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The octagonal North Temple Pagoda (Beisi Ta) is nine storeys and 76m high and dates from the late 10th century.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The octagonal North Temple Pagoda (Beisi Ta) is nine storeys and 76m high and dates from the late 10th century.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: <i>‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’</i>.<br/><br/> The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: <i>‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’</i>.<br/><br/> The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: <i>‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’</i>.<br/><br/> The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: <i>‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’</i>.<br/><br/> The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: <i>‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’</i>.<br/><br/> The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: <i>‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’</i>.<br/><br/> The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: <i>‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’</i>.<br/><br/> The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: <i>‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’</i>.<br/><br/> The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
According to oral tradition, tea has been grown in China for more than four millennia. The earliest written accounts of tea making, however, date from around 350 CE, when it first became a drink at the imperial court.<br/><br/> Around 800 CE tea seeds were taken to Japan, where regular cultivation was soon established. Just over five centuries later, in 1517, tea was first shipped to Europe by the Portuguese soon after they began their trade with China. In 1667 the Honourable East India Company ordered the first British shipment of tea from China, requesting of their agents ‘one hundred pounds weight of the best tey that you can get’.<br/><br/> In 1826 the Dutch bought seeds from Japan for cultivation in their growing East Indian Empire, supplementing this effort in 1833 by imports of seeds, workers and implements from China. Meanwhile, also in the 1830s, the East India Company began growing tea on an experimental basis in Assam – the first one hundred boxes of Assamese tea reached Britain in 1840, and found a ready market.<br/><br/> About the same time, tea seedlings were transplanted from Assam to Sri Lanka and planted in the highlands around Kandy. By the beginning of the present century tea was very much in fashion, with plantations established as far afield as Vietnam in Southeast Asia, Georgia in Europe, Natal, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique in Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Peru in South America, and Queensland in Australia. Despite this proliferation, however, Sri Lanka remains the largest producer of tea in the world today, with the fragrant black leaf the mainstay of its economy.
According to oral tradition, tea has been grown in China for more than four millennia. The earliest written accounts of tea making, however, date from around 350 CE, when it first became a drink at the imperial court.<br/><br/> Around 800 CE tea seeds were taken to Japan, where regular cultivation was soon established. Just over five centuries later, in 1517, tea was first shipped to Europe by the Portuguese soon after they began their trade with China. In 1667 the Honourable East India Company ordered the first British shipment of tea from China, requesting of their agents ‘one hundred pounds weight of the best tey that you can get’.<br/><br/> In 1826 the Dutch bought seeds from Japan for cultivation in their growing East Indian Empire, supplementing this effort in 1833 by imports of seeds, workers and implements from China. Meanwhile, also in the 1830s, the East India Company began growing tea on an experimental basis in Assam – the first one hundred boxes of Assamese tea reached Britain in 1840, and found a ready market.<br/><br/> About the same time, tea seedlings were transplanted from Assam to Sri Lanka and planted in the highlands around Kandy. By the beginning of the present century tea was very much in fashion, with plantations established as far afield as Vietnam in Southeast Asia, Georgia in Europe, Natal, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique in Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Peru in South America, and Queensland in Australia. Despite this proliferation, however, Sri Lanka remains the largest producer of tea in the world today, with the fragrant black leaf the mainstay of its economy.
Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: <i>‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’</i>.<br/><br/> The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: <i>‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’</i>.<br/><br/> The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The Pan Men (Pan Gate) is part of the ancient city wall built in 514 BCE that surrounded and protected Suzhou. Pan Men was the only entrance to the wall that surrounded ancient Suzhou. The present Pan Gate was built in the 11th year of the reign of Emperor Zhizheng aka Toghon Temur (r. 1333-1370 CE) at the end of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).<br/><br/> Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: <i>‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’</i>.<br/><br/> The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The Pan Men (Pan Gate) is part of the ancient city wall built in 514 BCE that surrounded and protected Suzhou. Pan Men was the only entrance to the wall that surrounded ancient Suzhou. The present Pan Gate was built in the 11th year of the reign of Emperor Zhizheng aka Toghon Temur (r. 1333-1370 CE) at the end of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).<br/><br/> Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: <i>‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’</i>.<br/><br/> The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
Wu Yun (died 484 BCE), better known by his courtesy name Zixu, was a general and politician of the Wu kingdom in the Spring and Autumn Period (722–481 BCE). Since his death, he has evolved into a model of loyalty in Chinese culture. He is the best known historical figure with the Chinese family name 'Wu' (伍). All branches of the Wu clan claim that he was their 'first ancestor'.<br/><br/> Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: <i>‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’</i>.<br/><br/> The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
Wu Yun (died 484 BCE), better known by his courtesy name Zixu, was a general and politician of the Wu kingdom in the Spring and Autumn Period (722–481 BCE). Since his death, he has evolved into a model of loyalty in Chinese culture. He is the best known historical figure with the Chinese family name 'Wu' (伍). All branches of the Wu clan claim that he was their 'first ancestor'.<br/><br/> Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: <i>‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’</i>.<br/><br/> The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The Ruiguang Pagoda (Ruiguang Ta) was built in 247 CE and is the oldest pagoda in Suzhou.<br/><br/> Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: <i>‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’</i>.<br/><br/> The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The Ruiguang Pagoda (Ruiguang Ta) was built in 247 CE and is the oldest pagoda in Suzhou.<br/><br/> Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: <i>‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’</i>.<br/><br/> The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
Dating from the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), Suzhou’s Twin Pagodas (Shuang Ta, Shuangta) are tall, narrow identical, seven-storey octagonal brick structures. One is named ‘Clarity Dispensing Pagoda’, and the other “Beneficence Pagoda’.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
Dating from the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), Suzhou’s Twin Pagodas (Shuang Ta, Shuangta) are tall, narrow identical, seven-storey octagonal brick structures. One is named ‘Clarity Dispensing Pagoda’, and the other “Beneficence Pagoda’.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
Dating from the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), Suzhou’s Twin Pagodas (Shuang Ta, Shuangta) are tall, narrow identical, seven-storey octagonal brick structures. One is named ‘Clarity Dispensing Pagoda’, and the other “Beneficence Pagoda’.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
Dating from the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), Suzhou’s Twin Pagodas (Shuang Ta, Shuangta) are tall, narrow identical, seven-storey octagonal brick structures. One is named ‘Clarity Dispensing Pagoda’, and the other “Beneficence Pagoda’.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The octagonal North Temple Pagoda (Beisi Ta) is nine storeys and 76m high and dates from the late 10th century.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The octagonal North Temple Pagoda (Beisi Ta) is nine storeys and 76m high and dates from the late 10th century.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The octagonal North Temple Pagoda (Beisi Ta) is nine storeys and 76m high and dates from the late 10th century.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The octagonal North Temple Pagoda (Beisi Ta) is nine storeys and 76m high and dates from the late 10th century.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The octagonal North Temple Pagoda (Beisi Ta) is nine storeys and 76m high and dates from the late 10th century.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The octagonal North Temple Pagoda (Beisi Ta) is nine storeys and 76m high and dates from the late 10th century.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The Suzhou Confucian Temple (Chinese: 苏州文庙), also named the Suzhou Stone Inscription Museum and Suzhou Prefecture School (Chinese: 苏州府学; a state-run school), was built by Fan Zhongyan, the Prefect of Suzhou, in 1035 CE. It was the first temple school in China and is notable for containing the four greatest steles of the Song Dynasty.