SPRING is always an intoxicating time, with the breathtakingly colorful flowers and green plants. As the May Day holiday draws closer, it is the right time to enjoy the scenery in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province and Wuyuan, Jiangxi Province. 
Suzhou in Jiangsu Province Suzhou, situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake, is a part of the Yangtze River Delta region in Jiangsu Province in eastern China. With a history of over 2,500 years, the city was dubbed the “Venice of China.” The city’s canals, stone bridges, pagodas, and meticulously designed gardens have contributed to its status as one of the top tourist attractions in China. Since the Song Dynasty (960-1279), it has also been an important center for China’s silk industry. Suzhou is famous for its classical gardens, which were added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1997 and 2000. Its Zhuozheng Garden and Liu Garden are among the four most famous classical gardens in China and the May Day holiday is the perfect time to enjoy the spring scenery there. The gardens in Suzhou represent the garden building style of the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. For those that have an interest in China’s ancient Buddhist and Taoist cultures, Suzhou is also home to a list of Buddhist and Taoist temples, including Hanshan Temple, Xiyuan Temple and Xuanmiao Temple. Among the six most famous Chinese water towns, three are located in Suzhou Zhouzhuang, Tongli and Luzhi. They are known for ancient traditions and customs, preserved buildings, ancient bridges and picturesque scenery. The buildings in the water towns were built in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Transport: Fly to Suzhou at Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport. There are sightseeing buses for visitors to go to different attractions. Accommodation: Hostels in Suzhou cost 100 to 200 yuan a night for a standard room. Cuisine: Wine pasties, dumplings, cakes and candies are recommended. Wuyuan in Jiangxi Province Tucked between the scenic Huangshan Mountain and Sanqing Mountain, Wuyuan has been dubbed “the most beautiful countryside in China.” Spring is generally agreed to be the best time to tour the area, when golden rape flowers are in full bloom. Wuyuan has at least 50 well-preserved, century-old villages. A trek through the old villages offers captivating views of hills covered in yellow rape flowers and green farmlands. The places that have the best displays of rape flowers are terraced fields in Jiangling, the ancient road along Qingyuan, Lingjiao and Guankeng in Duanshen County, Xiaorong and Xiaofan in Jiangwan and Likeng. Against waves of golden rape flowers are typical rural scenes: men plowing fields, old farmers leisurely driving ducks toward a pond, girls washing clothes in the rivers under blooming peach trees, and smoke rising from farmhouse chimneys. The area is dotted with Huizhou-style houses with white walls, black roofs, elegant eaves, dark green paving stones, all relics of the county’s glorious past. Historically, Wuyuan belonged to Huizhou, a prefecture known for its scholars and merchants. Merchants from Huizhou, together with those from North China’s Shanxi Province, dominated commerce in China for about 500 years until the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Wuyuan people traditionally valued education. Therefore, apart from the country’s richest merchants, it has also raised some of China’s top scholars. Zhu Xi, a Confucian master in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) and Zhan Tianyou, China’s first railway engineer, were among the best-known. Xiaoqi, Likeng, Wangkou and Jiangling are among the most historic villages in Wuyuan. Transport: Fly to Jingdezhen from Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport and take a bus to Wuyuan. Accommodation: There is a wide selection of hotels and hostels in Wuyuan. Or stay with the locals. Cuisine: Tofu soup, steamed rice cake, fish with glutinous rice wine, roast meat, and sweet and sour gooseneck are recommended.(Li Jing) | 