Marco Polo said this was a great noble city with 1600 stone bridges under which a galley may pass. It’s nicknamed the ‘Capital of Silk’, ‘World of Gardens’, and ‘Venice of the East’. The city is also considered one of the most beautiful places on earth.
‘Above there is paradise, below there is Suzhou and Hangzhou’, is an old Chinese saying.
These words aren’t enough to describe the beauty of Suzhou, a city located on the lower reaches of the Yangzi River and the shore of Lake Tai in Jiangsu province, China. The city is famous for its beautiful stone bridges and canals; maybe that’s why it is associated with Venice. Meticulously designed classical gardens are also the reason why Suzhou is one of the major tourist attractions in China. Since the Song dynasty (960-1279), it has been the center of silk industry and continues to hold the prominent position until today.
The Chinese Pisa Tower
I’ve never seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa, because I’ve never been to Italy. But I don’t have to go as far as Rome to see it, because I found one in Suzhou, at the Tiger Hill Park to be exact.
The Tiger Hill, named because it is said to look like a crouching tiger, is a popular tourist destination known for its natural beauty as well as historical sites. Another legend states that a white tiger appeared on the hill to guard the burial site of King Helu, the King of the Wu kingdom during the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC). Also known as the Surging Sea Hill, it’s a large hill rock covering 14.100 square meters in width and 36 meters in height.
As I entered the park, I saw a tower. For a moment I thought I saw the famous Pisa tower, but I soon realized that it was its twin, the Yunyan Temple Pagoda or also known as the Leaning Tower of Suzhou. Built in the later period of the Five Dynasties (907-960 AD) and completed on the second year of the Song dynasty, it is a seven storey octangular building made of blue bricks. It is 47 meters high.
The pagoda wasn’t leaning when it was first built, but it is now due to its not so solid foundation, half soil half rock. Efforts were made to stabilize it and prevent further leaning by pumping concrete into the soil to form a stronger foundation. It was during this process that a stone casket containing Buddhist scriptures was found. An inscription in the casket said that the tower was completed on the seventh day of the twelfth month of the second year of Emperor Jianlong (961 AD). The uppermost stories were actually built as additions during the reign of Emperor Chongzhen (1628-1644), the last emperor of the Ming dynasty. It was interesting to enter and felt how it’s leaning.
The Oriental Venice
Everybody knows that Venice is famous for its canals and gondolas. But not all people know, including me, that in China you can find another version of Venice. I discovered that in Suzhou when I went to Zhouzhuang or the Water Town.
The town is located 30 kilometers south east of Suzhou. It’s a popular tourist destination and the most famous water township in China, noted for its strong cultural backgrounds, well-preserved ancient residential houses, and stone bridges.
The first thing that caught my attention was the canal that divides the old town into two parts. I heard a high-pitched song sang which came from a lady who was rowing a gondola full of tourists. My tour guide said the song praised the beauty of Suzhou.
Stone bridges are built along the canal. There are fourteen of them, but the most famous are the Twin Bridges, consisting of Yong’en and Shide bridges. They are considered the symbol of Zhouzhuang. Built during the Wanli era (1573-1619) of the Ming Dynasty, the Twin Bridges are located in the northeast of the town. Shide Bridge is east-west and has a round arch, while Yong’en Bridge is north-south and has a square arch. Crossing the two crisscross rivers (Yinzi Creek and Nabeishi River) and connecting at the middle, the Twin Bridges look like an old-style Chinese key. In 1984, 38 canvases of the notable painter, Chen Yifei, were exhibited in a New York gallery of Armand Hammer, chairman of Occidental Petroleum Corporation. "Memory of Hometown" which depicted the Twin Bridges, was one of the items on display and has gained the world's attention for Zhouzhuang. The painting was chosen to be the first-day cover of the United Nations' postage stamp in 1985. A stone tablet is placed near one of the bridges telling the story of ‘Chen Yifei and the Twin Bridge’.
I continued walking until I got to a fancy old house. There are two old houses, the Shen and the Zhang house. They both belonged to Chinese past millionaires.
The Shen house was built in 1742 and was the private property of the descendants of Shen Wanshan, the first millionaire of Jiangnan (on the south of Yangzi River) in the early Qing dynasty. It covers an area of 2000 square meters and built in the Qing architecture style. There are over a hundred rooms in it, which are divided into three sections and each one is connected by arcades and aisles.
