Introduction: One of the four most famous gardens in China, it was built in the early years of Zhengde period in the Ming Dynasty and is a representative work of classical gardens in the south of the Yangtze River. The whole garden takes water as the center, with mountains and waters surrounding each other, elegant halls and pavilions, and lush flowers and trees, having strong characteristics of the water towns in the south of the Yangtze River.
Must-see Attractions:
Distant Fragrance Hall: The main building of the Humble Administrator’s Garden. It has transparent long windows on all four sides, allowing a panoramic view of different scenery in all directions. The interior furnishings are elegant.
Xiangzhou: It looks like a boat in appearance, with a two-story pavilion. The bow is a platform, the front cabin is a pavilion, the middle cabin is a waterside pavilion, and the stern is a pavilion, skillfully integrating multiple architectural forms.
Small Flying Rainbow: A rare covered bridge in Suzhou gardens. The vermilion bridge railing is reflected in the water, just like a rainbow, so it is named “Small Flying Rainbow”.
Touring Suggestions: It is recommended to spend 2 3 hours visiting. You can choose to enter the garden in the morning when there are relatively fewer tourists and the lighting is suitable for taking photos. First, visit along the central axis to appreciate the main buildings such as the Distant Fragrance Hall, and then gradually visit the surrounding attractions.
Lingering Garden
Introduction: It is a large classical private garden in China, representing the style of the Qing Dynasty. The garden is famous for its exquisite architectural art. The halls are spacious and magnificent, the courtyards are full of changes, and the Taihu stone with the Cloud-capped Peak being the most outstanding.
Must-see Attractions:
Cloud-capped Peak: The landmark landscape of the Lingering Garden, integrating the four wonders of “slenderness, wrinkles, leakage, and transparency” of Taihu stones, and is a classic work of lake stone peaks in gardens in the south of the Yangtze River.
Nanmu Hall (Five Peaks Celestial Hall): The building materials used in this hall are very luxurious. The beams and columns are all made of nanmu, and it is the largest hall in Suzhou gardens.
Stone Forest Courtyard: The rockeries, stone peaks, and flower walls in the courtyard are arranged in a scattered and orderly manner. Different sceneries can be viewed through the latticed windows, with a different view at every step and infinite changes.
Touring Suggestions: The visiting time is about 2 2.5 hours. After entering the garden, you can first visit the Five Peaks Celestial Hall, then go to the Cloud-capped Peak and other attractions, and finally stroll around the Stone Forest Courtyard and other exquisite courtyards to savor its delicate layout carefully.
Lion Grove Garden
Introduction: Because there are “tens of thousands of bamboos in the forest, and under the bamboos there are many strange stones, shaped like lions (Suān ní)” in the garden, and also because the Zen master Tianru Weize obtained the Dharma from the Lion Rock Puying National Teacher Zhongfeng in Tianmu Mountain, Zhejiang Province. To commemorate the inheritance relationship of Buddhist disciples’ robes and bowls, the meaning of the lion seat in the Buddhist scriptures was taken, so it was named “Lion Grove Garden”. It is famous for its rockeries and strange stones. The rockery groups have undulating peaks with a vigorous momentum, and the strange peaks and stones are exquisitely carved.
Must-see Attractions:
Rockery Maze: The essence of the Lion Grove Garden. The rockery group has a total of nine routes and 21 openings. Walking through it is like entering a maze, full of fun.
Lìxuě Hall: The name of the hall is taken from the allusion of “Standing in the Snow before Cheng’s Gate”. The building is simple and elegant, and the environment is quiet.
Zhǐbǎi Pavilion: It is the main pavilion in the garden. Its name is taken from the allusion of “Zhao Zhou Pointing at the Cypress”. There are several ancient cypresses in front of the pavilion, which are said to have been planted when the garden was built.
Touring Suggestions: Allocate 1.5 2 hours for playing. You can first view the buildings such as the Lìxuě Hall, and then focus on experiencing the rockery maze, but pay attention to safety because the roads inside the rockery are relatively complex.
General Tips for Garden Visiting
Ticket Purchase Guide
Online Ticket Purchase: Tickets can be reserved through the official website of Suzhou Gardens, WeChat official account, and major travel platforms. It is convenient and fast, and you can enjoy certain discounts. After successful reservation, you can enter the garden with your ID card or QR code.
Offline Ticket Purchase: Buy tickets directly at the ticket windows of each garden scenic spot, but you may need to queue during the peak tourist season.
Best Visiting Time
Season: Suzhou gardens have beautiful scenery in all seasons. In spring (March May), a hundred flowers are in full bloom, such as rhododendrons in the Humble Administrator’s Garden and wisterias in the Lingering Garden competing in beauty; in summer (June August), the trees are shaded, which is a good place to avoid the heat and enjoy the lotus; in autumn (September November), the colors are rich and colorful, with golden ginkgo leaves and red maple leaves; in winter (December February), although it is a bit desolate, the gardens are covered with snow after snowfall, having a unique charm.
Time Period: Try to avoid peak hours on holidays and weekends and choose to visit in the morning or afternoon on weekdays. This can not only avoid the crowds but also enjoy good lighting for taking photos. The garden is relatively quiet in the early morning, and you can better feel its tranquil atmosphere; when the sun sets in the evening, the light and shadow effects are unique, and the garden scenery has a stronger sense of hierarchy.
Tour Route Planning
After entering the garden, first get a tour guide map to roughly understand the layout of the garden and the location of the main attractions. Generally, you can visit in the order of from the entrance to the main hall, and then to the courtyards, rockeries, water features and other landscapes to avoid going back and forth and fully and efficiently enjoy the garden scenery.
Cultural Experience
Suzhou gardens contain profound cultural heritage. When visiting, you can pay attention to cultural elements such as horizontal inscribed boards, couplets, and carvings. Many of them contain the artistic conception of ancient poems and philosophical ideas of life. Some gardens also provide regular free guided tour services. You can learn about the guided tour time in advance and follow the guide to deeply understand the stories and cultural connotations behind the gardens.
Surrounding Supporting Facilities
Dining
Inside the Garden: Some gardens have tea rooms or small shops that provide Suzhou specialty snacks, such as méihuā gāo (plum blossom cake), hǎitáng gāo (crabapple cake), and Bìluóchūn tea, etc. You can taste them during the break of your visit.
Outside the Garden: There are many restaurants around each garden where you can taste authentic Suzhou cuisine, such as Sweet and Sour Mandarin Fish, Slippery Eel in Hot Oil, and Crab Roe Tofu, etc. Pingjiang Road near the Humble Administrator’s Garden is recommended, with many specialty restaurants and snack shops.
Accommodation
High-end: There are many five-star hotels in Suzhou, such as Suzhou Nanyuan Hotel. Its environment is elegant, the facilities are luxurious, and it is close to various gardens, convenient for travel.
Characteristic Homestays: There are many homestays with characteristics of the water towns in the south of the Yangtze River in areas such as Pingjiang Road and Shantang Street for you to choose from, where you can deeply experience the regional culture and living atmosphere of Suzhou.
Shopping
There are many shops selling Suzhou specialty souvenirs around the gardens, such as Suzhou embroidery handkerchiefs, silk products, bookmarks and postcards with garden themes, etc. You can buy them as souvenirs or give them to relatives and friends.
