Standing on the Fengqiao Bridge in Fengqiao Ancient Town, Suzhou, you can see a temple with yellow walls and green tiles was hidden in lush trees. This is the Hanshan Temple renowned for the big bell in it. The temple was built during 502-519. In history, it was one of China's ten most famous Buddhist temples. Numerous historical relics can be seen there. The main buildings in the temple include Grand Hall (Daxiong Baodian), Sutra Depository, Bell Tower, Fengjiang Tower, etc
Suzhou's Bird Nest
The Couple's Garden Retreat
Source: Suzhou Gardens, China Architecture & Building Press
The original name was Sheyuan, also called Xiaoyu Lin. Construction started during the Qing dynasty's Yongqian period (1723-1795 A.D.) It was built by Lu Jin, the prefect of Baoning district. In the 13th year of the Tongzhi period (1874 A.D.) it was bought by Shen Bingcheng, the official of Susong. He expanded its area and divided it into a western and eastern part; he changed the name to the Couple's Garden Retreat. The meaning of its name refers to the garden's two parts as well as to that of a couple.
The Couple's Garden Retreat is located in Xiaoxin Qiaoxiang, Loumen Nei, in the north-eastern part of the city. It occupies 0.8 hectare. It has water on three sides, and is rectangular in shape. The classical gardens of Suzhou can be divided into a residential and a garden part. A residence in the middle, with garden on both sides, is special for this garden. One of the gardens makes use of yellow stones, and the other makes use of lake stones, with their own style.
The eastern part of the garden is the most splendid; the landscape's arrangement is based on yellow stone rockeries, with ponds, and flowers and trees added. In order to show high mountains and deep ponds, the buildings are pushed to brinks of the garden, since the garden's area only occupies 0.33 hectare. The rockeries are divided into primary and secondary ones; the primary are located in the east; on top is a stone house; the secondary are found in the west; on top is a platform. Between these two parts is a gorge called "Suigu"with a width of only 1 metre. Both sides are very steep, with the walls stretching down into the pond, adding both steepness and forcefulness. The combination of rockery and water is both soft and strong, expressing the the harmonious beauty of mother nature.
Suzhou Museum
The Suzhou Museum (Chinese: 蘇州博物館; pinyin: Sūzhōu Bówùguǎn) is a museum of ancient Chinese art, ancient Chinese paintings, calligraphies, and hand-made crafts, situated in Suzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.The museum has a display area of 2,200 square meters. It has more than 15,000 pieces in its collections. Most are ancient paintings and calligraphy, ceramics, crafts, unearthed relics and revolution relics. Among them 247 pieces are ranked first-class. It also possesses more than 70,000 books and documents, and over 20,000 rubbings of stone inscriptions. The collection of paintings and calligraphy includes works of masters from Song Dynasty to Ming and Qing Dynasties
