4 Elements of a Chinese Garden

Suzhou China S uzhou’s 2,500-year history and efficiency of Suzhou’s canals, he Chinese history and culture by visiting embraces legacies and legends within called the area the “Venice of the East.” Suzhou’s famous gardens and then a dynamic environment that provides “The best way to know the city is experience Suzhou’s lifestyle with Western comfort for its visitors and 10 to get close to the local people,” said interactive stops. Suzhou is a 30-minute million residents. One of its most famous Amy Ji, general manager of Suzhou bullet train ride from Shanghai. guests was 13th-century Venetian Pinglong International Travel Service and explorer Marco Polo. It is reported that MoreFunAsia. Suzhou Tourism Polo was so enthralled with the beauty Ji encourages groups to step into traveltosuzhou.com Tongli Water Town Pingjiang Road 100 September 2018 Mary Lu Laffey Mary Lu Laffey Tour ŭxíng Suzhou is known worldwide for its luxurious silk. Suzhou Silk Museum houses a number of fascinating exhibits that detail the history of the area’s 4,000-year- old silk industry. A narrated tour includes weaving demonstrations, viewing silkworm caterpillars nibbling on mulberry leaves, cocoons and the spinning of silk. It takes eight cocoons to make one strand of silk. Suzhou Silk Museum traveltosuzhou.com Silk cocoons with worm Explore Cruise Enjoy ă ă tànxi n zuò yóuchuánt xxi ngshòu Often called the “window to Wu One of six water towns in the Suzhou Set along a canal lined by culture” and designed by Suzhou- area, Tongli Water Town boasts 15 whitewashed homes, tea houses, cafes born architectural powerhouse I.M. brooks and a staggering number of and shops, charming Pingjiang Road Pei, the Suzhou Museum has more bridges — 47 in all. The most celebrated offers groups a glimpse into Suzhou’s than 15,000 pieces in its collections. bridges being Taiping (peace), Jili past with an eye on the future. Did These include ancient paintings and (luck), and Changing (celebration). Marco Polo travel along this canal? calligraphy, ceramics, and crafts, as Gondola tours are one-way with groups Many think so. Watch for photos ops of well as historic books and documents. disembarking for a waterfront meal or a wedding parties in traditional costume, Pei gave a nod to Suzhou tradition by scene from a Chinese opera performed families out for an evening meal and including water, rock and bridges in his in the square. colorful stops for selfies. design. Tongli Water Town Pingjiang Road Suzhou Museum cnto.org / traveltosuzhou.com traveltosuzhou.com szmuseum.com Suzhou Silk Museum Mary Lu Laffey Suzhou Museum Suzhou silk embroidery GroupTouGroupGroupToGroroupTour.cor.comr.cc 10101101 Welcome to The Humble Administrator’s Garden By Mary Lu Laffey 1102 Septembebeerr2r20 201820 20120 n 1504, Michelangelo entrance to The Humble Administrator’s “With Whom Should I Sit?” Pavilion. Iunveiled his masterpiece, the Garden. On the short drive from the hotel, Stepping through another moon gate 17-foot sculpture of David. It our MoreFunAsia tour guide, Cathy, had (circular doorway), my group was greeted still stands in Florence, Italy. briefed us about the history of the garden by a great swath of lotus stretching above That same year, Leonardo da that began five centuries ago. Armed a large pond divided by a serpentine Vinci worked on a commission with a bilingual map and her words that bridge. We could see masses of water that forever changed the face of Chinese gardens are built, not planted, lilies on the other side. In China, walks and portraiture. He called his work, La we thought we were prepared for what footbridges often zig and zag; the design Gioconda or the Mona Lisa, which is lay beyond the garden’s gate. Like many is thought to confuse evil spirits that are displayed in the Louvre Museum in instances during our tour of Suzhou, we believed to slither along the ground. Paris. were delighted to be so wrong. Keeping evil spirits at bay is another Around that same time on the The map shows a bird’s-eye view reason that gardens often require guests other side of the planet in Suzhou, of the garden anchored by a lake and to step over a door’s threshold to enter. In China, a government administrator carved into three sections — eastern, Feng Shui, such a threshold protects and named Wang Xianchen started to middle and western. Each area boasts controls the movement of good Chi; in the build a garden that would grow over its own poetic landscape, changing case of a garden, the threshold keeps it the centuries into 14 acres. Wang waterscape and romantic structures for inside the grounds. may never be a household name the owner to sit and be one with his A Chinese garden is often compared outside of his homeland, but his surroundings. The exquisite buildings to a scroll painting. The scroll unrolls to idea that the life of a humble man include pavilions, towers and shelters; present a series of scenes of a carefully could embrace nature continues to many are named to honor the view — composed story. On a simple stroll in capture the imagination of millions perhaps of lotus, water lilies, azaleas or The Humble Administrator’s Garden, of visitors. the variety of birds that make the garden visitors are greeted by real-life scenes Located in the Yangtze Province, their home. that were carefully composed to provide about 70 miles from Shanghai, The There’s the Orange Pavilion, where a story of harmony that began more than Humble Administrator’s Garden is citrus trees flourish; the All Blue Pavilion 500 years ago. Q one of the four most famous public is built on a large pond that reflects gardens in China. In 1997, it was the color of the sky and the Hall of 18 Suzhou Tourism named part of a collective UNESCO Camellias captures the scent of the traveltosuzhou.com World Cultural Heritage Site. blooms on a summer night. There are more than 20 such structures. Some MoreFunAsia Tour Operator My group stepped off the coach names reflect the purpose of the shelter, ASTA, IATA, PATA, USTOA on Dongbei Street within sight of the like the “Keep and Listen” Pavilion or the morefunasia.com For first-time visitors to Suzhou, I strongly recommend Americans and Canadians to visit two or three of Suzhou’s classical gardens. Different gardens have different stories, feelings and features, even though they have the basic common construction of water, stone, trees and buildings. The Humble Administrator’s Garden is recommended in spring and summer because“ of its festivals. Every year it holds the azalea festival in spring and lotus flower festival in summer. — Lincoln Wang, director of international marketing, Visit Suzhou 4 elements of a Chinese” garden Water represents Rocks, especially Plant life and trees Architecture both the ever-changing limestone formations, show the shift of composes views and offers environment. symbolize eternity. the seasons. itself as part of a view. GroupTour.com 103.

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