Shanghai-Suzhou Garden & Zhouzhuang Water Village
 One-Day Bus Tour with Lunch

At about 8:00AM your English-speaking guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel. From there we�ll make the two hour drive to the city of Suzhou. Suzhou is a city on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Lake Taihu in the province of Jiangsu, China. The city is renowned for its beautiful stone bridges, pagodas, and meticulously designed gardens which have contributed to its status as a great tourist attraction. It is widely known as the �Chinese Venice�.

Our first point of interest in Suzhou will be the Lingering Garden. Liuyuan, or Lingering Garden, was first built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and was rebuilt by a Qing official. Its Taihu Lake rocks boost its reputation both at home and abroad. The core of the two-hectare garden is a pond, with hills to the northwest and buildings to the southeast responsible for a good many of the contrasting effects. The eastern section features mainly halls and courtyards. The imposing Wufengxian (Five-Peak immortals) Hall is the largest hall of all the Suzhou gardens. The western section is dotted with vegetation whereas the northern section is reminiscent of a peaceful countryside.

Also known as the �land of silk�, Suzhou has long been famed as China leading center of silk producing and manufacturing, and even hosts a silk festival every year. You�ll get to learn more about Suzhou�s major legacy by visiting the Silk Museum. The museum documents the history of silk production and Silk embroidery from around 2000 BC. Exhibits include old looms with demonstrations, samples of ancient silk patterns, and an explanation of sericulture. Of major note is a room full of live silk worms, eating mulberry leaves and spinning cocoons.

Following lunch at a local restaurant we�ll make the two hour drive to the water village of Zhouzhuang. This ancient town has a history of more than 900 years old with many houses built in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. With lakes on four sides, the beauty of Zhouzhuang is to be found along the waterside lanes and around a number of the stone bridges. A different vista at every turn can be found here. Besides taking in the beautiful scenery of canals, there is much to see. We�ll see the Zhenfeng Bridge, which sits on the west mouth of the Zhongshi River, and connects the Zhenfeng Lane and Xiwan Street. It was built in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and is well preserved today. Another highlight is the Fu�an Bridge, which is located at the east end of Zhongshi Street, crossing the Nanbeishi River and leading to Nanbeishi Street. The bridge was built in 1355, and later rebuilt by Shen Wansi, younger brother of Shen Wansan. There are towers on all four corners. To cap off your time in Zhouzhuang we�ll take a little cruise through the town, allowing you to see why many consider Zhouzhuang to be the most beautiful of all China�s water townships.

After sightseeing in Zhouzhuang we�ll drive back to Shanghai, where we should arrive back at your hotel by 6PM.