The Zhang house, which I think was the one I entered, was built by the Xu family during the Zhengtong era (1436-1449) of the Ming Dynasty. It was then bought by the Zhang family in the early Qing dynasty. Located to the south of the Twin Bridge, it covers an area of 1.800 square meters and has more than 70 rooms. With Ruojing River flowing through, Zhang house is a dapper and graceful residential house; has a tranquil courtyard and pond. I will always remember the pond; when I went there, I saw some noisy geese and I was afraid they were going to attack. But they were nice enough to leave me alone, so my fear didn’t come true.
A Fancy Garden
I got the impression that Suzhou used to be full of the riches as I stepped into another house called the Canglang Pavilion, or Canglang Ting in Chinese.
Located in the southern part of the ancient city, this pavilion is the oldest among the existing classical gardens in Suzhou. It was the private property of the famous Northern Song poet, Su Sunqin. He bought the garden and built the pavilion in a setting adjacent to water that was on the property that would enhance its beauty. The garden was then named Canglang Pavilion in honor of his namesake, Canglang Wong.
I wouldn’t mind if I was offered a house like this. It was designed emphasizing the harmony between man made building and natural surroundings. Rocks taken from the Tai Lake were used to make beautiful formations combined with some gorgeous flowers. As I walked along its long corridor, it felt like walking in a forest in autumn.
The building was beautifully designed in the Qing (1644-1911) architecture style. At the eastern end of the corridor, a square pavilion sits on a stone beside the pool. It is called the Fishing Terrace which is a perfect place to sit and watch different varieties of fish swimming in the pond. Too bad I couldn’t do it since there were no fish.
‘Above there is paradise, below there is Suzhou and Hangzhou’, is an old Chinese saying.
These words aren’t enough to describe the beauty of Suzhou, a city located on the lower reaches of the Yangzi River and the shore of Lake Tai in Jiangsu province, China. The city is famous for its beautiful stone bridges and canals; maybe that’s why it is associated with Venice. Meticulously designed classical gardens are also the reason why Suzhou is one of the major tourist attractions in China. Since the Song dynasty (960-1279), it has been the center of silk industry and continues to hold the prominent position until today.
The Chinese Pisa Tower
I’ve never seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa, because I’ve never been to Italy. But I don’t have to go as far as Rome to see it, because I found one in Suzhou, at the Tiger Hill Park to be exact.
The Tiger Hill, named because it is said to look like a crouching tiger, is a popular tourist destination known for its natural beauty as well as historical sites. Another legend states that a white tiger appeared on the hill to guard the burial site of King Helu, the King of the Wu kingdom during the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC). Also known as the Surging Sea Hill, it’s a large hill rock covering 14.100 square meters in width and 36 meters in height.
As I entered the park, I saw a tower. For a moment I thought I saw the famous Pisa tower, but I soon realized that it was its twin, the Yunyan Temple Pagoda or also known as the Leaning Tower of Suzhou. Built in the later period of the Five Dynasties (907-960 AD) and completed on the second year of the Song dynasty, it is a seven storey octangular building made of blue bricks. It is 47 meters high.
The pagoda wasn’t leaning when it was first built, but it is now due to its not so solid foundation, half soil half rock. Efforts were made to stabilize it and prevent further leaning by pumping concrete into the soil to form a stronger foundation. It was during this process that a stone casket containing Buddhist scriptures was found. An inscription in the casket said that the tower was completed on the seventh day of the twelfth month of the second year of Emperor Jianlong (961 AD). The uppermost stories were actually built as additions during the reign of Emperor Chongzhen (1628-1644), the last emperor of the Ming dynasty. It was interesting to enter and felt how it’s leaning.
The Oriental Venice
Everybody knows that Venice is famous for its canals and gondolas. But not all people know, including me, that in China you can find another version of Venice. I discovered that in Suzhou when I went to Zhouzhuang or the Water Town.
The town is located 30 kilometers south east of Suzhou. It’s a popular tourist destination and the most famous water township in China, noted for its strong cultural backgrounds, well-preserved ancient residential houses, and stone bridges.
The first thing that caught my attention was the canal that divides the old town into two parts. I heard a high-pitched song sang which came from a lady who was rowing a gondola full of tourists. My tour guide said the song praised the beauty of Suzhou.
