Suzhou

Teaching and Living in Suzhou

Popular Chinese legend has it that, "In heaven there is paradise, and on earth there are Suzhou and Hangzhou ". Suzhou has been praised as a "paradise on earth" since ancient times. Being only two hours from Shanghai, Suzhou has enjoyed great prosperity and recognition over the years due to its extraordinarily design. The classical and traditional Chinese styles in the local region make it a distinct change from the modernity of nearby Shanghai.

Suzhou is one of the oldest towns in the Yangtze basin, founded in about 600 BC but actually claiming it's fame one thousand years later after the Grand Canal was built. The great location that the city affords helped Suzhou become a prosperous trading area and the silk industry especially prospered here. Suzhou had become the leading silk producer in China by the 14th Century when this quaint retreat became popular with visitors from the imperial court at Hangzhou. Artists, scholars and painters all retreated to this "Venice of the East" to seek inspiration and relaxation. The population is now approximately 5.7 million as the city spreads even further. Suzhou is noted for its grand gardens. The gardens embody the harmonious principles of Chinese garden construction which dictate that gardens should attempt to create a microcosm of the universe in a confined space. Amongst the most charming are the Garden of the Master of the Nets and the Humble Administrators Garden. The intimate gardens here are particularly pleasant on a misty day and Suzhou's narrow streets and lanes can be very intimate and relaxing.

Suzhou's cultural sites and temples are also worth a visit. Hanshan Temple's distinctive atmosphere and construction are unforgettable. The Temple of Mystery and West Garden Temple are both excellent examples of Taoist and Buddhist tradition respectively. Also, Tiger Hill is a great spot to explore and spend a lazy afternoon in a historical setting. Suzhou's profound cultural and historical background as an ancient capital has helped make this one of China's premier tourism destinations.

Suzhou is heavily influenced by the Wu Kingdom and culture. Notably, the influence of caligraphy and music with ringing and rhythmical beats with graceful tune-patterns and melodious tunes.

It is also important to note that although the city offers incredible opportunities to experience great culture and food, the nightlife is pretty much non-existent.

The best time to travel to Suzhou is April to October, when the trees and flowers of this garden city are green and in full bloom. Nevertheless, Suzhou is an excellent destination throughout the year as winters are mild. Suzhou climate is considered subtropical with an average temperature of 15 to 17C. The annual average rainfall is 1076 mm.

Food in Suzhou

As a result of hundreds of years of culinary experimentation, Suzhou cuisine has developed a unique flavor and a famed reputation. Each course is individually prepared and the emphasis is on the use of quality ingredients, tender meat, fresh vegetables and care in preparation. The result is a selection of fabulous dishes that are unique in color, aroma, shape and taste. Suzhou cuisine is often sweet to the taste and beautifully presented.

The fish and vegetable dishes of the area are well known throughout China and some of the best local delicacies to try are; Songshu Guiyu (Mandarin Fish, stewed and fried), Qingtang Yuchi (braised shark's fin in a clear soup), Xiangyou Shanhu (stewed shredded eel) and Xigua Ji (young chicken buried in watermelon rind and steamed). The best places to taste delicious and authentic Suzhou cuisine are on Gangzhou Road and near the middle of Renmin Road.

The snacks in Suzhou are also very tasty. Try the bean curd cakes with honey, pine nuts in syrup, melon seeds fried with rose juice and sesame cake with mashed date.

International cuisine has made its way to the city restaurants, largely thanks to the fact that Suzhou is a tourist town. The large hotels offer well known western dishes and there are also a couple of smaller independent restaurants around town expanding to offer continental cuisine to cater to all tastes.

