Tripology

Commercial Flight

International flight arranged by you.

Hotel

Upon your arrival at Shanghai airport, China's most cosmopolitan city, your personal guide will meet you with a welcom sign and escort you to your hotel. Your guide will confirm your "East China Water Tour" itinerary with you and be glad to introduce some good local restaurants near your hotel, where you will be free to have a small adventure by trying China's traditional cuisine on your own. Accommodations: Holiday Inn Downtown Shanghai(Plaza Wing)

Relaxation

The rest of the day you will be yours to rest and adjust to the time zone difference before you begin exploring the ancient and cosmopolitan city of Shanghai the next day.

Sightseeing

Shanghai can be called a "Museum" of China's modern history. Today you will first visit the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall and have a glimpse of not only how Shanghai looked in the past, but also how Shanghai will look like in the future.

Sightseeing

Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall : This museum has five floors that detail the ambitious plans of Shanghai's urban planners. It fully displays the achievements of Shanghai in city planning and construction and embodies the theme of "city, man, environment, and development".

Sightseeing

In the afternoon, you will continue to explore the Yu Garden, Yuyuan Market and the Jade Buddha Temple.

Yu Garden: located in the Old Town of Shanghai, was laid out in 1559 AD by a powerful Ming Dynasty official. Yu Garden recreates a beautiful landscape of pagodas, pavilions, rockeries, fountains, ancient trees and precious flowers.

Shopping

Yuyuan Market: outside the Yu Garden, a bustling market where snacks and items of every description can be found.

Jade Buddha Temple: named after its exquisite milk-white jade Buddha brought from Burma in the 19th century by a Chinese monk, it is a spiritual oasis in the midst of a modern metropolis.

Hotel

Accommodations: Holiday Inn Downtown Shanghai(Plaza Wing). Meal: ( B, L ).

Sightseeing

On this day your schedule is not very tight and you head out into the city on your own to have your own adventure. In the evening you can stroll around the Bund, and enjoy shopping on Shanghai's famous Nanjing Road. After an evening of shopping you will enjoy an unforgettable Acrobatic Show.

Sightseeing

The Bund (the word "Bund"was derived from Anglo-Indian word meaning quay): where the great trading houses and banks had their headquarters in 1920s and 1930s, about a mile long, it is the city's fulcrum.

Shopping

Nanjing Road: known as "China's No.1 Shopping Street" with a huge selection of merchandise on sale. Everything from traditional Chinese arts and crafts to the most modern of fashions can be found here.

Performing Arts

Acrobatic Show: Chinese Acrobatics is one of the oldest performing arts with its history tracing back to Neolithic times, during its development it has been absorbing aspects of Chinese opera, dance and Kungfu to develop into a unique art form not found anywhere else in the world.

Hotel

Accommodations: Holiday Inn Downtown Shanghai(Plaza Wing). Meal ( B, L ).

Private Car Service

In the morning after breakfast, you will be taken to Zhouzhuang (Zhou's Village) located 30km away from Suzhou. There you will pay a visit to the Ancient Memorial Archway, Quanfu Temple, the Shen's Residence Hall and the Twin Bridge.

Sightseeing

Zhouzhuang: named after Zhou Digong in Song Dynasty (960-1127 AD) who donated more than 13-hectare of his land to Quanfu Temple. Famed as the "No.1 water village in China", with over 900 years of history. Zhouzhuang is an ancient town featuring great cultural traditions and unique architecture surrounded by many canals and waterways. Some of the village's highlights are ancient stone bridges and old residences built in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties.

Sightseeing

Ancient Memorial Archway: an archway made of stone and standing upright at the junction of the old and the new town, it is the symbol of Zhouzhuang.

Quanfu Temple: standing on the bank of the Baixian Lake, built in 1086 AD in Song Dynasty (960-1279) on the land donated by Zhou Digong, it is a good combination of Buddhist culture with traditional local architectural.

Sightseeing

Shen's Residence Hall: consisting of seven courtyards and five archways, it is the most impressive of all the residences with the unique local style of Jiangnan (meaning south of Yangtze River).

Sightseeing

Twin Bridge: indicating two bridges -- the Shide Bridge and the Yong'an Bridges. They were built during the Ming Dynasty(1638-1644) between 1513 and 1619 AD and connect with each other, one bridge runs North-South, while the other runs East-West. One has a square opening and the other has an arch. Because they looks like an ancient key, they are also known as "Key Bridge".

