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Suzhou, an ancient city located in the eastern part of China
and 2 hours drive away from Shanghai, was once called the “Heaven”. Yet
I had never known that the unique cultural spirit of Suzhou could be so
charming until I escorted a group of Rotary Club members there in April.
Personally, I think the classical gardens of Suzhou,
listed on the World Heritages by UNESCO in 1997, are definitely the
highlights of this ancient city. The
Humble Administrator's Garden, Lingering Garden, Lion Grove Garden and Tiger
Hill etc, all have history of over hundreds years and full of
fascinating stories. Take the Humble Administrator’s Garden as an example,
Wang Xianchen, an administrator in the Ming Dynasty who was disappointed in
the governmental administration, returned to Suzhou after his retirement.
Wang said, “Gardening and growing vegetables is the way of
administration of a clumsy person like me”. It turned out that such saying
later took the name of the garden. It is indeed a masterpiece of nature and
artificiality combination with crystalline lakes, verdant hills, pavilions,
terraces and chambers.
Besides classical gardens, silk production and
embroidery are also well known in Suzhou. We were all amazed by the
technique of stitching on both sides of the silk. One side shows a white cat
and the other side presents a brown dog. Some of us even mistook the
embroidery for photographs!
To experience the unique culture of the Wu Region, I
would recommend seeing the Kunqu (Suzhou Opera) and Pingtan (storytelling).
The latter is a kind of story-telling art in Wu dialect dating all the way
back to the Tang and Sung Dynasties. A pair of performers, usually a man and
a woman, sing and tell serial stories of romances. The singings are
accompanied by folk musical instruments such as the “Pipa” and
“Sanxian” (Banjo). Their crisp and delightful tune of ballad
singings are definitely impressive.
Last but not least, the hotel we stayed in Suzhou, the Suzhou
Pingjiang Lodge is a pleasant surprise for travelers who look for
something different. It was once the residence of
the "Fang" Family in the Ming Dynasty and is situated by the side
of the Pingjiang River. All rooms were designed to blend in with the
local traditions, and affording a courtyard view. Staying at the Pingjiang
Lodge was like traveling back in history and experiencing life as it were
450 years ago at the home of an affluent family.
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