About Suzhou- Weather China

Paradise in heaven, Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth. --- 上有天堂，下有苏杭

Suzhou, a beautiful city in the southeast of China that is considered as the paradise on the earth, a major tourist city in China that features classic gardens and elegant natural scenery, an ancient city that has the history of 2500 years with the unique characteristics of the past. Suzhou is a city on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Lake Taihu in the province of Jiangsu, China. The city is renowned for its beautiful bridges, pagodas, meticulously designed gardens which have contributed to its status as a great tourist attraction.

Conference Site - Grand Metropark Hotel Suzhou

Address: 1355 Jinjihu Avenue, Suzhou Industrial Park, Jiangsu (Tel: +86-512-62800666, Fax: +86-512-62920777)

Grand Metropark Hotel Suzhou is a five-star hotel, located in the joint of the Suzhou industrial park and downtown with convenience traffic and elegant environment. It takes only 10 minutes from Sujiahang Express and Huning Express. Hotel has 382 decorated guestrooms and 105 apartments with minimum size of 42 square meters . You can enjoy free boardband in all rooms as well as beautiful view. Hotel has classic Chinese restaurant and western restaurant. When you having international buffet, natural landscape will attract you through up-to-ceiling windows. Hotel has equipped Business Center,conference rooms, Beauty Salon and so on.

Hotel Reservation

• To book hotel room with PIERS Group Rates, please download the the Hotel Reservation Form and directly send to the hotel via Email or FAX.
  Download: HotelBookingForm.doc, HotelBookingForm.pdf
  Contact Person: Ms. Amanda Lu
  Email: amanda.lu@metroparkhotels.com
  Fax: +86-512-62920777
  Tel: +86-512-62800666

• All guests are advised to book early before August 10, 2011 in this summer season. After this date, special group rate is no longer guaranteed. The number of rooms reserved is limited. Room availability is on first-come first-serve basis.
• Any inquiry about hotel reservation, please directly contact the hotel via EMAIL(amanda.lu@metroparkhotels.com) or FAX.
• Please feel free to contact PIERS OFFICE, if you have any problem in hotel reservation.

Arrival Guide - PDF Download

Since there is no airport in Suzhou, most tourists who come to Suzhou often fly to Shanghai, and then take a long distance bus or train to Suzhou.

1) From Shanghai Pudong International Airport to Suzhou:

A: You can take a long distance bus at the airport to Suzhou city.

It costs CNY 84 (1 USD is about 6.4 CNY) and takes about 3 hours (as it will stop by Shanghai Hongqiao Airport and wait for about 30 min). And then you can take a taxi from Suzhou bus station to the PIERS conference hotel. We suggest you print this file and show the chinese hotel name and address to the taxi driver.
Airport Bus Schedule: 10:00 10:40 11:10 11:40 12:10 12:40 13:10 13:50 14:20 14:50 15:20 16:10 16:50 17:20 18:10 18:50 19:20 20:00
Please note it is not easy to get a taxi when you get off the long distance bus at Suzhou bus station, in particular during the rush hour. Therefore, you are recommended to take the airport transfer service (option B below) on September 11.

B: On September 11, you can also use the airport bus transfer service provided by the travel agency.

It will take you directly to the PIERS host hotel. The fee is CNY135.00 for each person. The bus is scheduled to leave at 14:00, 16:00 and 20:00 on September 11 and it takes about 2 hours. Note that this airport transfer service may be cancelled if the total number of persons interested in this service is fewer than 10 for each scheduled bus. Kindly make your reservation (with your flight number and arrival time indicated, as well as the preferred bus departure time) for this airport bus transfer service as soon as possible before September 1. Your reservation will be confirmed by email by September 2. You can pay the fee when you get on the bus. To make reservation, please contact,
Mr. Qin DAI,
Email: daiqin@mail.hz.zj.cn,
Mobile: +86 13858024791.

