Brochure - Suzhou

THE CITY

SUZHOU is a city on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Lake Taihu in the province of Jiangsu, China. The city is renowned for its beautiful stone bridges, pagodas, and meticulously designed gardens which have contributed to its status as a great tourist attraction. Since the Song Dynasty (960-1279), Suzhou has also been an important centre for China’s silk industry and continues to hold that prominent position today. The city is part of the Yangtze River Delta region. The GDP per capita was ¥106,412 (US$15,322) in 2008, ranked 2nd among 659 Chinese cities.

SUZHOU





OVERVIEW

SUZHOU is a famous city throughout China for its beauty. In fact, a famous quote goes “Shang you tiantang, xia you Suhang,” which means “in heaven there is paradise, on earth there is Su[zhou] and Hang[zhou]. Historically a wealthy city, due in part for its large silk industry, many of its residents built classical gardens that are preserved and open to the public today. In fact, nine of the gardens are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Site list.



ATTRACTIONS

SUZHOU EMBROIDERY together with embroidery of Hunan, Sichuan and Guangdong are called as the “Four Famous Embroideries”. Suzhou tapestry method is done in fine silks and gold thread. Other art forms found in this area are sculpture, Song brocade, jade and rosewood carving. THE SUZHOU MUSEUM has a rich collection of relics from many eras. The collection includes revolutionary records, stele carving, folk customs, drama and verse, Suzhou embroidery, silk cloth, gardens, coins and Buddhist artifacts.

THE HUMBLE ADMINISTRATOR’S GARDEN covers 51,950 sq. m. and consists of three parts: the eastern, middle and western parts. The housing complex lies to the south of the garden. The eastern part, originally known as the Country Retreat belonging to Wang Xinyi in 635AD, is blessed with a magnificent range of mountains covered with bamboo and pines, islands encircled by a brook, and an extensive area of grass, flowers, and trees.

the broad expanse of a crystalline lake and the verdant mountains reminiscent of the scenery south of the Lower Yangtze. Much of the surprise is produced by architectural features of the Malus Spectabilis Court, the Loquat Garden Court, the Paeonia Suffruticosa Pavilion, the Secluded Pavilion of Ferimiana Simplex and Bamboo, the Hall of Distant Fragrance, the Mountain-In-View Tower, the Magnolia Hall, the Fragrant Isle and other buildings in clusters.

far”. Compactly spaced and artfully arranged by the lotus lake are kiosks and pavilions of varying size in the western part of the garden formerly named the Complementary Garden in the reign of Guangxu. To the south of the lake is a typical Chinese mandarin ducks’ hall in two halves. The Keep-and-Listen Pavilion is a boat-like structure to the west of the lake, which looks as if moving away slowly from the pier.



Making good use of the terrestrial contours of the site, the landscapes and waterscapes in the middle part of the garden are most beautiful with various kinds of buildings being centered upon

From the roofed walkway by the Leaning on Rainbow Pavilion one is able to catch sight of the Pagoda of Paying Debts of Gratitude in distance, an example of the technique called “borrowed view from

QUICK FACTS ቛቛ Province: Jiangsu ቛቛ Founding Year: 514 BC ቛቛ Population: 6,297,500 (2008) ቛቛ Urban Density: 3,739.8/sq mi ቛቛ Nicknames: ሬሬ “Capital of Silk”, ሬሬ “Land of Abundance” ሬሬ “World of Gardens” ሬሬ “Venice of the East” ቛቛ City Flower: Osmanthus ቛቛ City Tree:: Camphor Laurel