Suzhou

Overview

City sights

Suzhou gardens: the Humble Administrator’s Garden, Canglang Pavilion, Lingering Garden, Garden of Retreat and Reflection, Master of the Nets Garden, Couple’s Garden, Lion Grove, Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty and the Garden of Cultivation

Hanshan Temple: famous from Zhang Ji’s poem “Mooring by Maple Bridge at Night”

Tiger Hill

Travel tips

Getting there: Suzhou, Suzhou North and Suzhou Industrial Park stations have high-speed trains. Shanghai is about half an hour away, Nanjing about an hour and Hangzhou about an hour and a half. Suzhou has no major airport; most visitors fly into Shanghai Hongqiao or Pudong.

Getting around: metro lines 1 and 4 link the old town and the main sights, and buses, taxis and shared bikes are available. The old town's lanes are narrow and walking is easiest.

Classical gardens: the Humble Administrator's, Lingering, Master-of-Nets, Lion Grove, Canglang Pavilion, Couple's Retreat, Garden of Cultivation, Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty and Retreat and Reflection gardens are World Heritage. Retreat and Reflection is in Tongli, Wujiang; the other eight are in the old town. The Humble Administrator's and Lingering gardens are the largest; Master-of-Nets is small and refined.

Tiger Hill and Hanshan Temple: Tiger Hill lies north-west of the old town, with the leaning Yunyan Temple pagoda. Hanshan Temple is at Fengqiao on the western edge, made famous by Zhang Ji's poem.

Water towns: Tongli, Zhouzhuang, Luzhi and Mudu are reached by regional bus or tourist lines. Zhouzhuang and Tongli each take half a day to a day.

Shantang Street and Pingjiang Road: Shantang runs from Changmen to Tiger Hill; Pingjiang Road follows an old canal. Both suit a walk. The Suzhou Museum is beside the Humble Administrator's Garden.

Time: three days covers several large gardens, Tiger Hill and one or two water towns; two days is enough for the gardens alone.

Season: spring and autumn are most pleasant. The plum rain falls in June and July, midsummer is muggy, and winter is damp and cold but quiet in the gardens.

Where to stay: Guanqian Street and Pingjiang Road in the old town are convenient for gardens and evenings; Shantang Street is another choice.

Suburban sights

Tongli

Zhouzhuang

Stamps

In 1980 China Post issued T56 “Suzhou Gardens – Lingering Garden”, four stamps: spring at Quxi Tower, summer at Yuancui Pavilion, autumn at Hanbi Mountain House, snow on Guanyun Peak.

In 1984 T96 “Suzhou Gardens – Humble Administrator’s Garden”, four stamps: the Reflection Tower from Yiliang Pavilion, the loquat garden, the Small Canglang water court, the Hall of Distant Fragrance and Yiyu Pavilion.

In 2003 the set 2003-11 “Suzhou Gardens – Master of the Nets Garden”, four stamps: Dianchun, the Moon and Wind Pavilion, the Zhuwai Yizhi Pavilion and the Wanjuan Hall, with a sheetlet.

The sixth stamp of the 1981 definitive set R21 “Scenery of the Motherland” shows Tiger Hill.

Literature

Zhang Ji’s poem “Mooring by Maple Bridge at Night” describes a sleepless night on a boat by Maple Bridge, the midnight bell of Hanshan Temple outside the walls of Gusu reaching the traveller.

Nearby

Straight-line distances from the city center. More on Nearby.