Shanghai side-trips
 

Hi!

I've read several postings on the water towns. I'm planning to visit Suzhou. Once I've seen that, are any other water towns vastly different? Or is it seen one, seen them all?

I'm also thinking of staying overnight in Suzhou and Hangzhou. Worth it do you think?

Cheers!

Peter

Seen one water town, then almost all.

Hangzhou and Suzhou are better places to go, specially Hangzhou.

Suzhou and Hangzhou are both water town, but there is a little different, Suzhou is famous for its elegant landscape gardens and Hangzhou is famous for its natural beauty of style like the West Lake. If you want to see a real water town, I suggest Wuzhen, it is a famous water town in China. (near Hangzhou) locates along the Grand Canal.

One of my girl friends who lives in Shanghai arranged a day trip for us to go to Hangzhou in October. Besides touring in Hangzhou, there is a dinner in Shangrla, followed with show on the lake. Cost is US $135/pp

She also arranged an overnight trip to YangZhou, never been to either of the places myself, but Lily knows the area well, so must be special.

Pat

Yangzhou is a smaller version of Hangzhou, which is a city, not a watertown with canals. The big lake in Hangzhou is called the West Lake, the skinny lake in Yangzhou is called the Slim West Lake. You go to Yangzhou for the food, which is catching up with Food in Hangzhou. The show you are going to see is on the West Lake, is based on the legend of the White Snake, directly by Zhang Yimou, you saw his show in Lijiang, right? The 3rd show is in Yangshuo.

We are going to Yangzhen Hu, aka Crab Lake for the fresh water crab, and staying overnight at a lakeside resort.

Is Yangzhen Hu near KunShan? I am going there on October 10 to visit a college friend. The lake is famous for the crab, but it was wasted on me, too much trouble to pick through the skinny crab to get much meat out of it. And I don't care for the yellows, high Cholastrol.

No, I didn't see the White Snake show in Lijian when I was there two years ago, it was right at the time of the earthquake and all the theaters were dark. Zhang Yimou is such a good director, I am excited. I will have to explain the story to DH, he doesn't have a clue. I should probably should read up on it a little, details are fuzzy now. Age...you know...

Pat

Yangcheng Hu (got the spelling right this time) is 2 miles northeast of Suzhou, Kunshan is southeast so they are not far from each other, and about 1-1.5 hours by bus or car.

The White Snake show is in Hangzhou, the Lijiang one has a different theme showcasing a dozen local minorities. The show in Yangshuo is based on the folklore of Liusanjie (3rd Sis of the Liu Family).