2) From Shanghai Hongqiao Airport to Suzhou:

You can take subway from Shanghai Hongqiao Airport to Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station (5 minutes), and then take a high speed train to Suzhou railway station (25 minutes), and finally take a taxi to PIERS conference hotel.

You can also take a long distance bus at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport to Suzhou.

City Tour Guide

Tour Program for PIERS participants, arranged by China Hangzhou OTC Travel International Ltd.
City Tour, Evening Activities, Post Conference Tour, Airport Transfer

Humble Administrator's Garden
The beautiful waterside City of Suzhou in Jiangsu Province in South China is most famous for its elegant classical gardens. Among these, the Humble Administrator's Garden, covering about 52,000 sq. meters (12.85 acres), is the largest and most renowned. Due to its unique designs and ethereal beauty, the garden has garnered many special honors. It is listed as a World Cultural Heritage site and has also been designated as one of the Cultural Relics of National Importance under the Protection of the State as well as a Special Tourist Attraction of China. Along with the Summer Palace in Beijing, the Mountain Resort of Chengde in Hebei Province and the Lingering Garden in Suzhou, it is considered as one of China's four most famous gardens. No other classic garden in the country has been honored more than this one.
The Humble Administrator's Garden was originally built in 1509 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It was initially a private garden of a former government servant named Wang Xianchen. It was said he intended to build a garden after retired and just do some gardening work like planting trees and vegetables there, which was said to be the life of a humble man by him. Hence is the name of the garden. The garden was created upon the old relics of a resident and a temple. Water feature is the main background and its natural landscape includes 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 building style.

Lingering Garden
Occupying an area of 23,300 square meters (about 5.8 acres), the Lingering Garden is located outside Changmen Gate in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. Originally a classical private garden, it is one of the four most famous gardens in China. Possessing typical Qing style, it is well-known for the exquisite beauty of its magnificent halls, and the various sizes, shapes, and colors of the buildings. In 1997, the garden was recorded on the list of the world heritage by UESCO.
With a history of more than 400 years, the Lingering Garden has changed hands several times. Each owner did his best to perfect the garden. It was first built in 1593 during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) by a retired official named Xu Tai. During the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), it was bought by Liu Shu. As a calligraphy lover, he carved masterpieces on both sides of the corridors of the buildings. He had also collected unusually-shaped stones in the garden. The succeeding owners followed his model when doing restoration work. Almost demolished in the 1930s, the garden was repaired sponsored by the government and then opened to the public.
Like other famous gardens in Suzhou, the Lingering Garden seeks to create stunning natural landscapes within limited space. In this garden, domiciles, ancestral temples and private gardens are included. Buildings, trees, and flowers blend harmoniously with their surroundings. The garden can generally be divided into four parts: the central, eastern, western and northern parts according to the style of the buildings. Of the four parts, the central part is the essence of the whole complex. This part was the original Lingering Garden while the other three were added during the Qing Dynasty. After going through winding corridors from the gate of the garden, one reaches the central part. The central part is divided into two parts: the western part and the eastern part. The former features in pools and hills while classical buildings dominate the latter. The Celestial Hall of Five Peaks in the eastern part of the garden is the largest hall in the garden. The western part is enchanting for its natural scenery. It is a large rockery built from stacked stones and soil during the Ming Dynasty. Maples cover the hill. When all the leaves turn red in autumn, it is extraordinarily beautiful. The northern part used to be a vegetable garden, but now is used to exhibit potted plants of which the Suzhou people are quite proud. These four parts are connected by a 700-meter (about 0.4 miles) long corridor on the wall of which calligraphy carved on the stone can be found.

Lion Grove Garden
Locating in the northeast part ofSuzhoucity, the garden occupies an area of 1.1 hectares out of which 0.88 hectares is the open part. Viewing from above, the garden appears to be a rectangle, slightly wider on the east-west direction. Within the around tall walls, the twisted corridors encircle the entire garden, forming a well-protected house to live in. The layout of the garden is delicate with rockery and chambers, bridges and pavilions, flowers and plants. Centered on the central pond, the garden is like a tiny but elaborate mountain forest.

