We took a 2hr bus ride from Shanghai to Suzhou. Our first destination was the Master-of Nets-Garden. It is the smallest residential garden in Suzhou but is reputed to be one of the finest gardens in China. Because of its use of space, it appears much larger than it is. The rooms of the house are impeccably preserved. The garden is exquisite with great poety ambience. Even the benches are strategically placed along the corridors. The garden has three sections, the residential section, the central main garden and the inner garden. The inner garden was used as the model for the Ming Hall Garden in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. It is said to be the best preserved garden in Suzhou.

Suzhou is called China's Venice of the East for its beautiful waterways and enchanting gardens. Most waterways are found in the old parts of the city where you can travel on wooden boats through crowded communities that retain their old-style living and are yet (overly!) sensitive to tourist requirements. Restaurants, with local food and modern snacks, line up on both sides of the waterways for those who may desire a break and a leisurely snack or meal. On the shores are some of the oldest teahouses in this area where Chinese tea is served in the traditional way - with dry (hawthorne) fruits. If it werent so rainy we would have been able to enjoy the afternoon sun in open air cafes and teahouses along the waterways.