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Thursday, December 3, 2015

China - Suzhou

"In heaven there is paradise, on earth there are Hangzhou and Suzhou." This is an old Chinese proverb praising the beauty and prosperity of Suzhou and Hangzhou. My last travel post was on Hangzhou - direct link here

Suzhou is located in the center of the Yangtze region, and is well-known for its classic gardens, traditional waterside architecture, and traditional operas (which I did not get to see! I am super bummed about it, and will definitely try to go see an opera show next time I'm there!).  
Suzhou is located between Shanghai and Nanjing. It only takes about 30 minutes to get from Shanghai to Suzhou using the high speed train! So if you have an extra day and want to get away from the city - Suzhou and Hangzhou would both be excellent choices!

I am going to keep this travel post short and sweet since it is very similar to Hangzhou as far as price, transportation, hotels and what to do goes! 
Classic Gardens: 
As the saying goes, "Gardens in the south of Yangtze River are the best in the world, and Suzhou gardens are the best among them". Suzhou's classic gardens flourished in the mid-Ming to early-Qing dynasties (1500-1700). Today, more than 60 classic gardens are remaining in the city, and nine of them have been listed as World Heritage.

Names of the World Heritage gardens are: Humble Administrator's Garden, Lingering Garden, Net Master's Garden, Lion Grove Garden, Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty, Couples Garden Retreat, Canglang Pavilion, and the Retreat and Reflection Garden.
Water Towns

Suzhou is also known as "the World's Oriental Venice". The water towns of Suzhou are crisscrossed by canals, rivers and bridges. Traditional buildings are built along the waterways.

Top water towns of Suzhou are: Zhouzhuang Water Town, Luzhi Water Town, TongLi Water Town, Shaxi Water town, Qiandeng Water Town, and Jinxi Water Town.
I didn't get to explore Suzhou as much this time around, but I loved the small town, as well as all the traditional aspects of this city. I'm not much of a nature-y person, but I always enjoy coming to Suzhou when I am in Shanghai - especially when I want to get away from the city! Definitely an amazing place to explore if you are in China! 

I know this travel post is shorter and more generalized then my other travel posts, but if you have any questions about Suzhou or China, please feel free to ask! I would be more than happy to answer any of your questions! 

As always, thank you for stopping by and keeping up with all of our adventures! 
xo, amy & hannah

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