The Attractions of Suzhou in China

About Suzhou

Suzhou is a unique destination among all the cities, towns, and regions in China. The city is featured for having one of the most magnificent collections of gardens and parks. Suzhou is added to many tours to China.

“It has a special magic of its own”. This is what all the visitors of Suzhou say when describing the city that has attracted many artists and authors throughout its history. The city of Suzhou has even developed its own local culture, art, and music, that is distinctive than any other part in China.

Away from the fabulous gardens of Suzhou like the Garden of the Humble Administrator, the Joyous Garden, and the Master of the Nets Garden, the city also houses some remarkable monuments like the Temple of Mystery, and the Pagoda of the North Temple.Being in the rout leading from Beijing to Shanghai has also encouraged many tourists to explore the wonders of Suzhou and spend two or three days in the city as part of their tours in China.

With its marvelous natural beauty, the many historical sites, and a fine atmosphere, Suzhou has become one of the most popular touristic destinations in China.
The city of Suzhou is connected by a number of waterways and canals. Although many of these canals are now quaint, they used to be crowded with many small boats transferring people and all types of goods around the city.All the canals that were spread all over Suzhou would in one point or the other lead in the end to the major conduit of trading and travel in China, the Grand Canal that passes through a large number of cities and towns.

At the meeting point where the canals of Suzhou and the Grand Canal emerge together, there is the Precious Belt Bridge, that was constructed in ancient times and it has 53 significant arches.We will point out some of the attractions of the city of Suzhou that are included in many travel packages to China.

The Pan Gate

The transportation in Suzhou has always included vehicles and boats from all sorts. This is why the gates of the city had to control the traffic of both land and water. The Pan Gate, which looks more of a fortress, than just an entrance and exit gate, is the only one that remained until today.  A large number of tourists who travel to China love the ancient monuments of the country.

Other than the impressive wooden gate constructed on land, there is a double gate built to prevent boats to enter or exit from the canal when this is needed.
Near the gate, there is a park that is filled with colorful roses and flowers and a large platform that extends over a pond in a remarkable scene.The guests can also climb the Ruiguang Pagoda, built around 1000 years ago, to have a wonderful view over the whole area. A large portion of the tourists who travel to China are fond with the country’s natural beauty.

The Arts and Crafts Museum of Suzhou

The most remarkable feature of the Arts and Crafts Museum of Suzhou is not the displays but to watch the traditional Chinese artists crafting their art. The artists crave jade and cut latticework from wood. The guests can watch other artists writing fabulous calligraphy. Moreover, women embroidering silk are quite remarkable especially their precise attention to details.

Guests can buy a lot of crafts and souvenirs from the museum that offers all types of Chinese traditional crafts. Travelers who spend their vacations in China would like to purchase some of the traditional crafts of the country.

The Museum of Suzhou

The Museum of Suzhou is housed in the newest building to be constructed in Dongbei Jie, a neighborhood featured with classical architecture.The Museum hosts the works of I M Pie, the famous Chinese American artist, who has constructed many glass and steel works in Suzhou. The same as his marvelous glass pyramid situated in the courtyard of the Louver Museum in Paris, this building is an amazing mixture between the old and the new forms of architecture. The Museum of Suzhou will house a large number of displays illustrating the ancient history of the city of Suzhou, a city that welcomes a large number of travelers who enjoy their holidays in China nowadays.

The Temple of Mystery

The Temple of Mystery is one of the finest preserved Taoist structures and now it is the center piece of a large local market area. The temple was built in the 3rd century and it is a rare example of wooden large structures that has lasted for many centuries. This is why travelers who go on custom tours to China would include such monuments in their trips.

Luckily for all the history fans, the Temple of Mystery hasn’t suffered a lot of the Cultural Revolution and the temple still has a wonderful preserved colored ceilings and wonderfully arranged beams and braces that attain their original colors.The guest can enjoy moving around admiring this wonderful piece of architectural art and listen to the live Toasic music. Many people from around the world admire the Chinese culture and travel long distances from one continent to another to go on affordable tours to China.

The Hill of the Tiger

The Hill of the tiger was where the king of the State of Wu was buried.  This King was the one who established the city in 6th century BC. Situated at the top of the hill, there is a huge rock that is named Rock of the Thousand Men. Legends claim that the workers who have constructed the tomb of the king were given this rock as a prize when they finished their work. Recent excavation missions have stated that the men have found this huge rock down the artificial lake. Some group tours to China may include exploring some of these less visited monuments. The tomb of the king was never discovered through all the excavation works that have been carried out in the hill.

In stead, the marvelous Song Dynasty pagoda was unearthed and it is so fragile that any excavation works would truly risk it being falling. There is also the Leaning Pagoda that is quite magnificent and one of the most fabulous monuments in Suzhou. With the Persian style apparent in the arches and other construction elements, this pagoda is quite impressive.

The West Garden Temple

The West Garden Temple is one of the most remarkable monuments in the city of Suzhou and it is often included in tours to China that include visiting the city.
The temple is featured with the Hall of 500 Arhats, a real piece of beauty that is not easy to be found elsewhere in China. This hall used to host 500 marvelous golden painted statues of many Buddhist guides in different circumstances, one chasing a cat or one fighting a dragon.