Tiger Hill & The Humble Administrator's Garden

Two of the most popular places in Suzhou I visited during my 2011 class trip to China were the Humble Administrator's Garden (拙政 園) and Tiger Hill (虎丘).  Out of the two locations, I think I liked Tiger Hill more mainly because the pagoda there was gorgeous, but both are very scenic and popular spots worth visit.

At Tiger Hill.

Close to the Humble Administrator's Garden.

Tiger Hill

I think I liked Tiger Hill because there was so much to do there.  Aside from the majestic pagoda, there are several interesting rock formations and areas to climb and explore.  I also like the spacious nature of the area.  Although it is a major tourist attraction, it never felt too crowded there and it was easy to enjoy each major point without feeling rushed along.

Tiger Hill Pagoda

The pagoda up close.
It's huge!

A gorgeous arched bridge.

Some of my classmates and our guide by an old archway.

A horse-drawn carriage that you could pay
for a ride in...

...but the horse looked quite tired and was in bad condition.
It was sad.

The Humble Administrator's Garden

The Humble Administrator's Garden is on a huge compound that has been around for a long time.  I don't think my classmates and I saw even half of it since we had to stay on schedule, but the areas we did see were beautiful.  Apparently, it was destroyed at one time and the garden had several different owners over time. Nonetheless, it is well preserved.

This pond was beautiful.

Fishies!

Some rooms in the compound were renovated
with furniture.

My smile was masking how hot I was.
I remember sweating bullets!

Cute little bridge.

A pagoda hidden in the foliage.

A gorgeous wall covered with foliage.

A pond populated with lilies.

A cool entryway.

There must be thousands of flowers in this garden.

I like the mustard yellow paint.

I like the structure of this bridge.

I think if you ever find yourself in Shanghai, Suzhou is an interesting place for a day visit.  I don't think it's any less busy than Shanghai or any other city in China, but it has several interesting locations to visit.