Classic Gardens

Liuyuan (Lingering Garden)

One of the four renowned gardens in Suzhou, Liuyuan, or Lingering Garden, was first built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)and was rebuilt by a Qing official. Its Taihu Lake rocks boost its reputation both at home and abroad. the core of the two-hectare garden is a pond, with hills to the northwest and buildings to the southeast responsible for a good many of the contrasting effects. The eastern section features mainly halls and courtyards. The imposing Wufengxian (Five-Peak immortals)Hall is the largest hall of all the Suzhou gardens. The western section is dotted with vegetation whereas the northern section is reminiscent of a peaceful countryside.

Zhuozhengyuan

An exemplary work of classic gardens in southern China and one of four famous gardens in Suzhou, it was built in 1509. Wangxianchen gave his garden this name, meaning humble Administrator's Garden, because it was built after he was dismissed from the imperial court.
The design makes good use of the natural terrain. This five-hectare garden is centred on a pond and includes pine forests, hills, bamboo groves and meandering streams.The yuanxiang (Distant Fragrance) Hall in the middle section is surrounded by numerous scenic interests, such as ponds, rocks and pavilions. Looking through the hall windows,the beautiful things unroll before your eyes just like a Chinese landscape painting.

Shizilin

Shizilin (lion Grove) was built in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) by Monk Tian Ru to commemorate his teacher, Monk Zhong Feng. The garden's mane comes from the rocks' resemblance to lions.
Covering just over one hectare, Lion Grove, another of the four renowned gardens in Suzhou, is adjacent to Zhuozhengyuan. Its lake rockeries of various shapes and sizes are so famous that it is reputed the "kingdom of rockeries". Qing Emperor Qianlong once paid a visit to Lion Grove and was impressed by the intricate labyrinth of caves there. Delighted, he wrote the inscription "Really Interesting". The buildings in Lion Grove are representative works of the Yuan-dynasty architecture.

Canglangting

Not only one of the four most renowned Suzhou gardens, Canglangting is also the oldest existing garden in the city and a model of Song-dynasty gardens. It was first constructed in the 10th century, and Su Shunqin, a poet of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), gave it this name, meaning Surging Wave Pavilion. Its layout broke away from the traditional style of encircling tall walls. The garden is also an excellent illustration of "borrowing scenes" with the distant views seemingly within the garden. The rocks, winding corridor and flowery walls are the three characteristic features of Canglangting.

Wangshi Garden (Net Master Garden)

Also called fisherman’s Garden, this 0.6-hectare garden is an elegant structure of a typical official's residence of the Qing Dynasty. The present garden is found on the former site of a Song dynasty official’s mansion. Its owner, an early Qing-dynasty official Song Zongyuan, gave its present name based on the earlier one, "Fisherman’s Retreat". Wangshi Garden consists of a residential quarter and the garden proper. Inside the refined residential quarter, the halls are linked closely by a corridor. The garden, petite but substantial, is focused on a pond and decorated with plants, rocks, pavilions, and stone bridges. Wangshi Garden is especially fancied by overseas visitors and is praised as the most ornate and intact private gardens in Suzhou. Some tourists even offer a huge amount of money to buy it.

HISTORICAL SCENIC SPOTS

Panmen Gate

Located at the southwest corner of the city, the Panmen Gate was first constructed in 514 B.C. The much younger present one was built in 1351.
Consisting of both land and water gates, which are rarely seen in the rest of the country, Panmen Gate towers in a majestic manner. Inside the gate are the Ruiguang Pagoda and Wumen Bridge, which, with the gate, make up the three Sights of Panmen.

Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal

The 1,700-kilometer-long Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is a water conservancy project in ancient China. It begins in Beijing and ends in Hangzhou. First constructed at the end of Spring-Autumn Period, in the 5th century BC, the Grand Canal was extended on 7th century, and again in the 13th century. It has played an important role in the development of water, conservancy and the economic and cultural exchange between the northern part and the southern part of China. It becomes a full of distinguishing cultural tour route.

Guanqian Street

The location of this 150-year-old street lying in front of the Xuanmiao Taoist temple explains its name, which means "before a temple". It is known far and wide because of the century-old shops, such as Daoxiangcun, Caizhizhai and Huangtianyuan, established there. Gourmands should not miss the section from Bifengfang to Taijian Alley where restaurants serving authentic Suzhou cuisine are assembled.
Strolling on Guanqian Street is a favorite pastime of the locals. Now, the restored street attracts not only Suzhou people but also visitors, as it is a scenic spot blending business, culture, religion and food delights.

Tiger Hill

The 36-metre-tall Huqiu (Tiger Hill) stands outside the lümen Gate to the north west of Suzhou. It was where the King of the State of Wu, Fu Chai, He Lü‘s son and successor, buried his father along with 3,000 swords. Legend has it that on the third day after the burial, a white tiger appeared to guard the tomb, hence the name of the hill. Midway up the hill beside the Qianren (Thousand Men)Rock, there is the rectangular crystal-clear Sword pond flanked by sheer cliffs. It is said that both Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of Qin Dynasty (221-207 B.C.), and Sun Quan of the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280), had sent people to look for the swords by digging into the hill but no avail. The Sword Pond is believed to result from the digging. According to the records, the door of He Lü’s tomb was revealed once when the pond went dry. Archaeologists speculated that the tomb is right below the Tiger Hill Pagoda. This pagoda, first built in the Five Dynasties Period, is an octagonal seven-storey structure. Since the Ming Dynasty, it started tilting northwards, which could have something to do with the tomb’s structure.
The Yunyan Temple, another key attraction on the hill, is one of the most famous Buddhist land in this part of China. Even Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty could not resist its peaceful ambience so he decided to make the temple his temporary residence during his Suzhou trip.

Hanshan Temple

Situated in Fengqiao Town in the suburbs of Suzhou, the temple was first built between the years 502-519. It was named after Han Shan, a Tang-dynasty monk who lived there. Through the years, the temple had undergone several rounds of destruction and restoration. The existing one is a late-Qing architecture work. The Tang poet Zhang Ji’s lines enhanced its reputation both at home and abroad.