Classical Gardens of Suzhou (Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province)

a. Brief Introduction
As outstanding examples of southern China's private gardens,Suzhou's classical gardens are noted for their exquisite design andlayout. Landscape and buildings are perfectly integrated, to create agreat harmony between man and nature.
Thanks to careful protection and good management, several of thegardens have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, includingZhuozhen Garden(Humble Administrator's Garden), WangshiGarden(Master-of-Nets Garden), Liuyuan Garden(Lingering Garden),Huanxiu Villa(Villa with Embraced Beauty) , Canglangting Garden(SurgingWaves Pavilion), Shizilin Garden(Lion Forest Garden), Ouyuan Garden(Double Courtyard), Yipu Garden (Art Garden) and Tuisi Garden(Retreatand Reflection Garden). These gardens demonstrate the typical featuresof Suzhou's classical gardens in layout, structure, design, style, useof color, decoration and furniture.
Suzhou's classical gardens occupy a unique and irreplaceableposition in the history of world landscape gardening, and have highvalue for the study of Chinese landscape gardening, architecture,culture, aesthetics, philosophy and folklore.
b. Cultural Heritage
Canglangting Garden (Surging Waves Pavilion)
Canglangting Garden has the longest history among all the existingclassical gardens in Suzhou. Naturally laid out and well designed, itis called one of the four best gardens in Suzhou---the other three areShizilin, Zhuozhen and Liuyuan.The garden looks simple but natural.Without contrived decorations, it combines buildings with scenery soperfectly that the whole garden appears to be naturally endowed. Thegarden is built along a small pond. In front of its north gate, thereis a stone bridge. Entering the garden, you can see a yellow rockery.Behind it, there is an artificial hill made of stone and earth.Vigorous is naturally made, properly arranged, and appears steep andmagnificent. Since there is a courtyard on each side of the garden, itis named Ouyuan, meaning double courtyard.
Yipu Garden (Art Garden)
This garden has an expansive view and a simple style. Since many ofthe original features of the garden have been preserved, the garden hasa high historical and artistic value.
Occupying an area of five mu (one mu equals 0.07 ha), the garden isbuilt around a pond with stone bridges over it. Most of the buildingsare constructed in the north, among which the Buoya Hall is the mainhall of the garden. To its south there is a small courtyard with a rockterrace in a pond. To the south of the courtyard are built five waterpavilions. And to the south of the pond there is an artificial hill.The side of the hill along the pond is steep, with precipitous paths.To the south of the pond there is the Ruyou Pavilion, dating from theMing Dynasty, which is connected with the outside by paths. To the westof the pond is located Qinlu Courtyard, which is entered by a roundmoon gate. Inside the courtyard there is a small pond linked with themain pond outside. Such a design is unique among Suzhou's classicalgardens.
Tuisi Garden (Retreat and Reflection Garden)
Built between 1885 and 1887, the garden looks delicate, simple andelegant. It is a masterpiece among southern China's private gardens.
c. Suzhou-style Bonsai
As one of China's major schools of miniature trees, Suzhou-stylebonsai is famous for its long history, unique design and distinctivestyle.
Thanks to favorable natural conditions, skilled artisans have longsince created bonsai masterpieces to record natural scenery in tinypots. In addition, the rich culture of the city adds special flavor anda unique style to Suzhou-style bonsai.
Suzhou bonsai is noted for its plainness and elegance. Old twigsaged 40, 60 or even 100 years are planted in a small plate andpresented in different shapes -- drooping, prostrate, looking up orbending down.