishes greatly popular. Authentic notable local dishes and snacks can be found in Guanqian Street. You’ll never forget the delicious food and friendly service.

Meals may change based on the time and location. We will try our best to help you enjoy a variety of Chinese food

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👇 For Long-term activities for two days or more

Please let us know immediately if your plans change!

Due to the particularity of some tourist resources which need to be booked in advance and cause actual losses, the specific losses include but are not limited to train tickets, air tickets, hotels, etc. If tourists need to cancel their orders, they should contact FCN in time to assist tourists in reducing losses and refund other losses that have not actually occurred in accordance with the principle of refund. 

In the rare event that FCN cancels a trip, or we are unable to serve you, all fees are immediately refunded, including the deposit.