Tranquil Waters and Secret Gardens Tour

Itinerary:
Morning: Guests can wake up a bit later, have breakfast at the hotel, and then take a private rowing boat to the secret realm of West Lake. With the sound of oars, let’s away from the noisy public waters, slowly immerse in the tranquil beauty of West Lake, this is our delicate way of listening to West Lake....
Afternoon: Visit the hidden paradise at the top of Longjing Mountain, taste West Lake Longjing tea, enjoy exquisite afternoon tea time, interpret Chinese tea culture and Song culture; guests can also experience intangible cultural heritage seal carving here, carve a small seal, and experience the cultural charm between square inches.

Included Activity: West Lake Exclusive Rowing Boat | Enjoy a different view of West Lake:
Rowing Boat Plus Upgrade version, take a slow ride on the exclusive rowing boat in West Lake, from the crowded outer West Lake to the quiet inner West Lake, enjoy the secret spots that ordinary tourists cannot see, listen to the rowing boatman tell the strange stories of old Hangzhou, and have a closer look at the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon on the background of the RMB.

Itinerary:
Today: Guests can sleep in and wake up naturally, check out after breakfast, and travel to Suzhou. Visit the  Humble Administrator's Garden, known as one of the four famous gardens in China, and admire the beauty of Jiangnan gardens composed of well-arranged rockeries and exquisite courtyard buildings; visit the gift from the architect Ieoh Ming Pei to his hometown Suzhou Museum.
Evening: Stroll freely on Pingjiang Road, walk through the streets and alleys, the ancient city still maintains its old appearance, carrying the life of Suzhou people for thousands of years; take a exclusive rowing boat to cruise on the Suzhou River, feel the charming side of the water town amidst the creaking sounds.

Attractions:
Humble Administrator's Garden: One of the “Four Great Gardens of China”, a World Cultural Heritage Site. The Humble
Administrator's Garden is a representative work of classical Chinese gardens, and together with Beijing’s Summer Palace, Chengde Mountain Resort, and Suzhou’s Lingering Garden, it is renowned as one of the Four Great Gardens of China.
The garden is centered around water, surrounded by mountains and trees; the east is open and spacious, the west features exquisite architecture, and the central area is focused around a water pool with stacked mountains, representing the essence of the entire garden.
The design of the entire garden is very intricate, with a “scenery at every step”, showcasing the charm of the water towns of Jiangnan. The winding paths in the garden lead from one pavilion to another, with intricately carved stone walls, unique pavilions, and windows, all complemented by well-matched trees, flowers, and grass, creating picturesque landscapes.
Opening Hours: 07:30-17:30, March 1-November 15; 07:30-17:00, November 16-December 31; 07:30-17:00, January 1-February 29.
Note: The evening performance of the Humble Administrator’s Garden “Humble Administrator Asks for Elegance” operates from 18:00 to 22:00, with the latest entry time at 21:00.
Address: No. 178 Dongbei Street, Gusu District, Suzhou City

Hotel: Suzhou Youxiong Hotel or similar

Itinerary:
Morning: Guests can wake up a bit later and have breakfast, and then head to Hanshan Temple. The thousand-year-old Hanshan Temple, flourishing due to an ancient poem. Seeing the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty when looked up at, and evoking ancient sentiments.
Afternoon: Visit the niche garden hidden in the deep alleys and humble houses of ancient Suzhou - Garden of Cultivation. Suzhou locals consider the Garden of Cultivation as their backyard, with its own tranquility and simplicity. Enjoy a cup of tea and gaze at the pool of clear water outside the window, with white walls reflecting on the water surface, as time seems to stand still in this place.

Attractions:
· Hanshan Temple: A thousand-year-old famous temple, the origin of the poem “Outside the city of Gusu, at the Hanshan Temple”, so many tourists come here to strike the bell and pray for blessings. Hanshan Temple was first built during the Southern Dynasties in the Tianjian period of the Xiao Liang Dynasty, originally named “Miaoli Puming Pagoda Temple”; in the Tang Dynasty, the famous monks Hanshan and Xiqian came here to add to the temple and renamed it “Hanshan Temple”. After more than 1,400 years of vicissitudes, Hanshan Temple still maintains its ancient architectural style and unique cultural charm. The ancient temple is simple and solemn, amidst the hustle and bustle of city, the ancient canal outside the temple flows daily, bringing many stories and imaginations to people, also taking away many moments and memories. A poem “Night Mooring at Maple Bridge” has never been forgotten, they seem to be like a line of geese, crossing time and space, awakening people’s poetic sentiments.
Opening Hours: 07:30-18:00, January 1-December 30; 07:00-14:00, Sunday, December 31
Address: No. 24 Hanshan Temple Lane, Gusu District, Suzhou City