Hotel

Overnight you will be driven back to Suzhou. Accommodations: Bamboo Grove Hotel. Meal : ( B, L )

Sightseeing

Your tour in Suzhou will be an exciting and busy one. Included on this day's itinerary is the classical Humble Administrator's Garden, the ancient Tiger Hill Park, a cruise on the Grand Canal a visit the Pan Gate, and the No.1 Silk Factory.

Sightseeing

The Humble Administrator's Garden: the largest garden in Suzhou covering an area of over 10 acres. It was built in 1509 AD during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It is divided into the eastern, middle and western sections. The garden is centered on a large lake to form a picturesque garden of landscapes and waterscapes with exquisite buildings and ancient trees.

National Parks

Tiger Hill Park: a symbol of the city, with a history of over 2,500 years, the Tiger Hill has had the reputation of being the number 1 attraction in Suzhou. On top of the hill is a Song-dynasty (960-1279) leaning pagoda.

Sightseeing

The Grand Canal: started in the Sui Dynasty (605-616 AD). The canal is 1794 kilometers long and runs from Beijing to Hangzhou. The Grand Canal has created a bountiful agricultural region and has served as a major transportation artery between north and south for centuries.

Sightseeing

The Pan Gate: the only remaining city gates in Suzhou. It was built during the 12th century over Suzhou's former moat.

Sightseeing

The No.1 Silk Factory: Suzhou is famous for its silk production. In this factory you can learn more about silk production and see the intricate steps involved in the silk making process, you will have an opportunity to purchase some of the incredibly delicate works as well.

Train

In the evening you will take a train to Hangzhou (about 3.5hours). Train (soft-seat) arranged by us.

Hotel

Upon your arrival in Hangzhou, you will be met by your guide, and escorted back to the hotel. Accommodations: Wanghu Hotel. Meal : ( B, L ).

Relaxation

The rest of the day is yours to rest.

Sightseeing

Your visit to beautiful Hangzhou will be an unforgettable one. On this day you will include a visit to Hangzhou's famous West Lake by boat, Lingyin Temple, Feilai Peak, world renowned Dragon Well Tea Plantation and the Six Harmonies Pagoda.

Sightseeing

West Lake: There are 36 West Lakes throughout China, but the one in Hangzhou was the inspiration for them all. The name of the West Lake originated during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) from its lying to the west of Qiantang County. Another saying is that the lake is also named after Xi Shi, a famous ancient beauty, because of the apt comparison made between the two by the famed poet Su Dongpo (1037-1101AD). Originally a lagoon, the lake was dredged in the 8th century and later diked. The entire lake is ringed on three sides by mountains and one side by the city proper. With the green hills, willow trees, elegant bridges and clean spring water, the view of the West Lake are simply enchanting.

Lingyin Temple: a celebrated Chan (Zen) Buddhist temple founded in 326AD, despite being destroyed and rebuilt 16 times over, it remains one of Hangzhou's main attractions. The current structure dates from the late Qing dynasty. Its highlights are the Great Hall with its 65 foot camphor-wood statue of the Buddha and the Feilai Peak opposite the temple.

Sightseeing

Feilai Peak(Peak Flying From Afar): opposite the Lingyin Temple, 209 meters high. It is a hill covered with inscriptions and reliefs carved into the rock dating from the 10th to the 14th century.

Sightseeing

Dragon Well Tea Plantation: Dragon Well Green Tea is one of the most famous and most expensive teas in China. At this Tea Plantation, you can help pick tea leaves and learn how the tea is processed from the plant, to the cup. After watching how the tea is made, you can relax and taste a nice cup of this famous and historic tea amongst the trees that produced it.

Six Harmonies Pagoda：first built in 970 AD in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). It was built to calm the tide of the Qiantang River. It is made of brick and wood with a height of over 59 meters. The name "six harmonies" comes from the six Buddhist ordinances, meaning "harmonies of the heaven, earth, east, west, south and north".

Hotel

Accommodations: Wanghu Hotel. Meal : ( B, L ).

Train

After breakfast, you will be met by your guide, and escorted to the train station for your train back to Shanghai (1.5 hours). Train (soft-seat) arranged by us.

Hotel

Upon your arrival, you will be met by your guide, and escorted to your hotel. Accommodations: Holiday Inn Downtown Shanghai (Plaza Wing). Meal : ( B, L ).

Sightseeing

In the afternoon you are free to further discover the city of Shanghai on your own.

Say good-bye to your memorable East China Water Tour and be transferred to the airport for your flight to your next destination.