The Alliance Business & Cultural Mission moved from Suzhou to Hangzhou today, but not before we visited one of the country’s most famed silk factories and an embroidery hub, as well as the famous Lingering Garden, home to many banzai trees.

We saw the silk process from start – silkworm – to finish. The embroidery, meanwhile, was amazing. Masters are able to put together lifelike images, which sometimes require more than two years.