Suzhou 4-Day Panoramic Leisure Tour
Suzhou Full Blend: Classical Gardens + Ancient Water Towns + Jinji Lake Modern Skyline
Day-by-Day Itinerary
1
Humble Administrator’s Garden → Suzhou Museum → Lion Grove Garden
Humble Administrator's Garden
The Humble Administrator's Garden is located at No. 178 Dongbei Street, Gusu District, Suzhou City. It is one of China's Four Great Classical Gardens and the largest and most famous garden in Suzhou. It was built during the Ming Dynasty and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Humble Administrator's Garden is centered around water, with mountains and rivers winding through it, exquisite halls and pavilions, and lush flowers and trees, embodying the rich characteristics of the Jiangnan water towns. It is known as the 'Mother of Chinese Gardens'. The entire garden is divided into three parts: East, Central, and West, each with its unique features. The East Garden is open and spacious, the Central Garden is the essence of the entire garden, and the West Garden features delicate architecture. The Humble Administrator's Garden is an important window for understanding traditional Chinese garden art and Jiangnan culture.
Suzhou Museum (Main Branch)
The Suzhou Museum was founded in 1960, originally located in the Prince Zhong's Mansion of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. In 2006, it moved to its current location, designed by the renowned Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei. The new building covers an area of over 19,000 square meters, combining traditional Chinese design, Suzhou local characteristics, and modern style. The architecture features sloping roofs, traditional black, white, and grey color schemes, and white stucco walls, while incorporating glass roofs and steel structures to introduce natural light. The museum houses approximately 30,000 artifacts, including excavated relics, ancient calligraphy and paintings, and handicrafts. Permanent exhibitions include 'Treasures of Wu Land', 'National Treasures of Wu Pagoda', 'Elegance of Wu Zhong', and 'Calligraphy and Painting of Wu School'. In 2018, the number of visitors exceeded 2 million.
Lion Grove Garden
Lion Grove Garden, located at No. 23 Yuanlin Road, Gusu District, Suzhou, Jiangsu, is one of China's four most famous classical gardens, and is known as one of the 'Four Famous Gardens of Suzhou' along with Humble Administrator's Garden, Lingering Garden, and Canglang Pavilion. The garden was first built in the second year of the Zhizheng reign of the Yuan Dynasty (1342) by Monk Tianru to commemorate his teacher, Monk Zhongfeng. Lion Grove Garden is famous for its unique rock formations. The rockeries are made of Taihu stones and resemble a group of dancing lions, hence its name. Within the garden, the labyrinthine rock caves, pavilions, towers, and flowing streams showcase the essence of Chinese classical garden art, and it has been listed as a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO.
2
Qili Shantang Scenic Area (incl. boat ride) → Lingering Garden → Pingjiang Road Historic Block (night tour)
Seven-Mile Shantang Scenic Area
Shantang Street, approximately 3829.6 meters long, connects Changmen Gate and Tiger Hill. It was built by Bai Juyi during the Tang Dynasty when he excavated the Shantang River, using the excavated silt. Due to its long history and rich cultural heritage, this street is known as 'Gusu's First Street' and was listed as a 'National Historical and Cultural Street' in China in 2015. Today, Shantang Street is a famous tourist destination in Suzhou, where visitors can admire well-preserved ancient buildings and bridges, and experience the unique charm of a Jiangnan water town.
Lingering Garden
Lingering Garden is a famous classical Chinese garden, originally built in the 21st year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1593 AD), located at No. 338 Liuyuan Road, outside Changmen Gate, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province. The garden is divided into four parts: East, Central, West, and North, and is renowned for its exquisite garden art, hailed as one of China's Four Famous Gardens. In 1997, Lingering Garden, along with seven other classical gardens in Suzhou, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The garden also features two UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage arts: Pingtan (storytelling and ballad singing) and Guqin music.
Pingjiang Road Historical Block
The Pingjiang Road Historical Block, formerly known as Shiquanli, is a historical area located in the northeastern part of Gusu District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China. As part of Suzhou's well-preserved old town, it was listed as a 'National Historical and Cultural Block' in China in 2015. The main street, Pingjiang Road, is built along the Pingjiang River, stretching 1606 meters from Ganjiang East Road in the south to Baitai East Road in the northwest, close to the Humble Administrator's Garden and Suzhou Museum. The entire historical block covers an area of 0.4 square kilometers, featuring 51 alleys and approximately 3 kilometers of canals. It is renowned as the center of Suzhou's artistic life, dotted with bookstores, local opera theaters, and teahouses where people enjoy traditional storytelling and 'Tanci' performances.
3
Zhouzhuang Ancient Town Full-Day Tour
Zhouzhuang Ancient Town
Zhouzhuang Ancient Town, located in Kunshan City, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, is China's first water town. It is famous for its unique Jiangnan water village style with small bridges, flowing water, and riverside homes, boasting nearly a thousand years of history and being a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction. The town features crisscrossing rivers, numerous ancient bridges, and residential houses built along the water, preserving a large number of Ming and Qing dynasty buildings.
4
Jinji Lake Scenic Area → Gate to the East → Eslite Bookstore (optional)
Jinji Lake Scenic Area
Jinji Lake Scenic Area is located in Suzhou Industrial Park, covering an area of 7.18 square kilometers, with an average depth of about 2.5-3 meters, and is an important scenic spot in Suzhou. There are two artificial islands within the scenic area. The northern and western parts of the lake are concentrated areas for shopping and entertainment facilities, while the eastern and southern parts are covered with large green spaces. Jinji Lake was originally a shallow marsh pond. After landscape planning and renovation by AECOM in 2003, it became one of the largest lakeside parks in China.
Gate of the Orient
The Gate of the Orient, also known as the Gate of the East, is the second tallest building in Suzhou, second only to the Suzhou International Financial Center. It is designed to be a symbolic gateway to the city, emphasizing Suzhou's continued importance in modern China. The building stands 301.8 meters (990 feet) tall and is located in the heart of Suzhou's China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) district. Construction began in 2004 and was completed in 2016, costing 700 million US dollars. Its location precisely marks the intersection of Suzhou Old Town's historic S-W axis with the western bank of Jinji Lake. Its design has been mocked by many Chinese netizens and Western media for 'resembling a pair of trousers,' leading to a series of online memes. A low-rise building extends from the base of the structure, combining with the high-rise to form the Gate of the Orient, a mixed-use development comprising office space, residential serviced apartments, a luxury hotel, and a large shopping mall.
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