· The Garden of Cultivation: The Garden of Cultivation is a typical representative of the existing Ming-style small gardens in Suzhou. Since its establishment, the garden has experienced more than four hundred years of vicissitudes, hidden in the deep alleys and humble houses of the ancient city of Suzhou. The Garden of Cultivation excels in simplicity, naturalness, and simplicity, with exquisite construction and charming garden scenery. Its architectural craftsmanship and garden layout are clever and unique, with pleasant and elegant scenery, making it one of the masterpieces of Ming Dynasty residential gardens. This place was also the former residence of literary figures such as Wen Zhenmeng.
Opening Hours: 07:30-17:30, March 1-October 31; 07:30-17:00, November 1-February 28
Address: No. 5 Wenyalou, Gusu District, Suzhou City.

Hotel: Suzhou Youxiong Hotel or similar

Itinerary:
Today: Guests sleep in and wake up naturally, check out at the appropriate time after breakfast, and take a car to Yangzhou. Upon arrival, check in at the secluded Slender West Lake Hot Spring Resort for rest.
Afternoon: Take a exclusive rowing boat, enjoying the beauty of Slender West Lake slowly accompanied by the boatwoman's tunes. When snow falls on Slender West Lake, the shadows of flowers fly in the snow, the Lotus Flower Bridge quietly turns white, and the rowing boat sways through it leisurely, exuding a unique charm.

Attractions:
Slender West Lake: A must-visit place in Yangzhou, Slender West Lake is a lake garden with flowers blooming all year round and with the beautiful Five Pavilion Bridge as a landmark. "Thirty-six West Lakes in the world", only Yangzhou's West Lake stands out among all lakes with its clear and graceful charm. A winding stream is like a brocade ribbon, floating and fluttering, sometimes releasing and sometimes gathering, compared to West Lake in Hangzhou, it has a different kind of slim and clear charm. In the Qing Dynasty, the poet Wang Hang from Qiantang wrote a poem: "The willows continuously connect the remnants, the goose teeth rainbow bridge is like a painting. It is also a pot of gold, so it should be called Slender West Lake." Slender West Lake got its name from this poem and became famous at home and abroad.
The Long Embankment of Slender West Lake in Yangzhou + the Long Embankment of Xuyuan on the west bank of the lake, stretching for hundreds of meters. A willow tree and a peach tree are appropriately interspersed along the embankment, making it a good place to enjoy spring. "Long Embankment Spring Willow" is one of the twenty-four scenic spots in Yangzhou.
Opening Hours: All year round: 06:00-17:15
Address: No. 28 Dahongqiao Road, Shugang Slender West Lake Scenic Area, Yangzhou

Hotel: Yangzhou Seclusive Life Hot Spring Resort or similar

Itinerary:
Today: After breakfast, visit the Geyuan Garden, known as the “Number One Garden of the Late Qing Dynasty”. In the winter of Yangzhou, the air carries a lazy atmosphere, and the Geyuan Garden in winter is hidden among several green bamboo poles, with a tranquil garden, winding waterways, winding paths, and a unique artistic conception.
Afterwards, guests will be timely sent to the airport/high-speed rail station to return to warm home.

Attractions:
Geyuan Garden: The garden is filled with green bamboo, fresh and pleasing to the eyes, and the rockeries themed around the four seasons are worth seeing. Yangzhou salt merchants were once the wealthiest in the world, and the Geyuan Garden represents the residences of Yangzhou salt merchants, witnessing the city's past glory. It is famous for its rockery art, made up of various types of rocks such as bamboo stone, lake stone, yellow stone, and Xuan stone, stacked to create rockeries representing spring, summer, autumn, and winter, making it a unique sight in garden landscaping. Yangzhou's Geyuan Garden, along with Beijing's Summer Palace, Chengde Mountain Resort, and Suzhou's Humble Administrator's Garden, are collectively known as the Four Great Gardens of China.
Opening Hours: All year round: 07:30-17:30
Address: No. 10 Yanfu East Road, Guangling District, Yangzhou