Idea #200 : Visiting the city of Suzhou
Suzhou is a city of the province of the Kiangsu, east of China, in hundred kilometers from Shanghai. Included among the most oldest cities of the pond of the Chang Jiang and the cradle of the culture wu, the city is set up on the edge of the big Canal, the construction of which is introduced to 5th century before J.C. In 605, under the dynasty of Sui, the emperor transfer the capital of Chang’ the year Luoyang, and made finalize at the same time the connection river between Beijing and Hangchow, by the Grand Canal. Five in six years were necessary for the realization of 1794 km of waterways. Later, at the beginning of the XVth century, under the dynasty Yuan, the canal is still enlarged. There are with the wall of China one of the biggest realization monumental of imperial China. This Grand Canal would have been at the origin of an unprecedented economic development of Suzhou, who, because of her numerous canals, was called Venice of the East or Yellow Venice. According to the legend, the city would have counted 6000 bridges (more than 300 in reality), and was an important center of spinning of the silk. The city, by its relaxed rhythm of life, attracted numerous retired mandarins, who made build beautiful houses with luxurious Chinese gardens there. Several of them remain, as the garden of Master of Nets or that of the mandarin Yipu, at present classified in the heritage world list of Unesco. Let’s go to the Master of Net’s garden !
Some Pictures
Where is it ?
Suzhou, China
