port
Shanghai, China
activityLevel
Moderate Activity
excursionType
All
wheelchairAccessible
No
startingAtPrice
$160
minimumAge
Information Not Currently Available
duration
Approximately 8½ Hours
mealsIncluded
Meals included
By coach you will travel 1½ hours through China's countryside to a town of great scenic beauty -- Suzhou. It was founded in the 5th century BC and inspired the famous Chinese proverb: "In heaven there is paradise; on earth, Suzhou and Hangzhou."
One of China's most famous gardens is the Humble Administrator's Garden, which occupies an area of ten acres. The garden's name comes from the proverb which says, "To cultivate a garden for a living is really the politics of a humble man." About two thirds of the garden is made up of lakes with islands dotted throughout.
A boat ride on the Grand Canal reveals the beauty of Suzhou -- whitewashed houses with gray tile roofs, old stone bridges spanning a cobweb of waterways, women washing clothes in the river, and children playing nearby.
After lunch at a local hotel, stop at the Silk Embroidery Research Institute to learn more of this region's important contribution to the silk and textile industry.
Return to the ship by motorcoach.