Suzhou Travel Guide

Suzhou is located near the east shore of Lake Taihu where the Grand Canal joins the Changjiang (Yangtze) River. It is surrounded by more than 20 lakes. Narrow waterways thread between white - walled houses to link up with the Grand Canal, making the city the "Venice of China".

Suzhou is a place of great beauty. A proverb says that "In heaven there is paradise; on earth, Suzhou and Hangzhou". In the old days wealthy families used to settle here from all over China and built great mansions and exquisite gardens in this land of fish and rice. Suzhou also has a long history of embroidery production.

An old saying goes, "the gardens south of the Yangtze River are the best under Heaven, and among them the gardens of Suzhou are the best." Over centuries garden building has been a common practice in the city. The gardens once numbered as many as 200. Suzhou is unique in the world in the number of gardens, their tranquil and serenity environment, refined layout and exquisite building skills. The pavilion of the Surging Waves, the Lion Cave Grove, the Humble Administration - Administrators Garden, the Garden to Linger In, the Fishermen Garden and the Lotus Garden, all well - preserved, are masterpieces of the Suzhou Gardening Art.

On the outskirts of Suzhou city are such well - known scenic places as the Huqiu Hill, Mt. Dengwei, Mt. Yushan, Lake Taihu, Lake Shihu and Lake Yangcheng, as well as places of historical interests such as Panmen, Fengqiao Bridge, the West Garden, the Hanshan Temple, the North Temple Pagoda, the Xuanmiao Daoism Temple, the Residence of King Zhong, the tomb of Zhongyong in Mt. Yushan, the Baosheng Temple in Luzhi, the Zijin Nunnery in the East Hill and the Situ Temple at Guangfu.