Suzhou.

After leaving Hangzhou, we headed for Suzhou. Suzhou is just north of Hangzhou and west of Shanghai.

Had a 'free' performance for dinner.

Then some of us decided to go walk around Suzhou's shopping district:

Interesting place, had a temple in the middle:

Tourist traps:

Cool streets with cool street lamps. Suzhou definitely fits my stereotypical Chinese 'city' envision. Chinese architecture everywhere! From street lamps to bus stops.

One of the unique Chinese-styled bus stops!:

Next day, it was off to see Suzhou Museum.

The museum was right smack in a very Chinese old town of Suzhou, encircled by a moat that feeds a labyrinth of canals.

Designed by I.M. Pei, Suzhou Museum is able to blend in with the very traditional white-washed walls and gray-tiled roofs of Suzhou architecture surrounding it despite looking extremely contemporary. Its probably due to the colour sensitivity, its volume and dimensions, and the arrangement of gardens and courtyards.

It houses ancient Chinese art, calligrahies and paintings. Ceramics:

Bamboo pieces:

Ivory:

The museum also boasts a garden and 'lake':

The museum continues into a series of Chinese historic architectural complex of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom also known as the Zhong Wang Fu (Prince Zhong's mansion):

Very nice gardens:

Old Chinese Opera stage:

Costumes:

More exhibitions:

Zhong Wang Fu (Prince Zhong's Mansion):

His thrown:

His bust (possibly?):

While walking around the museum I was feeling really weak and sick... Probably because of what I ate the day(s) before... I had vomited a couple of times the night before and on that day, I was feeling really queasy.

And so we (Khai accompanied sick me) boarded the bus way ahead of the others as I tried to recover and rest. Then it was off for lunch but not before I popped in some charcoal pills. Felt better for a while. And fortunately, lunch was international buffet and not another salty Chinese-styled one...