Aster Hotel

tour groups in suzhou

by rainbird58

in general try and avoid tour groups if possible. they rush you around when the gardens are best enjoyed without annoying tour guides and they speaker phones,
suzhou is very small and can almost be walked (or taxi, esp from railway line). bus is esp convenient and cheap (1yuan per ride) and it really helps if you buy a good map (railway station for 4 yuan) (yes they have english ones) with the bus routes on it. it helps if you speak chinese but is not essential.
the attractions are well signed in english but can be a little off the track (ie in an alley off the main road) so just ask someone or explore a little.

Suzhou Museum

by Fullmoonfever

A great museum that houses over 30,000 cultural relics including artifacts, Ming and Qing Dynasty paintings, calligraphy, and ancient arts and crafts.

I won't add lots of information here, there's lots of information on website.

This is a great museum and it takes most of one day to take it all in. Guided tours are available and I recommend taking one unless you have your own guide.

East China

by Zoelin

"A Night Mooring By Maple Bridge"

All Chinese learned this poem in junior high school which written by Zhangji in Tang Dynasty. That's why i went there, just for a poem---A Night Mooring By Maple Bridge:

While I watch the moon go down, a crow caws through the frost;
Under the shadows of maple-trees a fisherman moves with his torch;
And I hear, from beyond Suzhou, from the temple on Cold Mountain,
Ringing for me, here in my boat, the midnight bell.

"Slumbery Maiden --Jingxi"

People once called you "slumbery maiden", now i see you are wide awake, we row inside your stomach, we left without even know who you are.

"No.1 water country of China"

"Up is heaven is paradise, down on earth is Suzhou and Hangzhou." this is a Chinese old saying.
I love those more than 900 years old houses, white wall, black roof tiles. The houses all built by streams with sidewalk along. natural and peaceful.
Amazing place, go there with the person you are in love with. you will find the secret there.