Day 4（29.05.2014）Thursday
Morning: School Immersion at Suzhou industrial Park Xinggang School 苏州工业园区星港学校
Afternoon: Mudu Ancient Town 木渎古镇 (严家花园+虹饮山房)
Evening: Overnight in Suzhou International Conference Hotel 苏州会议中心酒店
Lunch
Mudu Ancient Town 木渎古镇 (严家花园+虹饮山房)
Mudu is an ancient landscape water town located to the southwest of the Suzhou City. Surrounded by groups of hills and next to Taihu Lake, it has beautiful natural scenery and abundant natural resources. It now covers about 34.5 square kilometers (about 13.32 square miles). With a history more than 2,500 years long, Mudu has witnessed the rise and fall of many dynasties and it is also endowed with plentiful cultural connotations. This is a traditional town and has typical landscape gardens, small rivers and bridges.
The Name ‘Mudu’ is derived from a story about Xishi, one of the Four Beauties in Chinese history. It is said in the Spring and Autumn Period (773BC-476BC), Fuchai, the king of Wu, obliged workers to build a Guanwa Palace in order to please the Beauty Xishi. Then, considerable wood was carried here so that the river in this area was blocked. This was called’jimusedu’ (which means the accumulated wood blocks the river). So, the town was named ‘Mudu’. In the past thousand of years, Mudu has produced many outstanding scholars and wealthy businessmen. Some of their former residences have now become popular sights.
木渎古镇
木渎（Mudu），别名渎川，胥江，雅称香溪。相传春秋末年，吴王夫差为取悦美女西施，在灵岩山顶建馆筑宫，并增筑姑苏台，建造用的木材通过水路源源而至，竟堵塞了山下的河流港口，因“积木塞渎”，于北宋年间，木渎由此正式得名。木渎镇位于江苏省东南部，苏州古城西部，地处太湖流域，是江南著名的风景名胜区，素有“吴中第一镇”、“秀绝冠江南”之誉。木渎人才辈出，地灵人杰，古城镇格局风貌富有特色，主要文物古迹9处，文物古迹建筑面积3万平方米。
木渎历史悠久，是与苏州城同龄的水乡古镇，迄今已有2500多年历史。深厚的历史文化底蕴，使木渎充满了无穷魅力。木渎名胜古迹遍布，建筑文化、园林文化、宗教文化和民俗文化都各具特色。木渎又有“园林之镇”美誉，有严家花园、古松园、榜眼府第等古典园林多处。镇上老街纵横，山塘、下塘、下沙、中市街，历经沧桑，风貌犹存。老街古巷中深宅大院荟萃。这些古建筑体量宽大，保存完好，具有较高的文物价值和艺术观赏价值。
木渎又是手工艺品之乡。历史上有泥塑名家袁遇昌、银器高手朱碧山、琢玉名家陆子冈、绣圣沈寿等名家高手，他们的作品都是国家级收藏的珍品。如今，木渎当地生产的丝绸、双面绣、红木雕件、澄泥砚、书画、石雕等工艺品同样驰誉天下，为海内外游人所青睐。
嚴家花園
位於木瀆古鎮山塘街王家橋北，最初是清乾隆年間蘇州大名士沈德潛的寓所。清道光八年（公元1828年），沈氏后人将此院落让给木渎诗人钱端溪。钱氏叠石疏池，筑亭建楼，有友于书屋、眺农楼、延青阁诸胜，一时题咏颇盛。龚自珍对此园有“妙构极自然，意非人意造”，“倚石如美人”等溢美之句。光绪二十八年（公元1902年），木渎首富严国馨（台湾政要严家淦先生祖父）买下端园，重葺一新，更名“羡园”。因园主姓严，当地人称“严家花园”。严家花园经过三代主人努力，前后历时一百七十多年，无论是岁月沧桑，还是人文底蕴，都赋予严家花园一种文化气息，名园风范。被現代著名建築學家劉敦桢教授稱為“江南園林經典之作”。
紅飲山房
虹饮山房位于严家花园东200米处，是清代乾隆年间苏州近郊著名园林，因为门对香溪，背靠灵岩，“溪山风月之美，池亭花木之胜”远过于其它园林，所以乾隆皇帝每次下江南游木渎的时候，必到虹饮山房，在这里游园、看戏、品茗、吟诗，直到夜色降临，才依依不舍，顺着门前的山塘御道，返回灵岩山行宫。因此，虹饮山房在当地又被称为乾隆皇帝的“民间行宫”。
Dinner