Hanshan Temple
Have you ever heard of the poem A Night Mooring near Maple Bridge written by Zhang Ji, a poet of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) In this poem, Zhang described the midnight bell rings of the Hanshan Temple (Cold Mountain Temple). Since then, the temple has become famous, especially for its bell rings and Buddhism culture.
Cold Mountain Temple, also called Hanshan Si in Pinyin, is situated five kilometers (about three miles) from Fengqiao Old Town in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. It is said that in the Tang Dynasty, a famous monk Han Shan came to take charge of the temple, hence its name. Building originally commenced during the Liang Dynasty (502-557), and was repaired again in the following dynasties. Now, covering an area of about 10,600 square meters (about three acres), it presents the architectural style of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It includes the Grand Prayer Hall, Sutra-Collection Building, Bell Tower, Fengjiang Pavilion and Tablets Corridor, etc. In 1995, a five-storey Buddhism pagoda as high as 42 meters (about 138 feet) was erected called Puming Pagoda, which then became the symbolic building of the temple. There are many more historical relics in the temple, such as the statue of Han Shan, the stone tablet inscription of the poem A Night Mooring near Maple Bridge and some other tablet inscriptions written by famous intellectuals of ancient China.

Tiger Hill
A famous Song Dynasty poet, Su Shi said, 'It is a lifelong pity if having visited Suzhou you did not visit Tiger Hill.' This epitomises the general opinion of those who have seen this local beauty spot with its many attractions that we shall endeavour to describe for you.
Tiger Hill, known also as Surging Sea Hill, is a large hillock covering some14100 square metres (over three acres) and is 36 metres (118 feet) in height. Climbing the hill, you will find a number of historical sites some of which can be traced back over 2500 years to the founding of Suzhou. Although the hill is relatively small it has rich history. These are just some of the highlights of what is to be found there. The Tomb of King He Lu: In 496 BC during the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC - 476 BC), He Lu, King of the Wu perished during the war fought against the Yue. His son buried him within the hill and three days after the funeral a white tiger came and sat upon the grave as though guarding it. From that time on it has been known as Tiger Hill.
Tiger Hill Pagoda: The pagoda stands on the hill's summit and is the Pagoda of the Yunyan Temple. As the oldest pagoda in the vicinity of Suzhou it has come to be a symbol of the city and has the distinction of being China's Leaning Tower. Built during the Northern Song Dynasty (959-961) it is a seven-storey octahedron after the style of the timber pagodas built during the early Tang period. It is 48 metres high (158 feet) and for the past four hundred years has leant 359' to the northwest.

Surging Wave Pavilion
Celebrated for the delights of the wilderness of mountain and forest scenery,the Surging Wave Pavilion is the oldest among the existing classical gardens of Suzhou . The exact location of the Surging Wave Pavilion can be found in the Song Dynasty map of Pingjiang (Suzhou,A.D.1229) inscribed on the stele.The northern Song poet Su Sunqin said in "A Record of the Surging Wave Pavilion","...To the east of the Confucian Temple were earthen hills covered with trees and grass,and a wide expanse of water,quite different from the urban scenes... I was reluctant to leave because I fell in love with this place.So I bought it for 20,000 coins,built a pavilion on the rock projecting over the water on the north and called it the Surging Wave Pavilion."Fan Chenda wrote in "Historical Records of Wu Jun" under the Song Dynasty,"The Surging Wave Pavilion is located to the south of the Confucian Temple ,fronting an area of about 1.6 ac .of water space...During the reign of Qingli( 1044 A .D.) Su Sunqing bought it and built a pavilion by the water,called the Surging Wave Pavilion...The name of the Surging Wave has been known to all far and wide since then." On the whole the present garden of the Surging Wave Pavilion still keeps the style of the Song.It features a range of man-made moutains inside the garden and waterscapes outside.Proceeding past the pure expanse of water over a zigzag bridge of stone and through the entrance,one comes to the garden and catches sight of man-made mountain covered with age-old trees and bamboo,running from east to west. At the foot of the mountains are rocky slopewash.The Surging Wave Pavilion in the shape of a square stands at the top of the mountain and has a parallel couplet from the Song poets on the stone pillars to heighten artistic conception,reading ,"The refreshing breeze and the bright moon are priceless,the nearby water and the distant mountains strike a sentimental note,"Most of the garden buildings,simple and plain,were rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty,carefully arranged around the mountains and connected by a long roofed walkway. A double-corridor built by the canal lies to the north of the garden,unifying waterscapes outside the garden and "mountain scenery" inside in one breath through its latticed windows, one of incredible examples of borrowed scenes in the classical gardens of Suzhou.There're over 100 different latticed windows with impressive designs, possessing extremely high artistic value.

