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Classical Gardens of Suzhou, China

Classical Gardens of SuzhouClassical Gardens of Suzhou
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Humble_Administrator%27s_Garden#/media/File:Celestial_Spring_Tower_(6399141133).jpg
Author: kevinmcgill
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The nine Chinese Classical Gardens in the Historic City of Suzhou, China, are regarded as masterpieces of its genre. These gardens were created between the 11th to the 19th centuries. Their meticulous design reflect the importance of natural beauty in Chinese culture.Four of these gardens are described as places where art, nature and ideas come together to form ensembles of great beauty and peaceful harmony. Another four are integral to the historic urban plan.

Couple's Retreat Garden

The Classical Gardens of Suzhou were inscribed as World Heritage Sites during the 21st session of the World Heritage Committee meeting in Naples, Italy, on 1-6 December, 1997.

Humble Administrator's Garden

Couple's Retreat Garden, SuzhouCouple's Retreat Garden, Suzhou
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Couple_retreat_garden.jpg
Author: MYSHEROS
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Humble Administrator's Garden, SuzhouHumble Administrator's Garden, Suzhou
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20090905_Suzhou_Humble_Administrator%27s_Garden_4550.jpg
Author: Jakub Hałun
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Humble Administrator's Garden, SuzhouHumble Administrator's Garden, Suzhou
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Details_of_architecture_in_Humble_Administrator%27s_Garden.JPG
Author: chinese author
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Jianshanlou of Zhouzhengyuan, SuzhouJianshanlou of Zhouzhengyuan, Suzhou
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jianshanlou_of_Zhuozhengyuan_16th_Sep_2005.JPG
Author: Liu Runen
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Lion Grove Garden

Lion Grove Garden, SuzhouLion Grove Garden, Suzhou
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20090905_Suzhou_Lion_Grove_Garden_4515.jpg
Author: Jakub Ha łun
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World Heritage Site Inscription Details

Location: N 31 19 36.2 E 120 37 32.3 in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
Inscription Year: 1997
Type of Site: Cultural
Inscription Criteria: I, II, III, IV, V

Arriving in Suzhou

Suzhou is relatively close to Shanghai, so as international traveler, you will arrive through there. Alternatively, you can also fly in from Beijing at the Suzhou Guangfu Airport (SZV).

If you arrive at Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), you can take a shuttle bus to Suzhou. The price is ¥82. Take the bus at the 2nd floor of Terminal 1. Shuttle bus also leaves Shanghai's Hongqiao Airport (SHA). The price is ¥50.

From Shanghai, you can also take the train to Suzhou. As the tickets often sell out in advance, it is sensible to book early. The fastest and most expensive train is the ones prefixed with D, followed by the T trains.

Exploring Suzhou

Within Suzhou, it is possible to explore on foot. For farther distances, you can hail down a taxi. The fare starts at ¥10 for the first 3 km, and then ¥2.50 for every subsequent kilometer. Get your destination written in Chinese to show to your cab driver, and keep the address of your hotel in Chinese, with map if available. Drivers don't usually know the way.

You can also rent a bicycle to ride around, as Suzhou is quite flat and compact. Bike rental is around ¥10 to ¥30 plus a deposit.

List of World Heritage Sites in China

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About this website



Dear visitor, thank you so much for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye and my hobby is to find out about places, write about them and share the information with you on this website. I have been writing this site since 5 January 2003. Originally (from 2003 until 2009, the site was called AsiaExplorers. I changed the name to Penang Travel Tips in 2009, even though I describe more than just Penang but everywhere I go (I often need to tell people that "Penang Travel Tips" is not just information about Penang, but information written in Penang), especially places in Malaysia and Singapore, and in all the years since 2003, I have described over 20,000 places.

While I try my best to provide you information as accurate as I can get it to be, I do apologize for any errors and for outdated information which I am unaware. Nevertheless, I hope that what I have described here will be useful to you.

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