"The Gardens of Suzhou" Suzhou by Willettsworld

Suzhou is located in the east of China near Shanghai. Its history dates back 2,500 years when King Helu of the State of Wu established "Great City of Helu", the ancient name for Suzhou, as his capital in 514 BC. Remnants of this culture include remainders of a 2,500 year old city wall and the gate through it at Pan Gate. However, Suzhou is famous for its gardens which are some of the best in China. These include the Humble Administrator's Garden, Master of the Nets Garden, Lion's Grove Garden and Couple's Retreat Garden. Along with its gardens, the city also has many canals, a couple of good museums and some great pagodas. Allow yourself plenty of time to visit. I stayed here for three days which also included a visit to the lovely ancient town of Tongli, but still didn't have enough time to see everything.