Suzhou, city of gardens

Suzhou is one of the most singular cities of China. Founded more than 2.500 years ago, it has been for many centuries an important political, industrial and commercial center, escaping nevertheless to the black aftermath that the success leaves in the history of a city. Suzhou has been able to combine his reputation of "City of Gardens" with an economic development that supports it at the head of the country. Washed by the Big Channel, Suzhou is a marvel for the Chinese. Multitude of sayings refers to her like special place: "In the sky there is a paradise, in the ground Suzhou is and Hangzhou" is the most well-known. In fact, in China, when anybody is very absent-minded, there is not said, "It is in Babia", but "It is in Suzhou".

The Hill of the Tiger
It is the most important monument of Suzhou, and the one that better identifies the city before the exterior. In fact there are two monuments. The Hill of the Tiger, under which he believes king He Lü finds buried, and the Sloping, built Pagoda almost 1500 years later. The name of the hill is due to the fact that according to the legends, a few days after the king was buried, one saw marauding over there a white tiger, which three days later disappeared. It was thought that this tiger was protecting the grave of the king. The years happened and the legend forgot. In the Xth century, a temple was constructed to the east of the hill, and a Pagoda in his top. Be for different composition of the interior of the mountain, be why it is hollow due to lodging the grave of the king, the case is that the pagoda was inclining, and however much they tried to straighten it up, it was not obtained.

Pagoda of the North Temple
Very close to the station, with his 76 m high it is the highest pagoda of Suzhou and of the whole region. Constructed for the first time in the dynasty Song, it was burned in numerous occasions. The current pagoda was constructed in the XVIth century, with wood and brick, and it has 9 apartments octogonales.

Gardens
The Gardens of Suzhou are the most famous of China, not only for encontrase in this city some of the most beautiful, of the most ancient or of the most important. It depends on every classification includes different some, but for the big number of gardens that survive.
Many of these gardens were private houses, but the art with which they were constructed was emphasizing, of course, the Garden facet.

Garden of Manager Humilde
It is one of the biggest gardens, with an almost five hectares extension. Placed in the North part of Suzhou, it was constructed during the dynasty Ming by a tall natural official of Suzhou, which after retiring, returned to his native ground where he constructed the magnificent garden. It is divided in three parts: this one (where it is brought in), head office and west. It manages, thanks to his size, to give an important wild aspect to the set. The central part constructed about the estaque, is for me the best, and to the west of the western part it has a Garden of Bonsais. It has a tea house in the south part of the garden, where rarely the tourists appear.

Garden of the Fisherman
With alone half a hectare is the smallest of Suzhou. It is placed in the south of the city, in the middle of one quarter of narrow streets which restoration is done gradually, supporting an agreeable ambience. Constructed during the dynasty Song, his limited space forced the designers to struggle to create enough different sceneries in his interior, managing to do it with enough success.

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