Founded in 514 BC, Suzhou is one of the oldest towns in the Yangtze Basin, founded in about 600 BC. It achieved its fame 1000 years later when the Grand Canal was constructed. Suzhou remains one of the most beautiful cities in China with its blue web of interlocking canals and classical gardens as well as famous silk industry that inspired the Chinese to name this area ' paradise on earth'. After arrival, you see there are many canals in Suzhou, and it‘s easy to understand why Marco Polo called the city the 'Venice of the East' during his visit. Built for drainage rather than transport purposes, the canals nevertheless offer a romantic and lazy way to get around the city.

Today, you leave your hotel in the morning to begin your trip from Tiger Hill, known also as the Surging Sea Hill. It is amazing since it was used to be an isolated island caused by volcano eruption. It is a large hillock, standing 36 meters high and covering an area of some 14,100 square meters. Going up to the hill, you find a number of historical sites, including some from 2,500 years ago, which are as old as the city of Suzhou .

Near the Tiger Hill, you have another important spot to view. Suzhou , like many other Chinese cities, was once surrounded by a ring of walls and gates from ancient time. Since commence and transport of entire city depended heavily on its canal network, land transportation of the city was impractical. As a result Suzhou created a system of ' water gate'- small forts that opened for both land and water tarrif. The three scenic gates of Panmen Gate are the oldest gate as a fortification still preserved today.

Own to the extensive canal network, Suzhou has been an area where high-ranking officials stationed. As a result, all kinds of delicious food were cooked in various ways to delight the rich politicians. You enjoy a typical lunch with cook style of Huaiyang Cuisine in a local restaurant. Then you continue your trip to one of Four Famous Classic Gardens in China- Humble Administrator's Garden . From your point of view, it is not humble at all. On the contrary, it is the best representative of Chinese classical gardens in the Ming dynasty. Its design is duplicated in many gardens throughout China, and there‘s even a replica in the New York Metropolitan Museum. Focused on a central pond with pavilions, terraces, chambers, and towers located nearby, the garden is divided into three parts: the east, middle and west.

Besides, Suzhou is famous for its silk production. You see a display of the life-cycle of the silk worm, as well as demonstrations of how the silk is harvested from the cocoons and eventually woven into fabric in Silk Museum. Silk has a history of some 4,500 years in China, so they have become adapted to producing many different types of silk, as well as dyeing it and weaving different patterns into the fabric. It is quite mind-blowing to learn that one cocoon can produce about 2 km of silk strand, and that several of these strands are twined together to make a single thread. The process is so slow and painstaking; it is no wonder that genuine hand-made silk articles are so expensive.