“The Venice of the East”

Once declared the most beautiful city in China by Marco Polo and nicknamed “the Venice of the East”, Suzhou is home to numerous gardens dating back to the 12th century. Luckily before we boarded our train to Suzhou, we realized that there are two Suzhous with the same English spelling and we were ticketed for the not so pretty one. We corrected our mistake and were forced to take a soft-seat for our 10 hour overnight train instead of a sleeping compartment. Although not the best sleep of our trip, the train was one of the new high-speed CHR2 trains topping out at 250 kph and it left from perhaps the fanciest train/airport/bus station we have ever seen (Beijing-South).

With so many gardens to choose from, we settled on the Humble Administrator’s Garden, Lion Forrest Garden, and Garden of the Master of the Nets. Each garden was unique and had something different to offer. The Humble Garden is perhaps the most impressive garden in Suzhou dating back to the 1500s and by no means did it disappoint. However, we’re glad we made this our first stop as hoards of Chinese tourist began to pour into the Garden as the day progressed. It showcased numerous pagodas, lakes, and a spectacular display of bonsai trees (however, some of them probably should not be classified as bonsai).

The Lion Forrest Garden was originally part of a Buddhist monastery and home to an enormous rock maze. Supposedly this is a metaphor for the path of our lives, which means our lives are absolutely confusing. We spent almost an hour looking for one another after we separated to take a few photos. It was interesting to see bar codes at different locations throughout the gardens for free audio guides for China Mobile users. All you have to do is take a picture of the bar code with your phone and listen to the description of the site.
Never underestimate the smallest garden of the group as the Master of the Nets was spectacular. Originally built in the 12th century and restored in the 18th century, this garden was the home of a retired official turned fisherman. The major attraction was the central pool filled with coy fish surrounded by Chinese architecture provided some marvelous views. After our tour of the Gardens we strolled around the town to enjoy the lit canals and dine at the Pizza Hut. Yes, we broke down and went to a Pizza Hut for dinner, but this was no ordinary Pizza Hut. It was setup like a fancy sit-down restaurant similar to that of The Cheesecake Factory.