Suzhou, China Private Charter Car | Suzhou, Jiangsu Customized One-Day Private Charter | Private Car Service for Independent Travelers

1 Day

• The Lion Grove Garden, along with the Humble Administrator's Garden, Lingering Garden, and Canglang Pavilion, is known as one of the 'Four Great Gardens of Suzhou.' Although small, the Lion Grove Garden is famous for its rockery, where the bizarre rocks resemble dancing lions. The rockery is connected like a maze, allowing you to count the stone lions or explore the stone maze for the fun of playing hide-and-seek. First built during the Yuan Dynasty, the garden was originally the backyard of a Zen temple before being purchased as a private residence. This garden was a favorite of the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, who visited it every time he traveled south of the Yangtze River. He once claimed there were 500 stone lions within the rockery. The garden still preserves plaques bestowed by Emperor Qianlong, such as 'Zhenqu' (True Interest), and he even commissioned replicas of the Lion Grove Garden at the Old Summer Palace and the Chengde Mountain Resort.
  

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• The Humble Administrator's Garden was first built in the early years of the Zhengde reign of the Ming Dynasty (early 16th century). With a history of over 500 years, it is a representative work of classical Jiangnan gardens. The name of the garden is derived from the 'Xianju Fu' (Ode to Leisurely Living) by Pan Yue of the Western Jin Dynasty: 'Irrigating the garden and selling vegetables to provide for morning and evening meals... this is also the administration of a humble person.' The original style of the garden was that of the high-antiquity Song and Yuan periods. Despite undergoing multiple renovations, the ancient and leisurely atmosphere can still be faintly discerned, which is the most precious highlight of the Humble Administrator's Garden.
  

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• Most of the buildings in Hanshan Temple date back to the Qing Dynasty, including the Mahavira Hall, the Sutra Library, the Bell Tower, the Stele Gallery, the Fengjiang Tower, and the Shuangzhong Pavilion. The layout of Hanshan Temple does not follow a strict central axis. The stone arched bridge in front of the temple gate is the Jiangcun Bridge, and the yellow wall between the bridge abutment and the temple gate is known as the screen wall. There are two ancient camphor trees on either side of the temple gate. Inside the yellow walls, the classical pavilions feature upturned eaves; the Fengjiang Tower is on the right, and the Shuangzhong Tower is on the left, both inspired by the poem 'Night Mooring at Maple Bridge'.
  

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• Shantang Street is named after the Shantang River. In the first year of the Baoli reign of the Tang Dynasty (825), the poet Bai Juyi served as the Governor of Suzhou. He dredged the river northwest of Suzhou city and used the natural waterways to dig a straight canal (stretching from the moat outside Changmen Gate to the foot of Tiger Hill), which was called the Shantang River, to facilitate boat travel. The excavated soil was piled up to form a long embankment, which was wide enough to serve as a road leading directly to Tiger Hill. At that time, Tiger Hill was called Wuqiu, and there was a Wuqiu Temple on the mountain, so the poet referred to it as the Wuqiu Temple Road. Later generations called it the 'Bai Gong Embankment.' The embankment is seven li long, hence it is also known as 'Seven-li Shantang.' Because it is located between the bustling Changmen area and the famous Tiger Hill, it gradually became a prosperous tourist and commercial street.
  

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• Vehicle Recommendation: 5-seater comfort model + dedicated driver: Recommended for 3 passengers, can accommodate 2 pieces of 26-28 inch luggage, with a maximum capacity of 4 passengers.
  

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• 7-seater business van + dedicated driver: Seats up to 6 people and can accommodate 4 pieces of 26-28 inch luggage.
  

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• 12-seater minibus + dedicated driver: Seats up to 11 people. Please consult customer service regarding the number of suitcases that can be accommodated.
  

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• 19-seater minibus + dedicated driver: Seats up to 18 people. Please consult customer service regarding the number of suitcases that can be accommodated.
  

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