Suzhou - Gardens of Suzhou

Under the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), at a time when the city was experiencing an unprecedented flourishing, there were no less than 271 gardens here. In the 20th C many parks were left neglected and today there remain only about a dozen gardens. They were replicas of landscapes with mountains, trees and flowers, to which were added towers and pavilions.

Recently an effort has been made to restore them.

The one-acre Garden of Harmony (Yiyuan), situated in the city center in Renmin Lu, offers the visitor enchanting scenery which seems to change with every step. These grounds were the private property of the Chancellor Wu Kuan during the Ming period (1368-1644), and were referred to as the ''Daguan Yuan'' in the famous novel ''The Dream of the Red Room''. Towards the end of the 19th C the gardens were re-laid by a government official in accordance with the plans of a well-known artist, incorporating features from other gardens. A pathway divides the garden.