Stone bridges are built along the canal. There are fourteen of them, but the most famous are the Twin Bridges, consisting of Yong’en and Shide bridges. They are considered the symbol of Zhouzhuang. Built during the Wanli era (1573-1619) of the Ming Dynasty, the Twin Bridges are located in the northeast of the town. Shide Bridge is east-west and has a round arch, while Yong’en Bridge is north-south and has a square arch. Crossing the two crisscross rivers (Yinzi Creek and Nabeishi River) and connecting at the middle, the Twin Bridges look like an old-style Chinese key. In 1984, 38 canvases of the notable painter, Chen Yifei, were exhibited in a New York gallery of Armand Hammer, chairman of Occidental Petroleum Corporation. "Memory of Hometown" which depicted the Twin Bridges, was one of the items on display and has gained the world's attention for Zhouzhuang. The painting was chosen to be the first-day cover of the United Nations' postage stamp in 1985. A stone tablet is placed near one of the bridges telling the story of ‘Chen Yifei and the Twin Bridge’.
I continued walking until I got to a fancy old house. There are two old houses, the Shen and the Zhang house. They both belonged to Chinese past millionaires.
The Shen house was built in 1742 and was the private property of the descendants of Shen Wanshan, the first millionaire of Jiangnan (on the south of Yangzi River) in the early Qing dynasty. It covers an area of 2000 square meters and built in the Qing architecture style. There are over a hundred rooms in it, which are divided into three sections and each one is connected by arcades and aisles.
The Zhang house, which I think was the one I entered, was built by the Xu family during the Zhengtong era (1436-1449) of the Ming Dynasty. It was then bought by the Zhang family in the early Qing dynasty. Located to the south of the Twin Bridge, it covers an area of 1.800 square meters and has more than 70 rooms. With Ruojing River flowing through, Zhang house is a dapper and graceful residential house; has a tranquil courtyard and pond. I will always remember the pond; when I went there, I saw some noisy geese and I was afraid they were going to attack. But they were nice enough to leave me alone, so my fear didn’t come true.
A Fancy Garden
I got the impression that Suzhou used to be full of the riches as I stepped into another house called the Canglang Pavilion, or Canglang Ting in Chinese.
Located in the southern part of the ancient city, this pavilion is the oldest among the existing classical gardens in Suzhou. It was the private property of the famous Northern Song poet, Su Sunqin. He bought the garden and built the pavilion in a setting adjacent to water that was on the property that would enhance its beauty. The garden was then named Canglang Pavilion in honor of his namesake, Canglang Wong.
I wouldn’t mind if I was offered a house like this. It was designed emphasizing the harmony between man made building and natural surroundings. Rocks taken from the Tai Lake were used to make beautiful formations combined with some gorgeous flowers. As I walked along its long corridor, it felt like walking in a forest in autumn.
The building was beautifully designed in the Qing (1644-1911) architecture style. At the eastern end of the corridor, a square pavilion sits on a stone beside the pool. It is called the Fishing Terrace which is a perfect place to sit and watch different varieties of fish swimming in the pond. Too bad I couldn’t do it since there were no fish.
Shopping for Silk
As I mentioned before, Suzhou is also famous for its silk and nicknamed ‘silk city’. It has been recognized as the world leader in silk production since the ancient times and has the best quality of silk products. It won’t be completed coming to Suzhou without buying silk.
That’s why I was taken to Choyer’s, the number one silk factory in the city, and I guess in China. Built in 1926, its ‘Wu Ai’ mulberry silk clothes and quilts are famous both home and abroad. They have been exported to Southeast Asia, America, and Europe. The factory also has opened the production line with the Chinese silk reeling and quilt industry. A silk museum shows 5000 years of silk history and culture. Visitor’s programs include mulberry silk planting, silkworm rising, and fashion shows.
A factory employee warmly welcomed me and took me on a tour to see the silk products making in process. It was interesting. It started by taking silk threads from cocoons using special machines. The threads then made into the base of the products depending on what to make; sheets, quilts, or dresses. To make a blanket, the material has to be pulled and fit into a bed. I tried pulling it and found out it’s not an easy task and takes power to do it. Then I proceed to the gallery where finished products are sold. You can find lots of things here; shirts, dresses, scarves, pillows, blanket, handkerchiefs, cell phone cases, you name it. They’re not cheap however, so you need to plan your budget and know what you want to buy. But since the products are of the finest quality, I think it’s worth spending your money here.
The last agenda in the factory was watching a fashion show, so I was led to a big showroom with a catwalk. The music started, and a few minutes later some Chinese models came out displaying clothes made in Choyer’s. Though not as sophisticated as those in Paris or Milan, the show was quite entertaining.
I ended my days in Suzhou by having a big lunch in the factory’s restaurant.
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