Suzhou Spring

I am loving my German Spring in the forest, extraordinarily green with colourful blossoms everywhere. Spring was by far my favourite season when we lived in Shanghai. After the long, grey months of Winter, the city came alive. The bare plane trees in the Former French Concession become tipped with green, pink and white blossoms on trees appear, shedding the cloak of Winter. We loved escaping the big city of Shanghai and heading out to Suzhou for Spring weekend breaks.

The Pan Gate garden in the south west corner of Suzhou is smaller than it's famous counterparts, the Humble Administrators Garden and the Lingering Garden and much more peaceful. The Pan Gate is the last remaining water gate in China and is over 2500 years old. The RuiGuang temple in the garden is said to be over 1000 years old though the main attraction in the Spring is the garden.

It is lovely to stroll through the pavilions and enjoy the enchanting, colourful blossoms in the springtime. Walkways take you over bridges where you can stop and feed the biggest Koi you have ever seen in the ponds.

Not far from the Pan Gate Garden, you will find ShanTang Old Street, with brightly coloured lanterns blowing in the spring breeze. You can wander along the canal and sample the delicious street food on offer, stopping at shops for local handicraft.

We loved to jump on the tourist boats, the calm and quiet man powered wooden boats rather than the motorised ones, so we could meander along the canals and delight in the daily life along the way. Locals fishing, doing the washing, whitewashed houses along the water's edge overhanging trees covered in blossoms.

Perfect way to spend a Spring day in Suzhou!