Humble Administrator Garden

Located at the lower reach of Yangtze River, and neighboring with Tai Lake, Suzhou of Jiangsu Province is only about 100 km to Shanghai. The city is well known for its resplendent gardens and beautiful scenery, covering an area of 6,267 square kilometers with a population of 6.22 million. Suzhou has also been an important silk industry since the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and continues to hold that prominent position today.

Suzhou is praised as the 'Oriental Venice'. Taihu Lake, four fifths of which is in the territory of Suzhou, is one of the four largest fresh lakes in China, with East Hill, West Hill and other scenic spots in its vicinity. The city is cut by the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal from north to south. Together with its mild climate, making it an available destination all year round, fertile landscape and abundance of produce, it is no wonder that Suzhou is called 'paradise on earth'.

History

Built in 514 BC, Suzhou is an ancient city with a 2500 years' history. The unique characteristics of the past are still retained in present-day Suzhou. The double-chessboard layout of Suzhou, with 'the streets and rivers go side by side while the water and land routes run in parallel', are preserved basically intact. Strolling the streets, you can feel the unique lingering charm of this landscape left by its long history.

Tourism

As the saying goes - 'Gardens to the south of Yangtze River are the best in the world, and Suzhou gardens are the best among them'. These gardens attain their high reputation not only for their vast numbers, but also for their charming natural beauty and harmonious construction. At present more than 60 gardens are kept intact in Suzhou, and a series of them have been listed in the World Heritage List, including the Humble Administrator's Garden, the Lingering Garden, the Garden of Master of Nets and the Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty.

The beautiful waterside City of Suzhou in Jiangsu Province in South China is most famous for its elegant classical gardens. Among these, the Humble Administrator's Garden, covering about 52,000 sq. meters (12.85 acres), is the largest and most renowned. Due to its unique designs and ethereal beauty, the garden has garnered many special honors. It is listed as a World Cultural Heritage site and has also been designated as one of the Cultural Relics of National Importance under the Protection of the State as well as a Special Tourist Attraction of China. Along with the Summer Palace in Beijing, the Mountain Resort of Chengde in Hebei Province and the Lingering Garden in Suzhou, it is considered as one of China's four most famous gardens. No other classic garden in the country has been honored more than this one.

The Humble Administrator's Garden was originally built in 1509 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It was initially a private garden of a former government servant named Wang Xianchen. It was said he intended to build a garden after retired and just do some gardening work like planting trees and vegetables there, which was said to be the life of a humble man by him. Hence is the name of the garden. The garden was created upon the old relics of a resident and a temple. Water feature is the main background and its natural landscape includes small forests, hills and rock formations. It also has man-made pavilions, halls and parlors. Unlike the Grand View Garden and other famous gardens in Beijing, it is representative of the Ming Dynasty building style.

The garden consists of Eastern, Central and Western sections as well as some residences of the former owners. The resident houses are typical of the style of Suzhou Local Residences, whose feature can be seen in the famous water township Zhouzhuang not far from Suzhou City. The site of the residences has been rebuilt as the Garden Museum now.

Zhouzhuang water town

Occupying an area of 23,300 square meters (about 5.8 acres); the Lingering Garden is located outside Changmen Gate in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. Originally a classical private garden, it is one of the four most famous gardens in China. Possessing typical Qing style, it is well-known for the exquisite beauty of its magnificent halls, and the various sizes, shapes, and colors of the buildings. In 1997, the garden was recorded on the list of the world heritage by UESCO. With a history of more than 400 years, the Lingering Garden has changed hands several times. Each owner did his best to perfect the garden. The succeeding owners followed his model when doing restoration work. Almost demolished in the 1930s, the garden was repaired sponsored by the government and then opened to the public.

Like other famous gardens in Suzhou, the Lingering Garden seeks to create stunning natural landscapes within limited space. In this garden, domiciles, ancestral temples and private gardens are included. Buildings, trees, and flowers blend harmoniously with their surroundings. The garden can generally be divided into four parts: the central, eastern, western and northern parts according to the style of the buildings. Of the four parts, the central part is the essence of the whole complex. This part was the original Lingering Garden while the other three were added during the Qing Dynasty. After going through winding corridors from the gate of the garden, one reaches the central part. The central part is divided into two parts: the western part and the eastern part. The former features in pools and hills while classical buildings dominate the latter. The Celestial Hall of Five Peaks in the eastern part of the garden is the largest hall in the garden. The western part is enchanting for its natural scenery. It is a large rockery built from stacked stones and soil during the Ming Dynasty. Maples cover the hill. When all the leaves turn red in autumn, it is extraordinarily beautiful. The northern part used to be a vegetable garden, but now is used to exhibit potted plants of which the Suzhou people are quite proud.

