Suzhou 苏州

1

Built in the fourth year of the Ming Zhengde reign (1509) by Wang Xianchen, with Wen Zhengming participating in the design, the 'Mother of Chinese Gardens' (a representative Jiangnan garden): Hall of Distant Fragrance / Little Flying Rainbow (Suzhou's only covered bridge) / 'With Whom Shall I Sit' Pavilion

2

I.M. Pei's final masterpiece (opened 2006), 'Chinese yet new, Suzhou yet new'; the sliced-rock hillside borrows the white wall of the Humble Administrator's Garden as its backdrop

3

Built in 1342 (2nd year of the Yuan Zhizheng era) by Zen Master Tianru (Lion Grove Chan Temple); a labyrinth of Taihu Lake rockeries ('kingdom of rockeries', nine interweaving routes); Emperor Qianlong visited six times and inscribed 'True Delight'

4

Xu Taishi built the East Garden in the Ming Wanli era; Liu Shu's Hanbi (Cold Green) Villa in the Qing dynasty

5

Site of Southern Song Shi Zhengzhi's Wanjuan Hall ('Fisherman's Retreat'); rebuilt in the Qianlong era of the Qing by Song Zongyuan as the 'Master of the Nets' (fisherman, his self-styled name)

6

Built in 1045 (5th year of the Northern Song Qingli era) by Su Shunqin, Suzhou's oldest surviving garden ('scenery before you enter the gate' — double corridor with lattice windows); the famous couplet 'A clear breeze and bright moon are priceless' (assembled from lines by Ouyang Xiu and Su Shunqin)

7

A former garden of the Yongzheng-era Baoning Prefecture prefect; rebuilt in the Tongzhi era by Shen Bingcheng — 'Couple's Garden where a good couple dwells' (Zaijiu Hall); East Garden's yellow-stone rockery (surviving Ming-era stones)

8

Built in the Ming Jiajing era by Yuan Zugeng as “Zuiying Tang”, renamed “Yao Pu” (Herb Garden) by Wen Zhenmeng (great-grandson of Wen Zhengming), Jiang Lai's “Jingting Shanfang” in the Qing → Garden of Cultivation

9

Qing Qianlong era — Ge Yuliang's stacked Taihu-stone rockery (“unrivaled in Jiangnan”: a thousand crags and ten thousand ravines on barely half a mu), the pinnacle of Chinese garden rockery

10

Built in the Qing Guangxu era by Ren Lansheng after being dismissed from office and returning home (“retire and reflect on your faults”); a “water-hugging garden” (the whole garden pressed close to the water, laid out horizontally) — unique among Jiangnan gardens

11

The layout of the Song dynasty “Pingjiang Map” (a 1229 stele) has persisted for 800 years — “water and land run parallel, rivers and streets lie side by side”; Pingtan Museum (Zhongzhangjia Lane) / Kunqu Opera Museum (historic stage of the Quanjin Guild Hall)

12

In Tang Baoli year 1 (825), Bai Juyi, serving as prefect of Suzhou, dug the Shantang River (“Lord Bai's Embankment”); a 7-li ancient street running to Tiger Hill

13

“The number one scenic spot of Wu” (Su Dongpo: “to visit Suzhou and not tour Tiger Hill would be a regret”); Tiger Hill Pagoda (Yunyan Pagoda, built 959, a seven-story leaning tower 47.5 m tall, “the Leaning Tower of Pisa of the East,” one of China's oldest surviving brick pagodas)

14

The only surviving water-and-land city gate among the eight gates of the Spring and Autumn Wu state's 'Helü Great City' (rebuilt in the Yuan Zhizheng era); paired water and land gates side by side (unique in China) + Ruiguang Pagoda (seven-story Northern Song pagoda; the Pearl Sarira Shrine unearthed here in 1978) + Wumen Bridge (the tallest Song-era stone arch bridge in Suzhou)

15

From Tang poet Zhang Ji's 'A Night Mooring by Fengqiao': 'Beyond Gusu city lies Hanshan Temple; the sound of its midnight bell reaches the traveler's boat'

16

Tombs of the five martyrs of the Ming-era Suzhou citizens' anti-tax uprising (recorded in Zhang Pu's 'Record of the Five Men's Tomb')

17

'China's No. 1 water town' (Shen Wansan's former residence / Twin Bridges—Chen Yifei's 'Memory of Hometown' brought Zhouzhuang to the world / Zhang Hall and Shen Hall), on the World Heritage tentative list

18

'Authentic water town, Jiangnan of old' (Tuisi Garden / Three Bridges—Taiping, Jili, and Changqing Bridges / Ming-Qing Street / Luoxing Islet), 15 rivers dividing the town into 7 islets

19

'Bridge capital of Jiangnan' (Baosheng Temple—ancient Southern Dynasties temple with wall-sculpted arhats by Yang Huizhi / Ye Shengtao Memorial Hall / Wansheng Rice Shop)

20

"First Town of Wuzhong" (a must-visit on Emperor Qianlong's six southern tours), Yan Family Garden / Hongyin Mountain Villa / Gusong Garden / Bangyan Mansion

21

Jinxi (Consort Chen's Water Tomb / Ancient Brick & Tile Museum, "hometown of China's folk museums"), Qiandeng (Gu Yanwu's Former Residence / birthplace of Kunqu opera)

22

China's largest inner-city lake CBD (Gate of the Orient "long johns building" 301.8 m / Suzhou Center / Eslite Bookstore's first mainland store / Moonlight Wharf), the Gate of the Orient and the "Suzhou structure" skyline

23

Opened in 2015 as Taiwan's Eslite's first flagship store in mainland China

24

"Wing of the Future" rooftop (70,000 m² wave-shaped roof)

25

Church-lawn sunset photo spot, Dushu Lake Library

26

Home of Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs (crab season Sep-Nov), Chongyuan Temple (a Buddhist realm of water and sky, 48m indoor Guanyin statue)

27

Suzhou's premier century-old shopping street (Xuanmiao Temple — the Southern Song Sanqing Hall, largest wooden structure in Jiangnan), time-honored brands Caizhizhai / Huangtianyuan / Lugaojian

28

Tang Yin's former residence site / Taohuawu Woodblock New Year Print Museum

29

Pingtan storytelling hall (storytelling in soft Suzhou dialect), daily afternoon performances (approx. CNY 6 tea seat)

30

Kunqu opera, the 'ancestor of a hundred operas' (ancient stage / tangmingdan portable stage / costumes and documents), weekend Kunqu excerpt performances

31

Ancient Hall (kesi and Song brocade) + Sericulture House + Weaving & Dyeing Workshop (live weaving demonstrations of Song brocade and kesi)

32

Yushan Mountain (tombs of Zhongyong and Yanzi / Jianmen strange rocks), Shanghu Lake (legend of Jiang Taigong fishing, peony festival in April / lotus fragrance in July), Shajiabang reed marsh (prototype of the revolutionary classic "Shajiabang", scenic area CNY 80)

33

Yangtze riverbank and pastoral countryside