Suzhou with its Gardens

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A Chinese saying goes that，”In heaven there is a paradise，on earth there are Suzhou and Hangzhou.”

Suzhou，in East China’s Jiangsu Province，enjoys a particular renown for her landscaped gardens.The gardens are not large but are fascinating in their delicate design, containing hills, ponds, pavilions, terraces, corridors, and towers. Gardens in Suzhou were first constructed in Kingdom Wu some 2 500 years ago. More and more gardens were built after the 10h century in the dynasties of Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing. There were more than 170 gardens built in Suzhou’s history. The four famous ones are the Canglangting of the Song Dynasty(built in the 11th century), the Shizilin of the Yuan Dynasty (built in the 14hcencury), the Zhuozhengyuan and the Liuyuan of the Ming Dynasty (built in the 16h cencury). Called the Venice of the East, Suzhou has a high water table which supplies the vast number of ponds and streams throughout the city and it is these ponds that serve to focus the many elements of the garden within a small space.

Canglangting(the Gentle Waves Pavilion ) is known for its peaceful scenery and simple architecture. It was built about nine hundred years ago by the scholar Su Zimei who had just lost his official position and decided to buy a small piece of land in Suzhou on which to build a residence. That part of Suzhou which he chose was known for its beauty. This garden is a fine example showing how the natural landscape both inside and outside could be merged. Long corridors follow the banks of the green waterpond just outside the garden. Walking along the outer edges of these corridors, you feel as if you were a part of seenery outside the garden. Turn toward the inner edge of the corridors and through the windows of the brick wall you can see in the distance waving trees, bamboos and flowers among the rockeries and pavilions inside the garden.

Although Shizilin(the Lion Grove Garden ) is a small garden, it is truly exquisite in design, the rockeries imaginative. Entering the garden, you will find stones in various interesting shapes. Look at them closely, they are lions: lying, sitting, slinking along, standing on hind legs, embracing a ball made of strips of silk.

Zhouzhengyuan(the Humble Administrator’s Garden ) is one of the four mostfamous gardens in China. It has been the historical monument for national preservation since 1961.A well-known painter, named Wen Zhengming, designed the garden. Rockeries, water, trees and classical buildings are the four basic elements for the garden，or any Chinese classical gardens.Located in the northeast section of the old city proper，the garden consists of three parts，eastern，central and western.Covering an area of 12 acres，it is the largest of all Suzhou gardens.The eastern part of which are ponds，streams，rockeries，many kinds of trees and Chinese-style houses.Behind a corridor with flowery windows lies the central part，which is the cream of this garden.Water covers about one third of its area.Beautiful classical buildings appear around water with green trees here and there.

Liuyuan（the Lingering Garden）is three hectares in size.Winding throughout the garden is a 700-meter long corridor，on the walls of which are a great number of stone carvings and windows.Liuyuan boasts the largest rock in Suzhou.It is six and a half meters high，weighs five tons and was transported from Lake Taihu four hundred years ago.Because of its height and shape it was named”Cloud-capped Peak”.Limestone boulders were quarried from mountains around the lake where the masterful hand of nature had cut them into strange shapes with cavities and grooves.

The four famous ancient gardens in China are the Summer Palace in Beijing，the Chengde Mountain Resort in Hebei，the Zhuozheng Garden and the Liuyuan Garden in Suzhou.Suzhou enjoys mild climate and abundant produce in both western hillyarea and eastern lake-dotted plain.Mainly grown are paddy，wheat，cotton，mulberry trees，tea and fruits.In numerous lakes there are lots of fresh-water products such as shrimps，whitebaits，crabs，lotusroots，water caltrops，etc.That’s why Suzhou is known as a land of fish and rice.Moreover，handicrafts are another pride of Suzhou.

Among the most famous are Suzhou embroidery，sandal-wood fans，mahogany furniture，lacquer-carving，jade articles，wood block picture prints，traditional Chinese musical instruments，etc.With 3 000 year’s tradition in sericulture，Suzhou has always been a major producer of silk.