Humble Administrator's Garden is the largest existing classical garden in Suzhou, built in the early years of Ming Zhengde (1600). It has a history of over 500 years and is one of the four famous gardens in Jiangnan. The garden is centered around water, with beautiful pavilions and towers, lush flowers and trees, and a strong Jiangnan water town style. Humble Administrator's Garden was approved as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997. It is worth noting that there is also the Suzhou Garden Museum to the south of the garden, which is the only garden-themed museum in China.
The Suzhou Museum is one of the must-visit places to see. It was designed by the famous architect I.M. Pei. The museum houses ancient paintings, ceramics, crafts, and unearthed artifacts. It has exhibitions such as "Treasures of Wu Region," "National Treasures of Wuta Pagoda," "Elegance of Wu Region," and "Calligraphy and Painting of Wu Region."
Tiger Hill Street
Tiger Hill, known as the "number one scenic spot in Wuzhong", has a long history and beautiful scenery. Ancient people have described Tiger Hill as "nine suitable" for moon, snow, rain, smoke, spring dawn, summer, cool autumn, falling leaves, and sunset. So when you come to Suzhou, you must visit Tiger Hill.
Fengqiao Scenic Area
The Fengqiao Scenic Area is a provincial-level scenic spot featuring "Five Ancient Sights" including Hanshan Temple, Jiangfeng Ancient Bridge, Tieling Ancient Pass, Fengqiao Ancient Town, and the ancient canal. It is said that on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day night, Hanshan Temple holds a bell-ringing ceremony, with the bell being struck 108 times. Each strike represents a worry, and after hearing the bell, the worries of the coming year will vanish with the wind.
Lion Grove, one of the four famous gardens in Suzhou, is known as the "Kingdom of Rockeries". It features intricate designs and structures, with caves and valleys. The garden is divided into three parts: ancestral hall, living quarters, and courtyard. It showcases various styles of rockeries, delicate flower walls with intricate window designs, and stone formations resembling lions. It is worth noting that Lion Grove's beauty captivated Emperor Qianlong, who ordered the construction of two Lion Groves in the Summer Palace in Beijing for his summer retreats in Chengde.
The street is about 3,600 meters long, approximately 7 miles, known as "from Qili Tang to Huqiu". During the Tang Dynasty, Bai Juyi served as the governor of Suzhou, and dug the Shantang River during the dredging of the river, which was then built along the river, also known as "Shantang Street". Walking on Shantang Street, you can appreciate the ancient buildings along the street. These buildings are mostly from the late Qing Dynasty and the Republican period, with several groups of buildings arranged in a crisscross pattern. It's worth noting that Qili Shantang was once one of the most developed commercial and cultural blocks in Ming and Qing Dynasties, known as the "ancient street of China" and "the epitome of old Suzhou and the window of Wu culture".
