Suzhou

Suzhou needs 2 days: the Humble Administrator's Garden, the largest of the city's classical gardens, on one, and a boat ride along the old town's canals, nicknamed the «Venice of the East», on the other. March-May and September-November bring the mildest weather. It's mid-priced, cheaper than Shanghai, just 25 minutes away by bullet train. Its classical gardens, built by officials and merchants between the 11th and 19th centuries as a retreat from urban life, have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, and the city is also one of all China's largest silk production centers.