The ancient city of Suzhou in Jiangsu Province has a history that spans 2,500 years as it was first founded in 514 BC. This city on China tours is 40 percent covered with water, owing to its many lakes, ponds, and streams. It is located in the center of the Yangzte Delta and has Shanghai to its east. Due to the vast amount of water coverage in the city, Suzhou is known as the “Oriental Venice.” Taihu Lake, nearly all of which lies within the City of Suzhou, is one of China’s largest freshwater lakes. The mild climate ensures wonderful weather for visitors on China tours year-round. This exciting destination spot has also been called, “Paradise on Earth.” That term could apply to so many Chinese cities.
Suzhou is known for its gardens and some vacationers on China tours say they are among the best in the world. The gardens are remarkable for the ways they have been constructed in harmony with nature. An abundance of gardens offers travelers on China tours spectacular views of their natural allure. Three of Suzhou’s gardens have been included on the World Heritage List: the Lingering Garden, the Humble Administrator’s Garden, and the Garden of the Master of the Nets.
Lingering Garden
Sightseers on China tours will find the Lingering Garden outside Changmen Gate. It covers approximately 23,300 square meters and it is one of the four most famous gardens in China. It is known to travelers on China tours specifically for the shapes, colors, and sizes of its superb halls and buildings. The garden was first built in 1593 during the Ming Dynasty. The garden has changed hands many times, with each owner contributing their special character designs to it. The garden was almost completely demolished in the 1930s but the government repaired it and it was opened to the general public after that. There are basically four parts to the garden for visitors on China tours to see, but the central part is the essence of the whole. All four parts are connected by a long corridor. The Lingering Garden is open from 07:30 to 17:00 and the admission fees for those on China tours range from CNY 30 to CNY 40 depending on the time of year you visit.
Humble Administrator’s Garden
This garden is perhaps the most well-known garden in Suzhou as it has received many special honors as a World Cultural Heritage site and also as a garden containing “Cultural Relics of National Importance under the Protection of the State.” It is also designated as a “Special Tourist Attraction of China” and is, therefore, very high on the priority lists of visitors on China tours. The Humble Administrator’s Garden is the most honored classical garden in China and is a must-see by garden lovers on China tours.
It was originally constructed in 1509 during the time of the Ming Dynasty. The garden’s name reflected its original creator and owner, who was a government servant, and his desire to build a garden for his enjoyment after his retirement. It is open to travelers on China tours from 08:15 to 16:15 and the admission fees range from CNY 50 to CNY 70, depending on the season.
Garden of the Master of the Nets
Remember the expression, “sometimes the greatest gifts come in the small packages”? This bit of wisdom applies to this garden, which may be the smallest in size of all the Suzhou residential gardens but is an especially splendid and worthwhile garden because of the way it uses the area it has. The garden’s use of space gives visitors on China tours the illusion that it is bigger than it actually is. It was first designed between 960 and 1279, the period of the Song Dynasty. It belonged to a residence until the Taiping Rebellion of the 1860s. When it was restored after the Rebellion, the story goes that it was owned by a government official who, in a moment of bureaucratic frustration, stated that he would rather be a fisherman than a bureaucrat; thus, the name of the garden. This attraction for visitors on China tours is open from 08:00 to 17:00 and the admission fee ranges from CNY 20 to CNY 30, depending on the time of year you visit. A special night viewing and admittance to the garden will cost CNY 80.
These gardens of Suzhou are but a sampling of what the city has to offer visitors on China tours. You should definitely include a stop on your tour to Suzhou. Sightseers on China tours will behold a vast number of lovely gardens when traveling in Suzhou.