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The Suzhou Confucian Temple (Chinese: 苏州文庙), also named the Suzhou Stone Inscription Museum and Suzhou Prefecture School (Chinese: 苏州府学; a state-run school), was built by Fan Zhongyan, the Prefect of Suzhou, in 1035 CE. It was the first temple school in China and is notable for containing the four greatest steles of the Song Dynasty.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The Suzhou Confucian Temple (Chinese: 苏州文庙), also named the Suzhou Stone Inscription Museum and Suzhou Prefecture School (Chinese: 苏州府学; a state-run school), was built by Fan Zhongyan, the Prefect of Suzhou, in 1035 CE. It was the first temple school in China and is notable for containing the four greatest steles of the Song Dynasty.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The Suzhou Confucian Temple (Chinese: 苏州文庙), also named the Suzhou Stone Inscription Museum and Suzhou Prefecture School (Chinese: 苏州府学; a state-run school), was built by Fan Zhongyan, the Prefect of Suzhou, in 1035 CE. It was the first temple school in China and is notable for containing the four greatest steles of the Song Dynasty.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The Suzhou Confucian Temple (Chinese: 苏州文庙), also named the Suzhou Stone Inscription Museum and Suzhou Prefecture School (Chinese: 苏州府学; a state-run school), was built by Fan Zhongyan, the Prefect of Suzhou, in 1035 CE. It was the first temple school in China and is notable for containing the four greatest steles of the Song Dynasty.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The Suzhou Confucian Temple (Chinese: 苏州文庙), also named the Suzhou Stone Inscription Museum and Suzhou Prefecture School (Chinese: 苏州府学; a state-run school), was built by Fan Zhongyan, the Prefect of Suzhou, in 1035 CE. It was the first temple school in China and is notable for containing the four greatest steles of the Song Dynasty.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The Suzhou Confucian Temple (Chinese: 苏州文庙), also named the Suzhou Stone Inscription Museum and Suzhou Prefecture School (Chinese: 苏州府学; a state-run school), was built by Fan Zhongyan, the Prefect of Suzhou, in 1035 CE. It was the first temple school in China and is notable for containing the four greatest steles of the Song Dynasty.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The Suzhou Confucian Temple (Chinese: 苏州文庙), also named the Suzhou Stone Inscription Museum and Suzhou Prefecture School (Chinese: 苏州府学; a state-run school), was built by Fan Zhongyan, the Prefect of Suzhou, in 1035 CE. It was the first temple school in China and is notable for containing the four greatest steles of the Song Dynasty.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The Suzhou Confucian Temple (Chinese: 苏州文庙), also named the Suzhou Stone Inscription Museum and Suzhou Prefecture School (Chinese: 苏州府学; a state-run school), was built by Fan Zhongyan, the Prefect of Suzhou, in 1035 CE. It was the first temple school in China and is notable for containing the four greatest steles of the Song Dynasty.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The Suzhou Confucian Temple (Chinese: 苏州文庙), also named the Suzhou Stone Inscription Museum and Suzhou Prefecture School (Chinese: 苏州府学; a state-run school), was built by Fan Zhongyan, the Prefect of Suzhou, in 1035 CE. It was the first temple school in China and is notable for containing the four greatest steles of the Song Dynasty.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The Suzhou Confucian Temple (Chinese: 苏州文庙), also named the Suzhou Stone Inscription Museum and Suzhou Prefecture School (Chinese: 苏州府学; a state-run school), was built by Fan Zhongyan, the Prefect of Suzhou, in 1035 CE. It was the first temple school in China and is notable for containing the four greatest steles of the Song Dynasty.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
Blue Wave Pavilion takes its name from a waterside pavilion built in 1044 by the poet Su Shunqin. It is the oldest garden in Suzhou, with a wilder design than the others, with rockeries and artificial hillocks decorated with bamboo.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
Blue Wave Pavilion takes its name from a waterside pavilion built in 1044 by the poet Su Shunqin. It is the oldest garden in Suzhou, with a wilder design than the others, with rockeries and artificial hillocks decorated with bamboo.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
Blue Wave Pavilion takes its name from a waterside pavilion built in 1044 by the poet Su Shunqin. It is the oldest garden in Suzhou, with a wilder design than the others, with rockeries and artificial hillocks decorated with bamboo.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The Waibaidu Bridge (Chinese: 外白渡桥; pinyin: Wàibáidù Qiáo), called The Garden Bridge in English, is the first all-steel bridge, and the only surviving example of a camelback truss bridge, in China.<br/><br/> The fourth foreign bridge built at its location since 1856, in the downstream of the estuary of the Suzhou Creek, near its confluence with the Huangpu River and adjacent to the Bund in central Shanghai, and connecting the Huangpu and Hongkou districts, the present bridge was opened on 20 January 1908.<br/><br/> With its rich history and unique design, the Waibaidu Bridge is one of the symbols of Shanghai. On 15 February 1994 the Shanghai Municipal Government declared the bridge an example of Heritage Architecture, and one of the outstanding structures in Shanghai. In an ever-changing metropolis, the Waibaidu Bridge still remains a popular attraction, and one of the few constants in the city skyline.