Night Cruise on the Ancient Canal of Suzhou
Because of covered by canals, Suzhou was called as the Venice of the East by Marco Polo. Night cruise on the ancient canal of Suzhou, as a matter of fact, refers to cruise on the moat of the old Suzhou city. And the ancient moat or encircling canal is also connected to the old Suzhou canal system. When cruise on the moat, you will get a panoramic view of the ancient city.

Local Cuisine
Most of Suzhou's local food is snacks or Xiao chi (small eats). They originated in little stands or stalls located on sides of the road. Many locals and visitors to Suzhou enjoy walking down the street and stopping at the individual stalls to buy one or two items, eat as they continue their walk, and pick up some more of the tasty local dishes further on down the street. For visitors who do not like spicy food, most dishes can be prepared without chili.
Pine Nut and Date Cake:
It is a famous traditional snack in Suzhou. It chooses sugar, eggs, food oil, and wheat powder as the raw materials to make the skin. The nutlets, fruit flesh, and pine nuts are the stuffing. Then, the cake is baked over a slow fire. This snack is sweet but not greasy. It is very delicious. It is exactly a good choice to give to friends and relatives as gifts.
The Noodles in Maple Town (Maple Bridge Town near Hanshan Temple):
It is also called the white soup noodles. The soup is clear, and the stewed meat is crisp and soft. The noodles are thin and in a beautiful shape. It tastes delicious and refreshing. There is a legend about the noodle. A wife and a husband run a noodle shop in Maple Town. One day, the husband went downtown to buy sauce. On the way, he met with a man who wanted to kill himself because of no money. The husband gave him some money that he had and went home without buying sauce. Without sauce, how can he make noodle soup and stewed meat? After returning home, the wife didn't blame on him. She said that they could make the noodle soup by using the original soup and putting stewed meat, shallot and ginger into the soup. As expected, the white soup noodles are delicious! Later on, it is famous throughout Suzhou city.
Sweet-Scented Osmanthus Chicken:
It uses chicken, white sugar and sweet-scented osmanthus sugar as the raw materials. The chicken are just like white jade, which whet visitors' appetite.
Suzhou Confects:
Suzhou locates near Tai Lake, so it teems with plum, apricot, loquat, waxberry, peach, golden orange, etc. It provides rich raw materials to the production of confects. It is popular from the Three Countries Dynasty. In Qing Dynasty, the confects are famous at home and abroad. It is sweet and refreshing. It is suitable for the old and the young.
Ao Zao Noodle:
The quick-fry fish noodle and bittern duck noodle is the most famous noodle. Except for good materials and delicious taste, there are three features of the noodle. First, the noodle is very hot. Second, the soup is very hot. Third, the bowls are very hot. Even in winter, after eating a bowl of this kind of noodle, you may sweat.
Bittern Bean Curd:
It is a famous specialty in Suzhou. It has red color and special taste. It can be eaten as confect and bittern dishes. Due to its delicious taste, it is renowned throughout China. There are so many delicious snacks in Suzhou that visitors must be lured by them. After enjoying the exquisite landscape gardens in Suzhou, tasting the special snack is a good choice that cannot be missed!