Suzhou: Shuanglin Town & Brush Village Private Day Trip

Discover a quieter, lesser-known corner of Jiangnan on this easygoing private day trip from Suzhou into the Huzhou countryside. Your English-speaking guide and private vehicle pick you up at your hotel, and the day unfolds gently with culture, craft and seasonal flavour.

First you visit an eco fruit farm for relaxed seasonal fruit picking, tasting whatever is ripe on the branches that day. From there you continue to the ancient water town of Shuanglin, a rare Jiangnan town blessed with the auspicious symbolism of academic success. Its famous Three Bridges, Wanyuan, Huacheng and Wankui, stand within 300 metres of one another, and you can climb the Wenchang Pavilion for the classic view framing all three. The thousand-year-old lakeside Shuijing Temple, where the great calligrapher Zhao Mengfu once sought Zen, adds a serene, reflective atmosphere. There is free time to find lunch among the town's small eateries.

In the afternoon you reach Shanlian Huzhou Brush Village, home of one of China's most revered writing brushes. At the brush workshop you trace the craft back to its ancient origins and watch artisans at work through the meticulous traditional steps, from selecting goat and weasel hair to shaping the tip and gilding the bamboo handle. Your guide explains the famous four virtues of the Huzhou brush and the culture of the Chinese scholar's studio.

With gentle walking, an included local lunch and a focus on heritage and craft, this is a calm and authentic look at traditional China, comfortable for all ages. You return to your Suzhou hotel in the evening.

A relaxed private day from Suzhou to Huzhou with seasonal fruit picking, the lucky three-bridge water town of Shuanglin, and a hands-on look at traditional Huzhou writing-brush making.