Suzhou, Hot & Sweaty Day 2 (7/3/2011)

Sunday, July 3, 2011
Whatever happened to the Plum Rains? It reached 100 degrees again today.
Checked out of Hotel Soul:

Had to leave the pedestrian area and find a main street to catch a taxi. Traveled down a street of hardware shops:

This was our "taxi:"

No air conditioning, so we were sweating already!
Our first garden today is Liu Yuan/Lingering Garden, the most famous garden in Suzhou. Established in 1593, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.
Screen inlaid with jade:

Passenger Check-in!

The Lingering Garden is also home to two UNESCO World Heritage Non-tangibles. The first is the music of the instrument guqin, being played in front of the Green Shade Pavilion:

The western section of the central garden:

Another bridge picture:

These birds would not stay still:

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A Chinese or Light-vented Bulbul!
View from the bridge of the Refreshing Breeze Pavilion and Western Tower:

View of the arbored bridge and Little Mirage Pavilion:

Haopu Pavilion:

Ming trash cans:

Crane mosaic:

Rockery:

Framed view:

Finally caught one in a picture: the on-purpose split pants:

Stealing green grapes:

Grapes:

Stonescape:

Dry streambed or difficult rocky path?

Free Roaring Pavilion:

The "Auspicious Cloud Capped Peak" rock:

Posing:

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Carved wood and latticework in the Celestial Hall of Five Peaks:

The 2nd UNESCO World Heritage Non-tangible - Pingtan music and story-telling:

We heard this earlier:

More water to drink and a real taxi ride later, we were at the Pan Men Scenic Area:

Ruiguang Pagoda:

The oldest pagoda in Suzhou.
Water lily planter:

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Performance center:

Yuan Zhao's Seat for Preaching Scriptures:

Bell Tower:

White Turtle Listening to Scriptures:

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Kent in front of waterfall:

Water lily pool:

Pan Men Gate - the land gate:

Cannon:

Wumen Bridge:

Oldest bridge in Suzhou.
Pan Men Gate - water gate:

Brynne hoisting the water gate:

Canal at Pan Men:

General view from Performance center:

Performance center:

Brynne takes the stepping stone bridge:

We take the zigzag bridge:

Bus stop in Suzhou:

Canal scene off People's Avenue:

Siquan Street canal:

After lunch, finally Wangshi Yuan/Master of the Nets Garden, where you start off in the Sedan Hall:

Crane mosaic:

Pile o' rocks:

Central lake panorama:

 with the Pavilion for Watching the Moon:

View from the Pavilion for Watching the Moon:

Where you can see the moon in the sky, in the water, and in the mirror:

Tassel-washing Waterside Pavilion:

Natural bridge:

Tiny bridge:

Brynne on the tiny bridge:

Back on the streets of Suzhou, where the textured sidewalk guide for the blind leads them into...:

Happy Buddhas:

Stopped for cold drinks in a restaurant - two guys watching a movie:

Couldn't find an available taxi, but a pedicab driver was willing to take three of us to the train station:

View from the pedicab:

At the Suzhou Railway Station:

The slow train to Shanghai:

Waiting for the fast train to Shanghai:

Brynne and Kent on board the fast train:

Home in time for dinner!