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Suzhou - Tongli (day tour)

Add this Suzhou-Zhouzhuang day tour to your trip in Shanghai. Typically our tours ends in Shanghai and includes a free day at leisure. If you are not a shopper, this is the perfect tour to add to end your trip in China. Accomodation is not included since you already have the accomodation included on your China itinerary (You could however add an extra night's accomodation for only $59pps at the Yun's Paradise Hotel (4 Star).

Minimum 2 persons.

Day 1

Shanghai - Suzhou - Tongli - Shanghai (Lunch, Dinner)

After breakfast, you will be picked up from your hotel in Shanghai. Journey for about 1.5 hours to the silk capital, Suzhou and start your tour visiting the Garden of the Master of the Nets. Continue on to the Silk Factory to see how silk is processed from the silk worm to the final woven cloth (Beautiful silk products on sale here!). After lunch visit the Embroidery Research Institute where you can see traditional hand-made silk embroidery (Chinese High Culture). Later, visit the lovely water town of Tongli (an hour by road north west of Shanghai) before returning to Shanghai in the evening. After dinner, you will be transferred back to your hotel.

Garden of the Master of Nets

Master of Nets Garden is one of the most well-preserved water gardens in Suzhou...dating back 1000 years. It is the smallest of the Suzhou residential gardens, yet it is the most impressive for its amazing aqueous landscaping, perfect proportions, exquisite design and the mood of tranquility and harmony it reflects. The inner garden has the distinction of being used as the model for the Ming Hall Garden at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and was also completely miniaturized for an exhibit in the Pompidou Centre in Paris in 1982.

Suzhou Silk Factory

Suzhou is not only a city of gardens, but also the silk capital of China. It has a long tradition of mulberry planting, silk worm raising, silk reeling and weaving. Suzhou silk is elegant and beautiful, regarded as the best in China. In the silk factory you can learn how silk is extracted from silk worms, and gain some hands-on experience turning it into the fine material used to create Chinese costumes. A chance to shop to your heart's content and choose from a vast selection of fine silk with excellent quality at very reasonable prices. (Silk duvets are a popular purchase here...as are shirts, dresses and "Suzy Wong-style cheongsams"!)

Embroidery Reserch Institute

Established in 1957, the Suzhou Embroidery Institute is located at the Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty (the name of a Suzhou classic garden which has been listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO). Undoubtedly, Suzhou embroidery is the name card of the thousands-year old Suzhou city. Its registered trademark "Huan Xiu Villa" highlights the art of embroidery and the art of garden, adding beauty to each other and enhancing cultural values to each other. Suzhou embroidery has a long history of more than 2000 years. On display here are examples of handcraft so exceptional that it is difficult to believe this was achieved by human hands. The intricacy of each piece defies comprehension...and this is probably the most outstanding example of Chinese High Culture that you can encounter anywhere.

Tongli Watertown

Tongli is an ancient culture town in Southern China. The town is surrounded by water with many branching streams, stone bridges and old residence with black tiles and white wells.Such an ancient water town on an island in a lake in the "Venice of the East". Visitors may explore picturesque narrow canals, little streets, bridges and overhanging traditional houses, visit well-preserved old residences with good displays, eat delicious fish or other local delicacies and enjoy the balladeers in the waterside teahouses. The drive from Suzhou passes through fertile farmlands full of lakes, canals, barges, ducks, rice, corn, bananas; everything grows here!

Tongli Substitution - Zhouzhuang

More famous but also more crowded. If you prefer Zhouzhuang, Tongli can be replaced. Zhouzhuang is an ancient culture town in Southern China. The town is surrounded by water with many branching streams, stone bridges and old residences with black tiles and white wells. It's an ancient water town situated on an island in a lake in the "land of rice and fish". Visitors may explore picturesque narrow canals, little streets, bridges and overhanging traditional houses. You'll visit well-preserved old residences with good displays, eat delicious fish or other local delicacies and enjoy the balladeers in the waterside teahouses. The drive from Suzhou passes through fertile farmlands full of lakes, canals, barges, ducks, rice, corn, bananas...everything grows here! Indeed a memorable day.

Important Note:

Due to the current fluctuation of the Rand against the US Dollar, we have quoted in US dollars for the land portion of this tour only. For the International flights, please advice us with your names as appearing on your passports to enable us to check for the availability of class of travel on our special IT fare.

Services included

A. All Entrance fees as listed in the itinerary.

B. Scheduled sightseeing by air-conditioned coach with a private English Guide.

C. Meals and Entertainment as listed in the itinerary,

D. Service Charge & Government Taxes.

E. Terms & Conditions

Services not included

A. Gratuities, Tips to guides or drivers.

B. Personal expenses (ie. laundry, beverages and entertainment not shown in itinerary)

Note:

Due to the fluctuation of the Rand, we have quoted the land arrangements separately in US Dollars. However, our prices are still subject to change of the exchange rate between US$ and RMB.
The prices listed include a discount for cash payment either by wire transfer or cheque deposit, for any other type of payment, the discount price may not apply and subject to 5% surcharge.

2 persons	$ 180 per person
3 - 5 persons	$ 150 per person
6 - 9 persons	$ 120 per person