Suzhou Travel information

Zhuozhengyuan Suzhou

Zhuozhengyuan, or the Humble Administrator's Garden, is one of the four famous landscaped gardens in our country. It is among the first group of Historical Monuments and Cultural Relics under State Protection and is also listed as the World Natural Heritage. It was first built in the fourth year of Zhengde period in Ming Dynasty. Later Censor Wang Xianchen rebuilt it when returning home because of his failure in his official career.

The garden was named after the connotation of one sentence from Pan Yue's article in Jin Dynasty. In the article "Watering Vegetables in the Yard", he said "to supply three meals a day, this is also a way of administration by humble ones".
The Humble Administrator's Garden was laid out in line with the local conditions. It was designed with the lotus pond at the center, surrounded by other pavilions and halls at random. In a natural style of primitive simplicity, these buildings still maintain the distinctive feature of Ming Dynasty with vast ponds and lush trees. Without going out of the city can man attain a pleasure in the woods here. The whole garden consists of 3 parts and some residential buildings. These 3 parts are divided into the eastern, western and middle part. Every part has its own distinctive features. "Its layout is so attractive that it leaves no pity for the visitors."

Shizilin Suzhou Shiziling was first built in the second year of Zhizheng Period of Yuan Dynasty (1342 A.D.) and is mainly known for its rockeries. The deep, quiet cavities and grooves wander around the rocks like a maze. No wander the garden is praised as the "Kingdom of Rockery".

Tuisiyuan Suzhou

Located in Tongli Town of Wujiang County, Tuisiyuan is first built in the 13th year of Guangxu Period in Qing Dynasty. Ren Lansheng, the master of the garden was once the officer in Fengyang, Yingchuan, Liuan, Sizhou. After he was sued and removed from the office, he built this garden and named it "Tuisiyuan", i.e.,

the garden for retreating and thinking about his wrong doings. Though small in size, half of it is covered with water. Everything in the garden is built on the edge of the water. Scenic spots like spring, summer, autumn, winter, lute playing, chess, calligraphy and painting, constructions like rockeries, pavilions, corridors, halls are all nestling closely to water. The entire garden looks as though it's floating on water.

Liuyuan Suzhou

The name Liuyuan or Lingering Garden actually means lingering in the world. First constructed in Jiajing Period of Ming Dynasty (1522-1566), it is praised as one of the nation's four famous gardens. The other three are the Summer Palace in Beijing, the Imperial Summer Resort in Chengde, and the Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou.

Two Hectares in size, the Lingering Garden is one of the largest gardens in Suzhou. Divided by halls, whitewashed walls, corridors an doors in space, the whole garden appears to have a dozen of small or large courtyards with the skillful decoration of rockeries, ponds, trees and flowers. It is a clear demonstration of the artistic features of Jiangnan landscaped gardens. The garden consists of four parts: the central part is the most picturesque, known for its streams and rockeries; the eastern part wins its fame for its courtyards and buildings. That's where the famous King of Taihu Stone, "Cloud-capped Peak" is located. The northern part has a style of pastoral scenery, while the western part provides visitors interests of woods with its towering trees. To have so many different tastes of scenery in one, the Lingering Garden is the only place a visitor can find in Suzhou.

Canglangting Suzhou

Canglangting or the Surging Wave Pavilion was first built in the year of Jiashen during the Qingli period of Song Dynasty (1044 A.D.). It is the oldest garden in Suzhou. The Surging Wave Pavilion has a style of its own among all the gardens in Suzhou. It is not surrounded by tall walls and nor has its own scenery within, as most of other gardens do. Instead, outside the garden,

there is a crystal-clear pond decorated with winding corridors, old trees and piling lakeside rocks. Visitors see the beautiful scenery even before entering the garden.

Yiyuan Suzhou

First built during Tongzhi and Guangxu Period of Qing Dynasty, Yiyuan was the latest among Suzhou's gardens, which enables it to combine the advantages of those in former dynasties and form a style of its own. The corridor in this garden was built partly in reference to the partly lay out of the Surging Waves Pavilion, rockeries to that of Huanxiushanzhuang (Beauty-surrounded Garden), lotus pond to that of Wangshiyuan (Fisherman's Garden), and land boat to that of Zhuozhengyuan (Humble Administrator's Garden).