Suzhou Silk Museum: Every aspect of silk manufacture – including live, mulberry-munching and silk-spinning silk worms; the evolution of silk looms and production techniques; and finally the lustrous end product – are displayed here. Even rayon "knock-offs" are on display; they're readily available in shops throughout China and the world. But here in Suzhou, experts can offer detailed instruction on how to tell the difference between the rayon and the real! 

Rating alongside these classical gardens are the exquisite water townships in Suzhou. Zhouzhuang, Mudu, Tongli Town and so on should not be missed by any visitor. In any water township of Suzhou, a number of Ming and Qing dynasty preserved buildings can be found. The natural sights and human landscape enhance each other's beauty, which is a great attraction to visitors who linger there.

Zhouzhuang, one of the most famous water townships in China, situated in Kunshan City which is only 30 kilometers (18 miles) southeast of Suzhou. It is noted for its profound cultural background, the well preserved ancient residential houses, the elegant watery views and the strong local colored traditions and customs. In an area of half a square kilometer (124 acres), 60 percent of the Zhouzhuang's structures were built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, which is from 1368 to 1911. Taking the most convenient form of transport in Zhouzhuang, a gondola, we will present some of the breathtaking sights one by one.

Zhouzhuang is surrounded and divided by lakes and rivers, 14 stone bridges cross the rivers, showing distinctive views of the water-town. Twin Bridges which comprise Shide Bridge and Yongan Bridge are the most famous and is considered the symbol of Zhouzhuang. Built in Wanli era (1573 - 1619) of the Ming Dynasty, Twin Bridges is in the northeast of the town. Shide Bridge is east-west and has a round arch, while Yongan Bridge is north-south and the bridge arch is square. Crossing the two crisscross rivers (Yinzi Creek and Nabeishi River) and connecting at the middle, Twin Bridges look like a Chinese old-style Chinese key. Located at the eastern end of Zhongshi Jie, Fuan Bridge was built in 1355 during the Yuan Dynasty. The unique trait of the Fuan is the consummate combination of the single-arch bridge and the bridge towers which have, are used as tearooms, restaurants and stores, and are good places to appreciate the views while taking a rest.

The preceding sight-seeing sites are just a little part of the pretty attractions of Zhouzhuang. Besides these historic sights, the local folklore, traditions and legends of this water township, such as the dragon boat race, the granny tea or the Wansan home-style banquet which are formed from the immemorial civilization and history are also the indispensable elements for an unforgettable tour.

Other major attractions of Suzhou: 

Garden of the Master of the Nets: With Chinese gardens, acreage is of little importance; how acreage is used is everything. This 12th century garden's magic is manifested in its illusion as a garden four times its size. Though buildings are large, they're carefully positioned; your eyes are directed in ways that enlarge each view and perspective. Interior views outward are highly calculated to focus your attentions to a single sight. Gardens throughout the world are modeled after this little gem. 

Beisi Ta: (or "North Temple Pagoda") Excellent views of the city are available for those with strong legs. A climb up the nine stories rewards you with views from this, the tallest pagoda in town. This particular pagoda - previous ones burned to the ground at least twice - dates back to the Song Dynasty (AD 960 – 1279); its foundations are 700 years older. 

Silk Embroidery Research Institute: What a beautiful setting for an institute – and what beautiful work comes out the doors of this research facility! Located within a garden, the workers produce some of the finest silk embroidery found anywhere in the world. 

Dark Blue Wave Pavilion Garden: This garden utilizes an illusion frequently seen in Chinese and Japanese gardens, particularly those with limited space. In much the way "infinity pools" extend a swimming pool's border into the ocean beyond, this garden "borrows" the views of Suzhou's distant mountains and makes those vistas its own (while hiding close-in garden walls and neighborhood rooftops)! 

Pan Men Scenic Area: Seven flights of stairs bring you to the top of a Song Dynasty (960 – 1279) pagoda, the Ruigang Pagoda. From here the views of the garden's attractions are excellent: the Hall of Attractive Scenery, the Pan Men (a gate and remnants of the city's ancient walls), the graceful arch of the Wu Men Bridge and the Hall of Four Auspicious Merits. 

Climate

Suzhou is located in a subtropical monsoon zone, so the weather is mild and moist with four distinct seasons. It's best to visit Suzhou between January and April because the temperature is not too low and the flowers are in full bloom until June. The Plum Rain Season of June is followed by a hot July. After July, a harvest autumn arrives. Both the fresh fruits and the seafood will surely whet your appetite. To promote tourism in Suzhou, a number of tourist festivals are held here every year:

Table of statistics for Suzhou climate for each month of the year