Famous Landmarks in
Suzhou are considered the Name Card of Suzhou, like the Humble Administrator Garden, Panmen Gate, Tiger Hill, etc. ancient and new. They are somehow, represent a certain character or role Suzhou played to the world. Come with
TopChinaTravel, to witness and appreciate those famous Suzhou Landmarks.
Located in the Northeast Street in Suzhou City, the Humble Administrator Garden was first built in the fourth year of the reign of Emperor Zhengde of Ming Dynasty in 1509. It covers an area of 52,000 square meters. Humble Administrator Garden (Zhuozheng yuan) is the best representation of Chinese classical gardens of the Ming Dynasty. Its design is duplicated in many gardens throughout China, and there is even a replica in the New York Metropolitan Museum.
The houses in the residential area are of the typical Suzhou style and now used as exhibition rooms. The middle section is the gem of the whole garden. Of its area one-third is covered by water. Around the lake are trees and buildings.
Panmen Gate is the oldest city gate of Suzhou and the only existing water and land gate in China. The gate is located on the south-west corner of the Main Canal Suzhou.
It is composed of two water passages, three land passages and the outside gate. The canal outside the gate is the oldest section of the Grand Canal that was also built 2,500 years ago. In its vicinity, there is a 1,000-year-old pagoda named Ruiguang Pagoda, the earliest pagoda in Suzhou; and the Wu Bridge, the entrance to the gate at that time over the water passage and the highest bridge in Suzhou at the time.
Tiger Hill enjoys a reputation as 'the first scenic spot in the State of Wu', for Suzhou was once the capital of the State of Wu during the Spring and Autumn Period.
Tiger Hill houses the Yunyan Pagoda that has been leaning since before the Qing Dynasty. It is said that the tower has been leaning since its completion in 959 - 961 A.D. The tower is 48 meter tall brick pagoda with seven stories and eight sides. It leans to the north by about 3.5 degrees. Concrete piles have been driven into the ground around the pagoda in order to reinforce the foundation. It is a stone imitation of earlier (or contemporary) wooden pagodas. The "brackets" and "lintels" carved on the surface are not structural, but decorative. Today this 1000-year-old (from the Sui Dynasty) pagoda has become a symbol of Suzhou.
Lingering Garden is one of the great four gardens in China. It was first built in 1593 as Xu Taishi private garden. The garden was originally called East Garden, and the middle pond and overlapped yellow stone rockeries on the west of the pond are built at that time. After his death, Liu Su became the owner of the garden. By rebuilding it, Liu plated many bamboos and had many stones inscribed out of his hobby.
Covering 23,330 square meters, the Lingering is a typical one of gardens in Qing Dynasty. It boasts its fine gardening, luxurious and spacious hall, and collection of stones from Taihu Lake by which people can be freshened up without going out the city. In 1997, Lingering Garden was inscribed into UNESCO World Heritage List.
Zhouzhuang lies at the middle between Shanghai and Suzhou, is an ancient town of Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province, where abounds with rivers and lakes. So it is thought by many to be the best waterside town in China. This ancient town has a history of more than 900 years old with many houses built in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. There are about 100 houses with courtyards, and 60 of them have arch gateways made by carved bricks.
With lakes on four sides, the beauty of Zhouzhuang is specially to be found along the waterside lanes and around a number of the stone bridges. A different vista at every turn can be found here. All those make a visit most enjoyable. Also, one can enjoy the fairyland atmosphere of the evenings here when the myriad stars twinkle as though in communication with the glittering lights.
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