(1)08:30 The driver will meet you at the lobby of your hotel, and then drive you to Tiger Hill in Suzhou (approx. 1.5 hours). Please reserve the name and exact address of your hotel in advance. The car is according to your group size, picture is for reference.
(2)10:00-12:00 Tiger Hill
[The guide will meet you in Suzhou when you get off. Your tour will start with a visit to Tiger Hill, including Sword Pond, Tiger Hill Pagoda, and many historical sites... After, you will learn a lot about the politics and culture of Suzhou].
*Suzhou has a history of more than 4,000 years recorded, and Suzhou city was built in 514 BC by King Helu as the capital of the State of Wu. Tiger Hill was the palace of King Helu at that time, but became his tomb when he died in the war in 496 BC. His son Fuchai built an underwater tomb here as his grave, named Sword Pond because it's said that 3,000 rare swords were buried with him, but it's still an unknown secret now. Since then, Tiger Hill, as a Feng Shui treasure land, has been built with temples. After being destroyed and rebuilt several times, the most famous relic now is the Tiger Hill Pagoda/Yunyan Pagoda, also known as the Oriental Leaning Pagoda. It's built in 961 AD and 47.7 meters high, but tilts toward the northeast and north with 3.59 degrees.
(3)12:00-14:00 Shantang Street
[After Tiger Hill, you will take a boat from there to Shantang Street, then have lunch and stroll around the street. After, you will learn a lot about the commerce of Suzhou. Both boat ride and lunch are included in the package].
*In 825AD, the great poet and governor, Bai Juyi, dug a River to facilitate Suzhou's water and land transportation, and built the Shantang Street along the river from Tiger Hill in the west to Changmen in the east, with a length of more than 3,700 meters. The west side of the street is mostly residential houses, temples, and chambers of commerce; the east side of the street is full of shops selling silk and snacks, as well as opera stages and teahouses for entertainment. It was once so prosperous that it was called the No. 1 Street in China, and in 2010 it was named 'China's Famous Historical and Cultural Street'.
(4)14:00-16:00 Lingering Garden & 16:00-17:30 Back to Hotel
[You will arrive at Lingering Garden by car and then visit it, you will learn a lot about the arts of Suzhou. Afterwards, you will be transferred to your hotel].
*Near Shantang Street is Lingering Garden, which was built in 1593AD. It's a classical private garden with an area of 23,300 square meters, divided into four parts. Central part is famous for its scenery, it uses narrow corridors to set off the open scenery. Eastern part is famous for its architecture and cultural relics, with three treasures: Guanyun Peak(one of the four famous stones), the natural marble painting, and the fish fossils(114 million years ago). It is one of four famous gardens in China, and listed as the world heritage.