Places to See and Things to Do in Suzhou

The Humble Administrator's Garden
- The Humble Administrator's Garden, situated at the Loumen Gate of Suzhou, is regarded as one of the four major gardens in China along with the Summer Palace of Beijing, the Mountain Summer Resort of Chengde, and the Garden to Linger In of Suzhou. The largest of its kind in Suzhou, the garden was built in the first year of the Zhengde Reign (1506-1521) of the Ming Dynasty.
Suzhou Gardens
- The Suzhou garden originated from the desire to retire from the strife of officialdom and to shun from worldly affairs. It seeks the return to nature and the cultivation of temperament. In Taoist philosophy and the refinement of culture underlies the theme of the garden. Hills and waters, flowers and trees, pavilions, terraces, towers and halls constitute the basic garden elements, while the prominent tone is expressed in the dark color of roof tiles, the gray of bricks and chestnut brown of wooden pillars. Most gardens in Suzhou had been the property of private families. Tranquility, elegance, and harmony with nature are therefore what contribute to the serenity in these gardens. Accordingly the builders invented ingenious techniques to put limited space to best use. Depressions were transformed into ponds; tiny protrusions were molded into hills; pavilions and chambers were erected according to well-conceived plans, and flowers and trees were planted wherever they were needed to cover the entire area. All this combined to form a natural, yet richly landscaped environment so that the occupants could get the feeling of returning to nature without stepping out of the grounds of their home. Such is the unique features of Suzhou gardens. In terms of layout, a limited space is skillfully converted into a kaleidoscopic of themed mini-scenes, which gives ample expression to the ethnic style of the Chinese art of landscaping and garden construction.
- Suzhou garden is the nature personified in a nutshell, which enables one to "feel the charm of mountains, forests and springs without leaving the noisy surroundings of the town". The human interest aspect lies in the fact that the architect, philosopher, poet, painter and common people can grasp their own needs in a visit, to sense an idea, the essence, the lines and the rhythm. The unfolding of the garden vistas is the pattern of a landscape scroll. The garden setting is conducive to the most natural inspiration when enjoying tea, literature, flower arranging or playing musical instruments in the garden. Suzhou gardens are the best living museums for tourists that want to get a better understanding of the ancient Chinese culture and civilization.
The Garden to Linger In
- The 3.3-hectare-wide liuyuan, meaning "the Garden to Linger In", along with the Humble Administrator's Garden is one of the four major gardens in China. Construction of this garden commenced during the Jiaqing Reign (1522-1566) of the Ming Dynasty. Among other things, the garden is famed for its awe-inspiring and spacious Nanmu Hall (nanmu is the name of a prized type of hardwood in China), the elaborate and elegant Hall of Mandarin Ducks and the Guanyunfeng, the largest Taihu rock ever found south of the Yangtze River with its slender form, wrinkled texture and well-perforated structure.
Garden of the Master of the Nets
- The Garden of the Master of the Nets (Wangshiyuan) is the best and most celebrated of all the Suzhou gardens. This combined Qing Dynasty residence and garden is also the smallest of the Suzhou gardens. The most impressive thing about this garden is the effective use of space. Rock arrangements and beautiful fish pools balance each other as do the house and garden sections. The garden also contains many examples of using lattice windows to frame scenes of flowers or bamboo for natural framed portraits.
Hanshan Temple
- The Hanshan Temple, situated in Fenqiao Town outside Suzhou's Changmen Gate, was first built during the Tianjian Reign of the Liang Dyansty (one of the Northern Dynasties). The Tang-dynasty poet Zhang Ji, when passing by the temple, wrote the celebrated poem 'Mooring near Maple Bridge at Night'
Temple of Mystery
- Suzhou's Temple of Mystery (Xuanmiaoguan) is more than just another Taoist Temple. It is Suzhou's most active place of worship and houses a great collection of Southern Song Dynasty religious statues. The most important hall in the temple is Sanqing Hall, which is dedicated to the main gods of Taoism with Tianshanglaojun most prominent. The statues here are great works of art that with intricate detail, excellent scale, solemn facial expressions and dignified postures. These statues, some of which are 17 meters high, are some of the best examples of Song Dynasty religious sculpture existing today. The temple also contains a collection of stone carvings, preserved paintings and calligraphy from the Tang Dynasty that all create a mystical sensation.
West Garden Temple
- West Garden Temple (Xiyuan Si) is one of Suzhou's active temples and a beautiful garden combined. There is a pond in the garden section of the temple where Buddhist worshippers have placed fish and other wildlife. The creatures are ritually "set free" into the pond and cared for by the temple.
- In the temple section of the complex, the Hall of the 500 Arhats is particularly interesting. In the center of the Hall stands a 13-meter high statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva with 1000 eyes and 1000 hands, made of a single piece of sandalwood. Near to the statue is also a unique Buddha statue whose head has four faces with four different expressions. It is said that the four sides represent the four sacred mountains of Chinese Buddhism and these Buddha’s worshipped at each sacred mountain.
Slanting Pagoda on Tiger Hill
- The seven-storied, octagonal Slanting Pagoda on the top of Tiger Hill in the northwestern part of Suzhou, is also known as Pagoda of the Yunyan (Cloud and Rock) Temple. First built in 959 AD or the sixth year in the Xiande Reign from the Zhou Dynasty of the Five Dynasties (907-960 AD), it is a brick and wooden structure in the style of a 47-meter-tall Chinese chamber. Its seven floors diminish in size from bottom to top and its curving outlines give the structure a quality which is vigorous and sturdy in a classical fashion.
Tiger Hill
- Tiger Hill Park is simply one of Suzhou's greatest attractions! Within the park walls are many great sights filled with history and legend, which makes it a great place for a picnic or an afternoon of exploration. Tiger Hill (Huqiu) is the final resting place of the ruler of ancient Suzhou, He Lu. The area was named Tiger Hill after a tiger was seen lying on He Lu's tomb. One of Tiger Hill's most famous spots is Sword Pond (Jianchi).He Lu was a famous warrior and sword collector and the Sword Pond is said to hold He Lu's treasured swords in its watery depths. Tiger Hill also houses the Yunyan Pagoda, that has been leaning since before the Qing Dynasty. This 1000-year-old (from the Sui Dynasty) pagoda has become a popular landmark of Suzhou, as the Leaning Tower has done for Pisa.
  The Wanjing Villa (Wanjing Shanzhuang) is simply one of Tiger Hill's best attractions and a visit is recommended. Wanjing Villa is a garden of preserved landscapes and "bonsai-style" shrubs, covering an area of about 1700 square meters. Some of the potted landscapes are actually quite small and some are not potted at all but are small displays set up like miniature Suzhou gardens. All are intended to conjure up images of marvelous mountain and forest scenery among the visitor's.
Lion Grove
- Lion Grove (Shizilin) is arguably Suzhou's best example of using a garden to evoke imagery in the mind. Taihu lake rock arrangements display leonine forms throughout the garden. The garden pleases the mind with discoveries around every corner, challenging the imagination to appreciate the surrounding beauty.