Explore the lifestyles, traditions and scenic natural beauty that have shaped the lives of Suzhou’s people for centuries. Although it will take two hours reach Suzhou, it will be well worth the effort. You will begin by visiting the Garden of the Master of the Nets, the smallest but most impressive of the Suzhou residential gardens. The inner garden was the model for the Ming Hall Garden at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Suzhou is also known for its outstanding silk, especially its double-sided silk embroidery, samples of which you may see at the Silk Embroidery Research Institute. A traditional Chinese lunch at the contemporary Bamboo Grove Hotel follows, after which you will settle in for a boat ride on the picturesque Grand Canal. That serene journey will end at the 2,500-year-old Panmen Gate, the only water and land gate in China.
