Suzhou: Main Scenic Spots

.................................................................................................................................................................................... Tiger Hill ....................................................................................................................................................................................

Suzhou's most prominent lookout point is said to be the burial place of King Wu. It's in the far north-west of town. The park's entrance gate resembles the mouth of a tiger and the hilltop pagoda its tail. Tiger Pagoda (Yun Yan Si), one of the oldest in China, is the only surviving structure from the original compound. Built in 961, the octagonal pagoda rises 150 feet (36 m) above the hill and can be seen from all over Suzhou. Its leaning tower is made of brick and stone.

.................................................................................................................................................................................... Humble Administrator's Garden ....................................................................................................................................................................................

The largest and most famous of Suzhou's many gardens. It was designed in the 16th century as the private residence of a retired court censor. Water fills much of the garden's 10 acres (4 hectares). The name comes from ancient Chinese saying:"To cultivate the garden for a living is really the politics of a humble man."

.................................................................................................................................................................................... Liu Garden ....................................................................................................................................................................................

Extending over an area of 3 hectares, Liu Yuan is one of the largest gardens in Suzhou, noted for its adroit partitioning with building complexes. It ranks with the Humble Administrator's Garden, the summer Palace in Beijing and the Imperial Summer Resort in Chengde. Located a half-mile west of the city, this Ming garden escaped destruction during the Taiping Rebellion - hence the name "Remaining" Garden.

.................................................................................................................................................................................... Master of the Nets Garden ....................................................................................................................................................................................

This is the smallest garden in Suzhou. It was laid out in the 12th century, abandoned, then restored in the 18th century as part of the residence of a retired official. The most striking feature of this garden is its use of space. Despite its size, the scale of the buildings is large, but nothing appears cramped. A section of the buildings is used by a co-operative of woodblock artists who find the peaceful atmosphere congenial to work.

.................................................................................................................................................................................... West Garden Temple ....................................................................................................................................................................................

Approximately 500m west of the Liu Yuan, this temple was built on the site of a garden laid out at the same time as the Liu Yuan and then donated to the Buddhist community. The temple was destroyed in the 19th century and entirely rebuilt; it contains some expressive Buddhist statues.

................................................................................................................................................................................... Ancient Water Gate - Pan Men ...................................................................................................................................................................................

In the southwestern of the city, straddling the outer moat, this stretch of the city wall contains Suzhou' s only remaining original city gate. From the top of the gate, there are good views of the moat, surrounding houses and Rui Guang Ta, a crumbling pagoda that dates from the 3rd century AD and is reputedly the oldest pagoda in Jiangsu.

................................................................................................................................................................................... The Han Shan Temple ...................................................................................................................................................................................

1 km. west of the Liu Garden, this temple was named after the poet-monk Han Shan, who lived in the 7th century. Han Shan Si is reached by crossing a small canal over the humpback Maple Bridge. The saffron-colored temple walls are draped in many places with rich green foliage. The original temple built during the Liang Dynasty (502-557 A.D), burned to the ground during the Taiping Rebellion. The current temple dates from the late Qing Dynasty and is just a couple of centuries old.

................................................................................................................................................................................... Forest of Lions Garden ...................................................................................................................................................................................

It seems impossible that this small 14th-century garden, only an acre in size, contains four lakes embellished with numerous bridges, caves and hills. Those with a vivid imagination will see lions in the unusual rock formations made of Taihu rock. (Brought from Wuxi's Lake Tai). << Back to Suzhou Info