The West Lake and The Liu Garden
2 min readWest Lake
West lake is surrounded by mountains on three sides and on the fourthby the city of Hangzhou.The lake is vast，with an average depth of 1.5 meters.One can easily touch the water，yet the lake shore is so well designed that one does not have to worry about getting one’s shoes wet.
Trees on the lakeside are luxuriant，and the many ancient pavilions andbuildings provide a quaint，peaceful atmosphere.Grass is everywhere，but there are no signs in sight saying“No Trespassing！”People can not only walk on the grass but also sit or lie down for a rest.Wherever you go，there are paths and benches.Thus it is a pleasant and comfortable environment to enjoy the tranquil beauty of one of China’s most famous spots.
Liu Garden
Liu Garden is one of the two best gardens in Suzhou.There are four scenery parts.The central part mainly consists of hills and water；the east is good at its buildings，in which there is the largest hall in Suzhou；thenorth part shows countryside beauty，while the west is provided with mountain forest.Generally，the layout is characterized by magnificence，gracefulness and elegance.Walls of houses are artistically decorated according to their direction，shape，and elevation of the banks of streams，forming a plain and elegant appearance.The artistic features of gardening in Suzhou are embodied in light architectural forms，quietly elegant colors，smooth and fluent lines，gentle and clear outlines of houses.
Classical Gardens of Suzhou
Suzhou is located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province，and is called “Venice of the East”for its crisscross rivers and many arched-bridges.The classical gardens in Suzhou represent the quintessence of the gardens built in southern area of the Yangtze River，and demonstrate the varied styles of Song，Yuan，Ming and Qing dynasties.The gardens are not large but fascinating in their delicate design.The Canglangting（the Surging Waves Pavilion），Shizin（the Lion Grove），Zhuozhengyuan（the Humble Administrator’s Garden），and Liuyuan（the Lingering Garden）are four most famous gardens in Suzhou.In 1997，UNESCO inscribed the classical Gardens of Suzhou on the List of World Heritage.
