China - February 10th

Today was for sightseeing in Suzhou. Suzhou is a city on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Lake Taihu in the province of Jiangsu, China. The city is renowned for its beautiful stone bridges, pagodas, and meticulously designed gardens which have contributed to its status as a great tourist attraction. Since the Song Dynasty (960-1279), Suzhou has also been an important center for China's silk industry and continues to hold that prominent position today. The city is part of the Yangtze River Delta region.

Our first stop was to a Buddist temple that is famous in Suzhou. The temple was just blocks away from our hotel so we walked there. Our host is Buddist so while we were wandering around the various buildings of the temple, he was worshipping.
Upon returning to the hotel we checked out and drove over to the Humble Administrator's Garden. Today the temperatures were just about 35 and a little drizzle was falling.

The Humble Administrators Gardens was built in 1509 A.D. and is one of the four most famous gardens in China. The garden is composed of eastern, middle and western parts that are divided by walls with round open circles in the walls. The areas are all different and might have a pavilion or two for the users to sit and relax and enjoy the views. There is much lake rock - both large and small in these rooms with trees and plants. The lake rock is really beautiful and unique in it's look. There was a section for just Bonsai trees. We spent several enjoyable hours walking around the gardens.