Strolling Through Suzhou's Tiger Hill and Shantang Jie

Dubbed as 'Venice of the East', Suzhou is widely known for its gardens and water towns that make you feel as if you are strolling around the dramatic streets of Italy. From the city proper of Suzhou, there are a couple of water towns nearby that I included in our itinerary such as Zhouzhang and Tongli. We were supposed to visit one but the 100 CNY fee as entrance was too steep for us so we decided to cancel and look for another spot to visit instead. With a quick Google search, I found out about Tiger Hill. A quote from a poet during the Song Dynasty says that "It is lifetime pity of having visited Suzhou and you did not visit Tiger Hill." Enough said.

Exploring One of the Many Gardens in Suzhou, The Humble Administrator's Garden

"If heaven has paradise, China has Hangzhou and Suzhou" - Marco Polo
It was those words that actually drove me to include both of these cities on a trip that was supposed to be only dedicated for Shanghai. It got me curious as to why both cities are highly acclaimed and recommended when visiting the Eastern part of the country, so I allotted two days to see what was in store for us here.