Shanghai began life as a fishing village, and later as a port receiving goods carried down the Yangzi River. From 1842 onwards, in the aftermath of the first Opium War, the British opened a ‘concession’ in Shanghai where drug dealers and other traders could operate undisturbed. French, Italians, Germans, Americans and Japanese all followed. By the 1920s and 1930s, Shanghai was a boom town and an international byword for dissipation. When the Communists won power in 1949, they transformed Shanghai into a model of the Revolution.
Shanghai began life as a fishing village, and later as a port receiving goods carried down the Yangzi River. From 1842 onwards, in the aftermath of the first Opium War, the British opened a ‘concession’ in Shanghai where drug dealers and other traders could operate undisturbed. French, Italians, Germans, Americans and Japanese all followed. By the 1920s and 1930s, Shanghai was a boom town and an international byword for dissipation. When the Communists won power in 1949, they transformed Shanghai into a model of the Revolution.
Shanghai began life as a fishing village, and later as a port receiving goods carried down the Yangzi River. From 1842 onwards, in the aftermath of the first Opium War, the British opened a ‘concession’ in Shanghai where drug dealers and other traders could operate undisturbed. French, Italians, Germans, Americans and Japanese all followed. By the 1920s and 1930s, Shanghai was a boom town and an international byword for dissipation. When the Communists won power in 1949, they transformed Shanghai into a model of the Revolution.
Shanghai began life as a fishing village, and later as a port receiving goods carried down the Yangzi River. From 1842 onwards, in the aftermath of the first Opium War, the British opened a ‘concession’ in Shanghai where drug dealers and other traders could operate undisturbed. French, Italians, Germans, Americans and Japanese all followed. By the 1920s and 1930s, Shanghai was a boom town and an international byword for dissipation. When the Communists won power in 1949, they transformed Shanghai into a model of the Revolution.
Shanghai began life as a fishing village, and later as a port receiving goods carried down the Yangzi River. From 1842 onwards, in the aftermath of the first Opium War, the British opened a ‘concession’ in Shanghai where drug dealers and other traders could operate undisturbed. French, Italians, Germans, Americans and Japanese all followed. By the 1920s and 1930s, Shanghai was a boom town and an international byword for dissipation. When the Communists won power in 1949, they transformed Shanghai into a model of the Revolution.
The Broadway Mansions (simplified Chinese: 百老汇大厦; traditional Chinese: 百老匯大廈; pinyin: Bǎilǎohuì Dàshà) is a nineteen-floor Art Deco five star hotel, one of the most famous hotels in Shanghai, China.<br/><br/> It has been for over five decades one of the primary symbols of Shanghai. It was once its most visible landmark, Completed in 1934, the same year as the Park Hotel, which is 19 feet taller, it was the tallest apartment building in Shanghai and remained so for several decades. Located near the confluence of Suzhou Creek and the Huangpu River, as well as the northern end of The Bund, it was built by the architectural and engineering firm of Palmer and Turner, and its completion in 1935 signalled the commencement of the high-rise building era in Asia.<br/><br/> It commands possibly the best view of the Bund and Huangpu. Originally named 'Broadway Mansions' in 1935, it was renamed 'Shanghai Mansions' by the Shanghai Municipal Council in 1951, but reverted to its original name after China opened up again to the West.
