Throughout Taicang's rural suburbs, fruits are ripe for the picking. Many fruits that are popular in the market, such as grapes, waxberries, hami melons, blueberries and cherries, have been successfully cultivated in Taicang. The city's many farms are open to the public, allowing citizens to pick their own fruit and enjoy a weekend of fun on the farm.

Yangcao village

Yangcao village, located in Huangjing town, has planted 780 waxberry trees. Waxberries there will be ripe in mid-June.

Visitors will be allowed to taste and pick waxberries for free and pay for the picked fruit.

Tip: The waxberries can be made into wine and juice. Iced waxberry juice is an ideal summer drink.

Contact: 0512-53856161

Heqiao village

Sweet hami melons in Heqiao village of Liuhe town will enter the market in about 10 days. The hami melons, originally produced in Hami prefecture of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, have been successfully planted in Heqiao village. This year, the village will reap a bumper harvest of hami melons with increased output and improved quality.

Tasting and picking are free but the melons cost between 8 yuan ($1.30) and 9 yuan for 500g.

Other fruits in Heqiao, including kiwi, blueberry and cherry, will also be available for picking when they reach maturity.

Contact: 13681942707

Niuniu Aquaculture Base

It's not only fruits that are ready for picking, though. At Niuniu Aquaculture Base, visitors can enjoy catching lobsters.

The base, located beside the Yangtze River, is rich in aquatic products. The June- August period is the best season to catch lobsters. The aquaculture base provides a chance for visitors to catch lobsters and recall the joys of their childhood.

The base also offers fishing tools, bait and cooking services to allow visitors to taste their own lobsters.