Classical Gardens of Suzhou 苏州园林Sūzhōu Yuánlín

Why go to Classical Gardens of Suzhou

Suzhou's classical gardens were built by retired officials and wealthy scholars as private worlds, where a pond stands in for a lake and a single craggy rock for a mountain. The Humble Administrator's Garden is the largest; the compact Master of the Nets Garden is a lesson in proportion. Walk slowly: every moon gate and lattice window is placed to frame a view.

The story

The Humble Administrator's Garden was laid out in the early 1500s by a retired imperial censor, who named it after an old rhapsody praising the simple life of growing your own vegetables. Nine of the city's gardens are now listed together by UNESCO.

What to see at Classical Gardens of Suzhou

• Humble Administrator's Garden 拙政园: The largest of the gardens, with a big central pond, islets, pavilions and covered walkways; it rewards a slow circuit.
• Lingering Garden 留园: Known for its long covered corridors and a tall, pierced rock, the Cloud-Capped Peak, in the eastern court.
• Master of the Nets Garden 网师园: A small garden of finely balanced design around a pond, widely admired as a model of Suzhou garden planning.
• Lion Grove Garden 狮子林: A maze of rockery caves and passages beneath tall rocks, loved by children.
• Canglang Pavilion 沧浪亭: One of the oldest gardens in the city, with an outer waterway circling the grounds and a hilltop pavilion.

How to visit Classical Gardens of Suzhou

The gardens are scattered across the old town, so group them: Humble Administrator's Garden, Lion Grove and the Suzhou Museum are close together in the north-east, Lingering Garden lies in the west, and the Master of the Nets and Canglang Pavilion are in the south. Allow one to two hours per garden; a half-day covers two, while a full day lets you add a canal-side walk on Pingjiang Road.

How to get to Classical Gardens of Suzhou

Suzhou is about half an hour from Shanghai by high-speed train. From Suzhou station, the main gardens are a short metro or taxi ride into the canal-laced old town.

Where to stay

Stay in the old town near Pingjiang Road or the Humble Administrator's Garden, which puts most gardens within a short walk or ride.

What to eat

• Squirrel-shaped mandarin fish 松鼠桂鱼: A deep-fried fish scored into a squirrel shape and coated in a sweet-and-sour sauce.
• Suzhou soup noodles 苏式汤面: Noodles in a light soup with braised or fried toppings.
• Osmanthus sweet lotus root 桂花糖藕: Lotus root stuffed with glutinous rice and sweetened with osmanthus.

Tips for visiting Classical Gardens of Suzhou

• Arrive at opening time; tour groups fill the Humble Administrator's Garden by mid-morning.
• Tickets for the bigger gardens can sell out on holidays, so book online with your passport.
• Pingjiang Road, a canal-side lane in the old town, is a good place for tea and snacks between gardens.

Nearby

• Zhouzhuang 周庄古镇 30 km
  Jiangnan's most famous water town, famed for its Twin Bridges and merchant halls
• Wuzhen Water Town 乌镇 70 km
  Stone bridges and lantern-lit canals in a water town that's best after dark
• Former French Concession 原法租界 80 km
  Plane-tree streets, garden villas and shikumen lanes for Shanghai's best city walk
• Shanghai Museum 上海博物馆 80 km
  Ancient Chinese bronzes, ceramics, painting and jade, now shown at Shanghai Museum East
• Yu Garden & City God Temple 豫园与城隍庙 80 km
  A Ming-dynasty garden of rockeries and dragon walls beside a Taoist city temple
• Lujiazui 陆家嘴 80 km
  Shanghai's skyline in a loop of river: spheres, a twisting tower and the Bund opposite

Also within 30 km: Lion Grove Garden 狮子林 (under 10 km), Prince Zhong's Mansion (Suzhou Museum) 太平天国忠王府 (under 10 km), Couple's Retreat Garden 耦园 (under 10 km), Pan Family Mansion (Ligeng Hall) 卫道观前潘宅 (under 10 km), Quanjin Guild Hall (China Kunqu Opera Museum) 全晋会馆 (under 10 km), Pingjiang Road Historic District 平江历史街区 (under 10 km).

Trips with Classical Gardens of Suzhou

• China in 10 days on a first visit: Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai and Suzhou 10 days · Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai and Suzhou
• Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Huangshan in eight days 8 days · Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Huangshan City

On the map

Open Classical Gardens of Suzhou on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• UNESCO World Heritage
• Wikipedia (Chinese)