Suzhou Travel Forum

We were considering making Suzhou a stop on our trip at the end of August. I am very interested in shoppoing for Silk and possibly having some dresses made. I have been told the government stroes are the best place(more expensive) to purchase silk and they have tailors there. I am also interested in seeing the museum and riding on the cana;l. What can you reccomend?
Our first stop is Beijing, from there we were thinking of coming to Suzhou, the Xi'an then Tibet and back to Beijing. We have 21 days. would like to also ride the train froom Lhasa to Xining. Not sure how long of a ride it is though.

Thank you for your time and suggestions in advance
PAtricia

The canals in Suzhou aren't very scenic -- if you want a "water village" experience you're better off going to one of the water villages like Tongli (http://www.tongli.net) or Luzhi (http://www.luzhi.cn). Stay well away from the famous tourist circus that's called Zhouzhuang.
The Silk Museum is worth a visit. If you want tailoring done then head for the "tailor street" near Tiger Hill, little shops line the road so you won't have problems looking for them. You'll need to allow for at least 5-7 days for decent tailoring, trying to rush them and not having enough fittings does NOT produce good work. In the meantime you should do some sightseeing in the water villages and Shanghai, all which are close to Suzhou. Or, you could just as easily get the tailoring done in Shanghai.
It'll be difficult to get train tickets to Lhasa from just about anywhere in China in this season. Xi'an would be even more difficult to get because no trains originate from there. I would advise you to fly into Lhasa and then take the train out.
Suggested itinerary: Beijing (3 days) -- overnight train -- Suzhou (1 day) -- train -- Shanghai (3 days) -- water village (2 days) -- Suzhou (2 days) -- overnight train -- Xi'an (2 days) -- flight -- Lhasa (4 days) -- train (2 days) -- Beijing (2 days)

Thank you so much for your advice. I am wondering if when we leave Beijing the first time if we are able to store our luggage at the hotel until we come back? I just hate to keep travelling with so much and it seems along the way we will be acquiring even more.LOL I am steadily working on my itinerary. Do you know if in Tibet we can purchase handmade blankets? I really want to ride the train out of Tibet.. i don't have to ride it all the way back to Beijing but I don't think it goes anywhere I can catch a cheap flight back to Beijing. I am really getting excited about this trip.. One of my best planned quick trips ever.

Yes, you'll be able to store your luggage (usually for free) at your hotel in Beijing till you come back.
Sorry, I've not been to Tibet so I don't know if you can purchase handmade blankets. You might be able to buy thangkas though.
Or, how about this itinerary: Beijing (4 days) -- overnight train -- Suzhou (1 day) bus -- water village (2 days) -- bus -- Suzhou (2 days) -- train -- Shanghai (3 days) -- flight -- Lhasa (4 days) -- train (1 day) -- Xi'an (2 days) -- overnight train -- Beijing (2 days)

What are Thangkas? How is the Train ride from tibet to Xi'an? Is it as scenic as going back to Beijing? I have been trying to book our hotels so far I have gotten as far as Beijing Marriott courtyard and I may rethink that. I was recommended to stay near the Wangfujing area. so I need to check and see what is in that area. We are just regular people on a small budget wanting to see places I have dreamed about since I was a child. Making the most out of a once in a lifetime visit. All of the suggestions are so greatly appreciated. I will be checking on everything today.

Thank you
PAtricia

Thangkas are a kind of Tibetan religious tapestry. Do a Google for a better answer.
It seems to me that any train ride out from Lhasa will have good scenery, better than going in. Mainly from Lhasa till Xining.
You don't necessarily have to go with big-name hotels. VTMail me if you want me to help you out re hotels, remember to let me know your expected price range and dates of stay.

Jocelyn is right. Best is to station yourself in Shanghai, plan a trip to one of the water villages and an overnight in Suzhou (canels in Suzhou are all filled in now). Go to the Governemnt silk stores and purchase the silk fabric, then head back to Shanghai and find a tailor shop in Shanghai to make you the dress. In between visit Shanghai and take a trip to Tibet.

I have been working on a trip to Tibet for a couple of weeks, the last month there was a few incidents in Tibet caused by international visitors so now there is a very tight travel restriction to Tibet for many foreigners (I won't mentioned which country but at least 3 are on the black list right now). Plus no unescorted travel in Tibet right now.

I have came down to the travel agent "Tibet Travel Experts" located here in Shanghai (www.tibet-tour.com), they have been very helpful and by Monday I will be booking my trip with them.

You may also consider a circle tour, ie: Beijing, train to Xian, Tibet, Shanghai/Suzhou. I believe you can head to Tibet from Xian, check with the Tibet Travel.

Thank you for your advice