Though small in size, Yiyuan boasts the richness of scenic spots, all built exquisitely.

Wangshiyuan an old site for Wanjuantang (Ten-thousand-book Hall). It belonged to Shi Zhengzhi, an assistant minister of Northern Song Dynasty and was once named by him as "Fishing in Seclusion". During the reign of Qianlong in Qing Dynasty, an observer named Song Zongyuan rebuilt it by digging ponds and constructing rockery and building houses.

In reference to the original name "Fishing in Seclusion", the new garden was named "Fisherman's Villa", hence the name "Fisherman's Garden". The garden is on the list of Cultural Relics under State Protection and also listed as the World Natural Heritage.

Ouyuan Suzhou

Originally named Sheyuan, Ouyuan is a famous garden built in Qing Dynasty. The garden is divided into two parts, the eastern part and the western part. The center of the garden is the residential area. The eastern part is mainly decorated with rocks, set off by water. The yellow stone rockery here enjoys a unique fame in Suzhou. In the Shanshuijian Water Pavilion, there is a hanging panel made by camphor wood, carved with "pine, bamboo, and plum" on both sides. It is an important cultural relic of the garden. "Ou" in Chinese means of a "couple". The garden is thus named implying the meaning of a couple living together in seclusion.

Qiyuan Suzhou

Qiyuan is located on the East Mountain by the Taihu Lake, 30km southwest away from Suzhou, with her back to a mountain and facing a lake, occupying an area of 70 acres. She was built by a Shandongese named Xi Qisun who lived in Shanghai, so she was also named as Xi's Garden. Qiyuan is a famous lakeside Jiangnan garden around Taihu Lake. Described as "having nearly 36,000 hectares of water, with 72 mountains greenness", Qiyuan gains all benefits of lake and mountain.

Inside the garden, there are areas of tea-trees and forests of orange trees, small bridges, brooks, pavilions, terraces and towers. With each stop forward, you can get a different scene. "East Mountain Kangxi Emperor Dock", "Ancient Liu Yi Well" and "Ancient Red Bayberry Trees" are the 3 treasures of Qiyuan.

Huanxiu Shanzhuang Suzhou

Built in Qing Dynasty, Huanxiu Shangzhuang Garden is famous mainly for its art of rockery. The way in which the rocks were piled up is the best among the lakeside rocks and rockeries in Suzhou gardens and is praised as "one of the three excellences in Suzhou." Most of the areas of the garden is covered with water and dotted with rockeries. Here you can see that water winds like silky belt beside the towering trees over hills and the paths zigzags through the hillside with green leaves overlooking ponds.

Huanxiushanzhuang Garden is on the list of Cultural Relics under State Protection, and is also listed as the world Natural Heritage.

Yipu Suzhou Yipu was once a very famous residential garden in Ming Dynasty. It was located in Wenya Alley, Wuqu Street in Lumennei District of Suzhou City. It is a very sequestered garden which has the artistic conception of "making the people living there forgetting their sadness, the people staying there forgetting returning home and the people visiting there forgetting tiredness." The Amusement Park of Suzhou

With the uprising of modern recreations in China, the Amusement Park of Suzhou, which is praised as the "Oriental Disney Land" is built on the well-known Lion Hill. At the first sight of the lofty Lion Hill, which shapes like a lion looking back, the Canadian planners felt pleasantly surprised. In 1997, the Amusement Park of Suzhou was miraculously erected on this land of 94 hectares under the combined investments from companies like Economic Development Group in Suzhou's new zone,

the Shanghai Oriental Television Station,the Hong Kong Xinhua Bank, and the Hong Kong Chinese Travel Service etc.
The park is divided into two parts, the water world and the happiness world. Among these entertainment facilities, many have reached the advanced international level of 1990's, which fully demonstrate the combination of modern international high technology and profound connotations of the classical cultures.