At 8:30 in the morning, you will be picked up from the lobby of your downtown Suzhou hotel or railway station in Suzhou and visit visit Humble Administrator's Garden, which was originally built in 1509 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and initially a private garden of a former government official named Wang Xianchen. He intended to build a garden after retirement, which was said to be the life of a humble man should live, hence is the name of the garden. Humble Administrator's Garden was created upon the old ruin of a resident and a temple. Water is featured throughout the garden along with natural landscapes of small forests, hills and rock formations. It also has man-made pavilions, halls and parlors. Unlike the Grand View Garden and other famous gardens in Beijing, it is representative of the Ming Dynasty style.
Next, your will be transferred to visit Tong Li Old Town, a town with a profound cultural background and achievement. From ancient times, it has been teeming with poets, painters, Confucian scholars and government officials. Their presence have made great contributions to the progression in many areas of the country. Dozens of stone tablets from different periods are preserved here and many of the streets are named after their official job titles. Walking through the alleys of this venerable water town, you cannot fail to appreciate its pristine and intoxicating atmosphere. In 1981, Tongli was declared one of the thirteen national standard tour towns of the Taihu Lake region. In addition, in 1982, it was listed for protection as the standard provincial town of cultural interest in Jiangsu Province.
Later, you will visit Moxibustion Institute, your master will give you a presentation on Moxibustion history, theory and process of treatment. Moxibustion is an alternative therapy that involves burning herbs and applying the resulting heat to particular pressure points of the body. A technique used in traditional Chinese medicine as well as in Tibetan medicine. Moxibustion is typically administered in conjunction with acupuncture.
Afterwards, you will be transferred to visit a Silk Factory and then driven back to your hotel or railway station in Suzhou where this tour concludes.
