China Tours: Our Trip To Shanghai, Suzhou And Hangzhou

We took many China tours in the past years and enjoyed each of them. When we came first to China, we were with a big group that was a popular way of traveling then, but when we returned to China for a second trip, we decided to take a private tour that went on our way. We chose Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou as our preferable destinations that our friend in Shanghai recommended highly. We booked our trip with a China travel agent that turned out having arranged our tour capably and perfectly!

We got into Shanghai on one fine afternoon in the spring and met our first private guide, who waved hand to us and smiled. We greeted each other warmly and began our drive to the city. On the way she gave us a short welcome presentation and confirmed our schedule and then a general introduction to Shanghai. Our interests were raised quickly and arrived in our hotel without sensing of time passing! I guess we actually spent at least one hour on the transfer.

Our hotel was located just near the Nanjing Road that enabled us to have the convenience to explore our free days. Shanghai is busy and modernized. The guide suggested we spend our first free day to the Nanjing Road and the Bund. Nanjing Road gave us an impression of a "shopping paradise". People were all busy at Nanjing Road with many strolling along the busy street looking for bargain sales. We desired to try our skills that the guide taught us and indeed we got some luck. The bund was lined with different architectural styles from old China to modern influences in the buildings. It is a must-see metropolitan destination if you are in Shanghai!

After one free day we headed for Suzhou on the third day morning with our private guide and driver. The guide seemingly had too much good things to say about Suzhou that she explained all the way long (actually 1.5 hrs drive). We were impressed and excited to arrive. Suzhou is located in the south of Jiangsu province, some 80 miles west of Shanghai, along the old Grand Canal. The city has been famous for its fabulous Chinese classical gardens for many centuries. Chinese people are proud of this and have a proverb: "Above is Heaven; below is Suzhou". However, we both found Suzhou should also be noted for another thing: its beautiful women! In the street, the restaurant and tourist site, we saw so many oriental beauties. The city itself is dotted with lakes and ponds connected by a spider's web of canals. And all the canals are lined with whitewashed houses with gray-tiled roofs. We visited two famous gardens that we enjoyed very much and also pay a short visit to the silk factory to see how the silk was produced and dyed. It is amazing!

Hangzhou was the counterpart of Suzhou. The West Lake with boating was really a highlight of our visit in Hangzhou. It does not only have the moving legend but also the beautiful scenery. The guide told us there were Ten Featured Sceneries in the West Lake Area that formed during the Southern Song Dynasty. They are distributed around and within the lake, and serve to show the charms of the West Lake - through a use of varying locations, varying seasons, and varying times of day. Each scene is unique, and when taken together, are said to present the essence of West Lake scenery, and form the core of any West Lake tour. In the afternoon we went to the Dragon Well Tea House to taste the world famous green tea. Dragon Well Tea is loved by both local people and foreigners because of its four unique wonders - emerald green color, aromatic flavor, sweet taste and beautiful appearance. We purchased some tea for ourselves at a very good price.

We must also mention the nightlife in Hangzhou. We stayed in a very comfortable hotel just beside the West Lake. The night view of the lake was different from that in day. We loved our leisure walk around the lake very much. It was also a happy experience to enjoy the culture performance in the city center. The guide arranged this for us flexibly since it was originally excluded in our schedule.

We ended our trip in Hangzhou with a memorable visit to the water town named Wuzhen. Wuzhen is about 80km from Hangzhou and is maybe the most famous one of this kind of beautiful towns where local people still rely on the river network. Wuzhen shows its two-thousand-year history with its numerous ancient stone bridges floating on crystal waters, stone pathways between the mottled walls and its delicate wood carvings. Also, setting it apart from other towns, it gives a unique experience through its profound cultural background. It is a birthplace of a galaxy of talents. In the year of 1991, Wuzhen was authorized as the Provincial Ancient Town of History and Culture, so ranking first among the six ancient towns in Southern China.

Finally we got back to Shanghai in the late afternoon after the Wuzhen water town! The following day we were taken to visit the must-sees in Shanghai: the Shanghai Museum on Renmin Square, the fabulous Yu Garden at the Old Quarter and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. We learnt a lot about Chinese history, Chinese culture and China's modern development. We were amazed at China's fast economy development and growth. It is just in its youth! In evening we were suggested to have a night cruise in the Huangpu River which turned out a unique experience to see the night view of the Bund lined with lighted styles of buildings. It was spectacular!

We spend one more free day in Shanghai to purchase some gifts for our friends and family before we left for our home. On the last day when our guide - no, our old friend - came to pick us up at the hotel, we had to say Goodbye to this wonderful country and our old friend. After we checked in at the airport, our old friend said "See you later" with hand waving and smile on her face, like the way she was greeting us at the airport the first day. Yes, we will definitely see each other later!