Suzhou(图文)

Locate in Jiangsu Province,86 kilormeters west of Shanghai, and 20 kilometers east of Taihu Lake,Suzhou City sits on the Grand Canal from north to south.It is China’s fabled garden city and home to a fine collection of classical gardens ,which have made Suzhou magnet for tourists.As the Chinese saying goes ,”In heaven,there is paradise,on earth are Suzhou and Hangzhou”Those who visit Suzhou marvel at its small bridges ,murmuring brooks,beautiful hills,unique pagodas and water towns.While experiencing it prosperity,visitors can also witness the exquisiteness and elegance of the city.Its total population is more than 6 million.

In 514 B.C ,Wu,Zixu,Chief Minister of the Wu State,was in charge of building the capital for King HeLu.He observed the heavenly bodies ,assessed the natural contours of the site,tasted the water and built the great city of Helu,which later came to be known as Suzhou in 589 AD,under the Sui Dynasty.In the shape of rectangle,Suzhou was walled with eight land gates .eight water gates.Remains of the wall and gates can still be seen today.

The earliest gardens of Suzhou can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period(770—425 BC),When the old city was the capital of Wu State.At that time, all the gardens belonged to Kings and high---ranking officials.As more gardens were ereced in the centuries that followed,the number of gardens in Suzhou and its neighboring areas increased to over 200.Dozens of them have survived to the present day and kept in good condition.

A Suzhou gardens represents the original concept of”urban scenery” .It is a microscosm of the world in one corner of the bustling ,composed of water ,rocks,trees.pavilions,chambers and even man—made lakes,arranged insuch a way as to reflect the garden’s sequential beauty.Usually the garden spaces are ingeniously handled and laid out.That is to use the special technique” borrowing scences” to creat the maximum space in a small area.Gardens are usually small in area,generally less than 1 hetare,the largestis about 2 hectares.Most of them were built in downtown Suzhou.

Suzhou,well—known as Gusu before 581 AD,is blessed with a long history ,a rich cultural heritage and beautiful natural scenery.Nice gardens are now listed in the World Heritage by UNESCO.The city also abounds in cultural traditions,such as Kunqu Opera,Suzhou ballad singing,silk embroidery,furniture making and jade carving.

Show more about...

• Climate & Weather in Suzhou
• Restaurant and food
• Suzhou Shopping
• Suzhou(图文)