Sightseeing In Suzhou, including Lingering Garden, Lion Forest Garden, Silk Factory and a short boat ride on canal.
Suzhou is China's well-known "city of gardens", which tops all others in both the number and the artistry of gardens. Dating from Pi Jiang Garden of the Eastern Jing Dynasty, Suzhou's art of gardening has undergone a history of 1500 years. There were once over 200 gardens in the city, and 69 of them are still in good reservation today.
Suzhou garden is the Nature in nutshell, which enables one to "feel the charm of mountains, forest and springs without going out of the noisy surroundings of the town". Its human interest also lies in that the architect, philosopher, poet, painter, and common fold can all find in it the idea, the flavour, the lines and the rhythm. To those tourists desiring to understand China, Suzhou garden is the best museum.
Garden of Humble Administration:
First laid out in 1509AD, the garden's scenery is focused on a central pond with various buildings of pavilions, terraces, chambers and towers located by the water or on hillocks in a natural, unsophisticated, and appropriate composition. The garden is most representative of Chinese classical garden in the Ming Dynasty.
Lion Grove Garden:
Built in 1342 AD, the Garden is particularly well-known for the great quantities of its Taihu rocks that form an intriguing maze of mountian paths and varied scenes.
Silk Museum:
Handicrafts and silk are the most outstanding native produce of Suzhou. Suzhou's arts & crafts represent a unique cultural style and workmanship developed over a thousand years under the influence of the Wu Culture and the skills of generations of artisans. Most representative of Suzhou style are embroidery, fans, national musical instruments, scroll mounting, lanterns, mahogany furniture, jade carving, silk tapestry, traditional painting pigments of Jiangsixutang Studio, The New Year's wood-block prints of Taohuawu Studio, etc. Marked by exquisite craftmanship and elegant colour, all the products are warmly acclaimed in China and overseas.
