The city of gardens or the Venice of the East - the Chinese city of Suzhou has many names and all the names describe the city perfectly. Already 2,500 years ago Suzhou was a very important city in China, but for modern China Suzhou is a booming city.
The City of Canals
Anyone who has ever been to Venice can imagine what Suzhou looks like, because the city in China also has canals and bridges. Exactly 400 bridges cross the 72 canals that flow through the city. In contrast to the Italian Venice, however, Suzhou is a city situated in a large garden and park. Everywhere there are gardens with flowers and small ponds on which water lilies swim, many benches invite you to linger and the temples and pavilions fit perfectly into these magnificent gardens. Linynan, the garden of lingering and Shizi Lin, the lion's forest garden, are among the most beautiful parks in the city. Especially on the banks of the Emperor's Canal, which is the world's longest artificial waterway with a length of 1,794 km, you can still find the old houses and markets that remind you of historical China and make Suzhou an exceptional city.
Museums and skyscrapers
But Suzhou has another side and this is not so idyllic. Like many other cities in China, Suzhou has not escaped the building boom. The new part of the picturesque city was covered with skyscrapers such as the Global 1988 Center or the Gate of the Orient Tower. This part of Suzhou is modernity, but also very impersonal China. Most of the hotels in Suzhou will be found in the new part of the city. If you want to live on the 88th floor of a luxury hotel, you can do so in the modern city centre and enjoy the view of the numerous construction cranes, but also of the old town. Interesting are the museums of Suzhou, such as the Silk Museum. In the 14th century the city was an important stop on the legendary Silk Road and the museum tells the history of this era. The Museum of Theatre and Opera is also exciting, especially for those who want to learn more about the complex interrelationships of Chinese opera.
