Yu Yi Hotel

Waterlily watching

by Fjordline

From late June to early July, it's time to watch the blossom of water lily. Combined with Chinese garden art, it is really a soul washing experience. In Chinese, waterlily is famous for its "not polluted even from dirty land, not bewitching even from clean spring". Waterlily is one of many kinds of plants ancient Chinese used to liken the personality an ideal person should have.

Suzhou Silk Museum

by Willettsworld

This museum is located at the northern end of Renmin Lu near the train station. The museum opened in 1991 and exhibits the whole process of silk making from mulberry planting, silkworm breeding, silk reeling, fabric weaving to the finished garments. You actually get the chance to see silkworms but the ones I saw were tiny like ants and that I thought were plastic. In fact I went all the way back to the girl at the admission desk and asked where the real ones were. She then took me back to the 'plastic' ones and showed me them again and indeed they were moving!

Open: 9am-5pm. Admission: Y15.

Suzhou

by touraco

"Suzhou"

Suzhou is a city with a long history on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Lake Taihu in the province of Jiangsu, China.

The city is renowned for its beautiful stone bridges, pagodas, and meticulously designed gardens, which has become a great tourist attraction. Suzhou has also been an important center for China's silk industry since the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and continues to hold that prominent position today. It is part of the Golden Triangle region.

I was in Suzhou for 2 times and both times were for business-related purpose as my company has an office in the Suzhou Industrial area.

Hmm..my experience in Suzhou is pretty limited. I arrived in Suzhou using the company transport from Shanghai airport and from Shanghai hotel.

I find that life in Suzhou is generally slower than Shanghai. People from Suzhou don't work that long hours and usually get off work on the dot.

As it's a business trip, I didn't really have to chance to wander around much. Just to the main shopping area called Guan Qian Jie.

Shoes are pretty cheap, I bought 2 pairs the first time I was there. Food is cheap too, especially if you dine in the local restaurants. A respectable meal for 4 costs less than 400RMB but Starbucks and Haagen Daaz are expensive.

The hotel I stayed in was Suzhou Sheraton and the hotel is beautiful. Like a mini forbidden city kind. I almost got lost the first time I was there.