- Gardens and parks
- Architectural landmarks
- Museums
- Natural attractions
Suzhou is one of the oldest cities in China, which is famous for its thousand-year history and various attractions. There are always interesting places in the city where tourists can go. In addition, traveling to Suzhou is a great opportunity to experience the culture and traditions of southern China.
Gardens and parks
The pride of Suzhou is its numerous parks and gardens, which were created during different periods of the reign of the imperial dynasties. Each of the gardens is a masterpiece of landscape design combined with modern stylistic trends.
A humble official's garden located in the central part of the city. The site was founded at the beginning of the 16th century thanks to the efforts of the official Wang Xianchen, who was later dismissed from his post for bribery. It took more than 120,000 yuan to set up the garden, which was considered a significant amount by the standards of the time. The garden has been created for 20 years with the help of new technologies and the involvement of the best Chinese, as well as European specialists. The territory of the garden was planted with rare dwarf trees, and the rest of the space was filled with pavilions, fountains, and sculptural compositions. To date, the eastern part of the garden has been preserved, which includes 35 buildings, steles and 20 bridges of various designs.
The network master's garden, founded in 1140. The garden was created on the initiative of an official who is fond of fishing. That is why the attraction was named related to the fishing theme. In the period from the 13th to the 15th century, the garden gradually fell into disrepair, after which it was restored only in the 18th century thanks to the efforts of another famous politician in Suzhou.
On an area of 4, 7 thousand square meters, a beautiful park is laid out, surprising with its sophistication and sophistication. The garden forms three parts: east, west and lake. The eastern part was considered residential, since buildings were built here, where officials rested. The western part of the park is occupied by a beautiful lake, around which there are recreation areas for visitors.
The Meditation Garden is a recognized masterpiece of Chinese garden architecture. Despite its small size, the garden has an original landscape concept and a special serene atmosphere. The main space of the garden is occupied by the water surface, skillfully framed by pavilions, canals, bridges, gazebos and dense vegetation.
At the end of the 16th century, the owner of the garden mortgaged it for debts, and in the 18th century it was acquired by the entrepreneur Liu Shu. At the end of the 19th century, Shen Han expanded and improved the landmark. Today the garden is owned by the state and is strictly guarded by it.
The Lion's Cave Garden is a miniature park structure. Its creation began during the reign of the Yuan Dynasty, when a laconic style was widespread in garden architecture. The base of the garden consists of natural stone formations, shaped like the head and body parts of a lion. In the inner part of the garden there are several small caves, which can be accessed with an experienced instructor. Also on the territory of the garden there are places for rest and observation decks, from where an amazing view of Suzhou opens.
Architectural landmarks
Over a thousand-year history, the city has built many magnificent objects of historical and cultural heritage of China. Today most of them are located in the old district and on the outskirts of Suzhou. Among the most visited architectural attractions are:
- Han Temple, which is considered one of the most valuable Buddhist shrines in the Middle Kingdom. Its history goes back to the 9th century, when Buddhists living in Sujchou decided to build a temple with their own savings. It took about 3 years, during which the best Chinese architects created a masterpiece of temple architecture. Outwardly, Hanshan looks like a three-story building with typical eastern roofs and rectangular window openings. The façade is dominated by green, white, red and yellow colors, which symbolize peace and immortality among Buddhists. The temple is currently open to the public. Inside you can see amazing statues, images of deities and old frescoes. Bells are ringing every weekend in Han Shan, announcing important religious events.
- Panmen Gate is a symbol of the city located in its southeastern part. Centuries ago, Suzhou was framed by 16 gates. Eight of them were built on the ground, and the remaining eight were built under water. Over time, almost all the gates were destroyed, only Panmen remained, the name of which translates as "the gate of the dragon who rolled into a ball." This architectural structure differs in that it passes both under water and above the ground. In 513 BC, the gate was part of the city wall. It was almost completely destroyed in the 1st century, and in the 14th century Emperor Zhizheng ordered large-scale restoration work aimed at restoring the gate. Hundreds of years later, the gate again lost its former grandeur, so already in the 20th century, the city authorities organized another restoration. As a result, ponds were cleaned around Panmen, the park territory was ennobled, and recreation areas were equipped.
- Jiayuguan Outpost is considered one of the most famous sections of the Great Wall of China. In addition, the popularity of this attraction is due to the fact that it is quite well preserved. Jiayuguan was built more than 550 years ago, after which it was used as a defensive structure and was a key transportation hub. In the future, the outpost was rebuilt several times and supplemented with new details. The Jiayuguan structure consists of inner and outer walls, an earthen rampart, outer walls made of clay and a ditch. On both sides of the western and eastern walls of the outpost, three-storey towers were built, each of which is 18 meters high. Separately, it is worth noting the Yuntai Tower, the inner walls of which are decorated with bas-reliefs of kings and are covered with Buddhist texts.
Museums
Suzhou museums are always included in the tourist program, as they are distinguished by rich collections, interesting exhibits and long history.
The Silk Museum is the largest museum in China, specializing in preserving the traditions of silk production. The museum can be visited any day, and admission is absolutely free. On the ground floor, there is an impromptu podium displaying handmade silk products. The second floor is occupied by several expositions telling about the history of silk spinning in the Celestial Empire. Each stage of silk production is accompanied by a detailed video sequence and explanation in English or Chinese. From the second floor, visitors enter the garden, where displays are made up of examples of ancient Suzhou houses in which silk was made. At the exit from the museum, you can buy any products made of natural silk, as well as souvenirs.
Zhouzhcang is an open-air museum. This place became famous due to the fact that it is the first settlement on the water in China. The site is about 9 centuries old. Most of the buildings were built during the Qing and Ming dynasties. This is evidenced by the abundance of labyrinths of canals, arched and paired bridges, houses framed by black tile roofs. Today, the village has managed to preserve not only its external appearance, but also its traditional way of life. For tourists who come here, the locals hold master classes in folk crafts and teach how to cook traditional cuisine. You can get to Zhouzhtsang as part of a tourist group or on your own.
Natural attractions
There are few natural sites in and around Suzhou, but some are worth seeing. Among the small variety of natural attractions, the most visited are:
- Lake Jinji is a natural water area located in the center of the Industrial Park. Translated from the Chinese language, the name of the lake sounds like "the water of the golden rooster." According to popular legend, once upon a time many roosters with red plumage lived near the lake. Once the hunter shot all the birds, but one rooster managed to escape, hiding in the thickets. Since then, his cry has been heard over the lake at moments of danger to the country. Jinji covers an area of 8 square kilometers and has a depth of 2 to 3 meters. On the lake you can relax, ride a pleasure boat and take beautiful photos.
- The Mogao Caves, which are 20 kilometers from the city. This unique natural formation is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The length of the caves is about 1700 meters, and inside they are a kind of museum of Buddhist culture. In the 4th century, monk Le Zunyu saw a dream in which he learned about the place where Buddhist relics should be kept. Since then, the walls of the caves have been painted with colorful frescoes, decorated with sculptures and stored in them a variety of valuable items. You can see all this splendor inside the caves, accompanied by an experienced instructor. The cave complex is accessible all year round, but it is better to go there in summer or spring.
