Five easy days in Jiangnan. Day 1, Shanghai: the Bund with its colonial buildings facing the Lujiazui skyline, Nanjing Road, Yuyuan Garden and old-town xiaolongbao.
Days 2-3, Hangzhou: cycle around West Lake (Su Causeway, Broken Bridge, Leifeng Pagoda), visit Lingyin Temple, sip pre-Qingming Longjing tea at the tea village; evenings offer the "Most Memories of Hangzhou" show.
Day 4, Suzhou: the Humble Administrator Garden and Lingering Garden show the beauty of Chinese gardens; stroll Pingjiang Road, watch the lanterns of Shantang Street; try Su-style cuisine with a bowl of yangchun noodles.
Day 5, pick Zhouzhuang or Wuzhen: stone lanes, rowboats and riverside teahouses - the classic water-town picture.
Transport: Shanghai-Hangzhou high-speed rail about 1 hour, Hangzhou-Suzhou 1.5 hours, Suzhou to the water towns about 1 hour by bus.
Jiangnan is beautiful all year: spring willows and flowers, summer lotus, autumn osmanthus, and quiet elegance after winter snow.
