Suzhou (苏州)
Suzhou is a beautiful city in the Jiangsu province in eastern China, some 160 km southeast of Nanjing and 1005 km southeast of Beijing. It is sometimes written as Soochow.
Suzhou was founded in 514 BC and has long been an important silk production center. The city boasts several beautiful old canals, bridges, pagodas and gardens.
- Chongyuan Temple (重元寺) is a Liang Dynasty Buddhist temple. It sits on Yangcheng Lake at Suzhou Industrial Park.
- Hanshan Temple (寒山寺) is a Buddhist temple and monastery in the Gusu District of Suzhou. It is in the town of Fengqiao, some 5 km (3.1 mi) west of Suzhou's old city.
- Lingyanshan Temple (灵岩山寺) is an important Buddhist temple. It used to be the Xishi's palace in 494 BC. It sits at the peak of Lingyan Hill.
- Xiyuan Temple (西园寺) is also sometimes referred to as Xiyuan Jiechuanglü Temple. It is located west of the Lingering Garden.
- Xuanmiao Temple (玄妙观) is a prominent Taoist temple at the center of Suzhou's Old City.
In Suzhou are numerous canals and historical areas. The part of the Jiangnan Canal, or Grand Canal, that runs through Suzhou includes 10 city gates and more than 20 stone bridges of traditional design. It is inscribed in the UNESCO list of world heritage sites. Along the canal are many beautiful historic districs. One of those districts is Shantang Street Scenic Area (山塘街). It was founded in the 9th century and it runs along the canal for some 4 km (2.5 mi). Another interesting district is Pingjiang Road Historical Block (平江路), which dates from the 13th century. It runs 1.5 km parallel to the Pingjiang River. There are many beautiful old homes and teahouses. Along the canal you'll also find numerous beautiful temples and pavillions. Boat tours on the waterways are available in town.
The canal that encircles Suzhou is called the Main Canal. At its southwestern side sits the Pan Gate, which was built during the Warring States Period in the state of Wu, around 500 BC. The entrance to the gate was originally formed by the Wu Gate Bridge. Near the Pan Gate you can also see the brick-built Ruiguang Pagoda, dating from 247 BC. The pagoda has Buddhist carvings at its base. In Suzhou's suburbs lies Tantai Lake. It is spanned by the Baodai Bridge, which was built in the year 806. It has 53 arches and is the oldest bridge of its kind in China.
- Yunyan Pagoda, sometimes called Huqiu Tower, or Yunyan Temple Tower. It was built in 961 on Tiger Hill and it is 47 m (154 ft) tall. The tower leans some 3° due to cracking of some of its internal supports and because of this it is sometimes referred to as the 'leaning tower of China'.
- Beisi Pagoda is also known as North Temple Pagoda. It has a height of 76 m (249 ft).
- The Twin Pagodas (苏州双塔) are in the Dinghui Temple Lane in the southeastern corner of the city. They are called 'Clarity-Dispensing Pagoda' and 'Beneficence Pagoda' and were constructed in the 11th century.
There are numerous beautifully landscaped gardens in Suzhou. The Garden of the Master of the Nets was laid out in the 12th century and remains one of the most marvelous spots in the city, while the Classical Gardens of Suzhou were included into the list of the UNESCO world heritage sites in 1997. Suzhou Taihu National Tourism and Vacation Zone (苏州太湖国家旅游度假区) is in the west of Suzhou, about 15 km (9 mi) from the city center.
Some of the most interesting museums in Suzhou include the Suzhou Museum, the Suzhou Silk Museum and the China Kunqu Museum.
In the city's newer suburbs are many tall skyscrapers. The most prominent ones include the 302 m tall Gate to the East and the 450 m tall Suzhou IFS. There are many hotels, café's and restaurants in Suzhou.
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