Suzhou.

After lunch we decided to visit the famous gardens of Suzhou. The gardens there can be traced as far back as the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC - 476 BC). But it was during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties that the garden art of Suzhou was at its zenith. The one we went to was the Zhuozheng (Humble Administrator's) Garden:

The garden is so huge that there are sections. You enter through the east garden:

Moon gate to central garden:

Bamboo hall:

Getting into the mood at the 'Orange Pavilion':

Just going to let the pictures do the talking. To find out the names of each pavilion, see here. Some of the names are ridiculous like the 'Think Deep Aim High' pavilion.

'Mountain in View' tower:

Fagrant Isle:

Again, getting the mood right at the 'Flying Rainbow' bridge (hard to believe I was really sick, aye?):

The Princess and the Warrior:

The West Garden:

The name of this pavilion takes the cake - 'With Whom Shall I Sit?' pavilion:

This is the 'Hall of 36 Mandrian Ducks and 18 Camellias':

I wonder if the name would keep changing if the ducks keep dying...:

Floating Green Tower:

My favourite picture, the 'Pagoda Reflection' pavilion:

The East Garden:

House of Sweet Smelling Rice:

Celestial Spring tower:

And that's all. Had to board the bus again cause I was feeling sick again...

But not before taking a stroll through the shopping areas! Haha!

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...