留园 — Attraction in Suzhou City

Visiting a home garden in Suzhou is like stepping into a serene oasis that beautifully blends nature, art, and traditional Chinese culture. The garden I explored was a masterpiece of delicate design — winding pathways, carefully placed rocks, flowing water features, and exquisitely pruned plants created a tranquil atmosphere perfect for reflection and relaxation. Every corner revealed intricate details, from ornate pavilions to poetic stone inscriptions, showcasing the meticulous craftsmanship that Suzhou gardens are famous for.

What made the experience truly special was the intimate scale and personal touch of a private home garden, offering a quiet retreat away from the city’s bustle. The harmony between architecture and landscape invited me to slow down and soak in the peaceful beauty, embodying centuries-old philosophies of balance and natural elegance. For anyone visiting Suzhou, a stop at a traditional home garden is an absolute must to fully appreciate the artistry and cultural heritage of this...

I didn't visit the Humble Administrator's Garden so I can't comment on which one to visit, instead I thought I give some tips from my visit to Liuyuan or Lingering Garden. It's slightly out of the way as compared to Humble Adminstrator's Garden but it's actually within walking distance from Shantang street which is their old street. I thought Shantang street was pretty nice, similar to Old Town of Lijiang. So from the Shantang metro station, walk South East to the end of Shantang, after that head West to Lingering Gardens. There's a guided tour (in mandarin) which covers the 3 treasures of Lingering Garden, it's about 15minutes and only takes you to the East side of the garden (i.e., a quarter of the park) so you can backtrack and start all over again. The route is linear and very easy to navigate, practically taking you on the entirety...

Lingering Garden (留园）is a renowned classical Chinese garden, dating back to 1593. Since 1997 it has been recognized with seven other Classical Gardens of Suzhou as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The garden also contains two UNESCO Intangible World Heritage Arts; Pingtan (评弹) and Guqin music（古琴). Together with Zhuo Zheng Yuan拙政园, Shi Zi Lin狮子林, Cang lang ting沧浪亭，Liu yuan is one of the four most famous yuanlin gardens in suzhou take note this garden is small, but located in very busy district in terms of traffic, so always prepare to come early and better to buy tickets in advance. the whole tour may take 1 hour, but if you are going to listen to Pingtan评弹 which i highly recommend, it may take...