Just as there is paradise in heaven, so there are Suzhou and Hangzhou on Earth. Among the 24 recognized historical and cultural cities of China, Suzhou has attracted tourists from Marco Polo to the travelers of today because of its unique charm.
Also sometimes called Gu Su from a well-known poem by the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) poet Zhang Ji, Suzhou has a history of over 4,000 years although today's city was built in 514 BC.
After 2,500 years of the twists and turns of Chinese history, Suzhou almost succeeds in maintaining its appearance of 2,500 years ago with its 1,153 bridges built in all styles over 35 kilometers of its flowing river - it is the water-town of the East.
Suzhou has a rich cultural landscape with its graceful, delicate lake and nearby hills. Of its 69 classic gardens, the Wang Shi Garden, the Humble Administrator's Garden (Zhuo Zheng Yuan) and the Lingering Garden (Liu Yuan) are the most famous.
Suzhou's Gardens combine the concepts of Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Abstracting the essence of the architectural arts since the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the gardens mix architecture, gardening, sculpture, painting, poems and essays, arts and crafts.
The Humble Administrator's Garden and Lingering Garden, together with the Summer Palace and Chengde Imperial Summer Resort are the four famous gardens of China.
Nine gardens, including the Humble Administrator's Garden, Lingering Garden and Wang Shi Garden are on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
Other scenic spots include: Tiger Hill (Hu Qiu), the Hanshan Temple, the Surging Wave Pavilion and the Garden of Harmony.
The beauty of Suzhou does not only lie in the gardens but also in its natural scenery such as the mountains surrounding Taihu Lake, like Lingyan Mountain, Tianping Mountain and Dongting Mountain.
Its rich history and geography gave birth to Suzhou's distinctive culture. The Suzhou area is one of the sites where the Chinese textile industry originated. Suzhou embroidery, along with Hunan embroidery, Guangdong embroidery and Sichuan embroidery are the four famous embroideries of China.

Pingtan was also born in Suzhou.
Pingtan is a traditional story-telling art in which two performers "sing" a story back and forth.
Pingtan, Kunqu Opera and Suzhou Opera are known as the "Three Extraordinary Treasures" of Suzhou art.
Some of Suzhou's famous sons include Fan Zhongyan in the Song Dynasty and Gu Yan, Wu Zhang and Tai Yan in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
But it doesn't only feast your eyes on the beautiful scenery.
Suzhou cuisine is time-honored as well. Song Shu Gui Yu (sweet and sour fried Mandarin fish) and Jiao Hua Ji (beggar's chicken) are famed both home and abroad. Dried tofu is a specialty of Suzhou and should not be missed.

Tongli Town

Originally named Fushi, Tongli is an old but well-preserved water-town with a history of more than 1,000 years. Tongli is a destination where you can spend a holiday experiencing traditional Chinese culture.
From ancient times, it has been teeming with poets, painters, Confucian scholars and top government officials. Dozens of stone tablets from different periods are preserved in Tongli.
In 1981 Tongli Town was declared one of the 13 national standard tour towns of the Taihu Lake region.
Zhenze Town and Xinshen Farm
Zhenze Town was once crowned as the "Cleanest town of Jiangsu Province."
Zhenze boasts a mild climate, fertile land, developed agriculture and a long history of planting mulberry trees and breeding silkworms.
Xinshen farm features a planting area, a sightseeing area and ecological parks. It provides tourists with sightseeing, accommodation, and science education. The integration of travel and entertainment lets visitors feel at home.

Luzhi Town
Built in 503 BC, Luzhi's natural beauty is extraordinary. Old stone bridges, limpid water, venerable maidenhair trees and old-style dwellings, as well as the women in traditional costumes, create a picture of a civilized, rich, pastoral and harmonious environment.
There were 71 bridges in different styles built in the Song Dynasty and 41 of them remain enough to give the place the title of "City of Bridges." There are more bridges there than in Venice. Luzhi has been called "the first water-town in China."
Luzhi Town is also noted for historical and cultural relics, such as Baosheng Temple, the Wansheng Rice Company and the White Lotus Flower Temple.

Mudu Town
Surrounded by several mountains, Mudu is at the junction between Suzhou and Taihu Lake and it is the portal to the lake.
Each river and each bridge there has an ancient beautiful legend attached to it.
The name "Mudu" means "timber blocking the river" and it comes from a legend during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), when King Wu was building the "Guanwa Palace" for his concubine Xishi, the huge amount of timber rafted down for the building blocked the river.

Because of its geographical position and nearby Taihu Lake and the Grand Canal, a mild climate and fertile soil, Mudu is also called "the land of fish and rice."

Zhouzhuang
With a history going back 900 years, Zhouzhuang is a "modern" water-town and is a comfortable fusion of traditional culture and today's lifestyle. It is noted for its well-preserved ancient residences, elegant waterfront views and strong local traditions and customs.
In 1988, Zhouzhuang was included on the World Cultural Heritage Candidate List by UNESCO. The natural environment gives Zhouzhuang its distinctive lifestyle: boats are used to cover even very short distances. The surrounding lakes make it a tranquil retreat from the turmoil of the outside world.

Jinxi Town

Many foreigners believe Jinxi is the paragon of Yangtze River water-towns. The late well-known writer Shen Congwen described it as "a dreaming damsel" while Feng Yingzi, quoting an ancient Chinese line, said it "looks as becoming as ever, whether in light or heavy makeup."
The town is named after the Jinxi River which zigzags through it from north to south. Jinxi is called the hometown of Chinese folk museums because it initiated the Chinese Ancient Bricks and Tiles Museum and the Antiques Museum of East China, as well as others. The residents live a quiet life and the town seems to be isolated from the stream of time.

Sanshan Island and Cangshan
Sanshan Island enjoys a temperate climate: the four seasons are distinct, the winter is not too cold and summer not too hot. The Cangshan scenery is serene and beautiful.
Cangshan is a state-level key scenic spot area. Many fossil remains of mammals were discovered in 1984, such as macaques, brown bears and wild boar.
Fossils of the trilobite nautilus have also been found on Sanshan Mountain.
Tourists also come for cave exploration.