Suzhou Creek (also called Wusong River) is a river in China that passes through the Shanghai city centre. It is named after Suzhou, a city in neighbouring Jiangsu province which was the predominant city in this area prior to the rise of Shanghai as a metropolis.<br/><br/> One of the principal outlets of Lake Tai, Suzhou Creek has a length of 125 km, of which 54 km are within the administrative region of Shanghai and 24 km within the city's highly urbanized parts. The river flows into the Huangpu River at the northern end of the Bund in Huangpu District.
A postcard of Suzhou Creek and the Shanghai Rowing Club, Shanghai, 1920s.
The Hun Tian Yi Tong Xing Xiang Quan Tu (蘇州石刻天文圖) or Suzhou Star Chart (淳祐天文図) indicates 1434 stars grouped into 280 Asterisms in a chart of the Northern Skies.
The Suzhou Confucian Temple (Chinese: 苏州文庙), also named the Suzhou Stone Inscription Museum and Suzhou Prefecture School (Chinese: 苏州府学; a state-run school), was built by Fan Zhongyan, the Prefect of Suzhou, in 1035 CE. It was the first temple school in China and is notable for containing the four greatest steles of the Song Dynasty.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/> The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: <i>‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’</i>.<br/><br/> The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The Hun Tian Yi Tong Xing Xiang Quan Tu (蘇州石刻天文圖) or Suzhou Star Chart (淳祐天文図) indicates 1434 stars grouped into 280 Asterisms in a chart of the Northern Skies.
The Ruiguang Pagoda (Ruiguang Ta) was built in 247 CE and is the oldest pagoda in Suzhou.<br/><br/> Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: <i>‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’</i>.<br/><br/> The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The Hun Tian Yi Tong Xing Xiang Quan Tu (蘇州石刻天文圖) or Suzhou Star Chart (淳祐天文図) indicates 1434 stars grouped into 280 Asterisms in a chart of the Northern Skies.
Blue Wave Pavilion takes its name from a waterside pavilion built in 1044 by the poet Su Shunqin. It is the oldest garden in Suzhou, with a wilder design than the others, with rockeries and artificial hillocks decorated with bamboo.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The Hun Tian Yi Tong Xing Xiang Quan Tu (蘇州石刻天文圖) or Suzhou Star Chart (淳祐天文図) indicates 1434 stars grouped into 280 Asterisms in a chart of the Northern Skies.
The Suzhou Confucian Temple (Chinese: 苏州文庙), also named the Suzhou Stone Inscription Museum and Suzhou Prefecture School (Chinese: 苏州府学; a state-run school), was built by Fan Zhongyan, the Prefect of Suzhou, in 1035 CE. It was the first temple school in China and is notable for containing the four greatest steles of the Song Dynasty.<br/><br/>Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.<br/><br/>The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.
The Waibaidu Bridge (Chinese: 外白渡桥; pinyin: Wàibáidù Qiáo), called The Garden Bridge in English, is the first all-steel bridge, and the only surviving example of a camelback truss bridge, in China.<br/><br/> The fourth foreign bridge built at its location since 1856, in the downstream of the estuary of the Suzhou Creek, near its confluence with the Huangpu River and adjacent to the Bund in central Shanghai, and connecting the Huangpu and Hongkou districts, the present bridge was opened on 20 January 1908.<br/><br/> With its rich history and unique design, the Waibaidu Bridge is one of the symbols of Shanghai. On 15 February 1994 the Shanghai Municipal Government declared the bridge an example of Heritage Architecture, and one of the outstanding structures in Shanghai. In an ever-changing metropolis, the Waibaidu Bridge still remains a popular attraction, and one of the few constants in the city skyline.
An aerial image of bustling Hongkou District in the mid-1930s. Hongkou is the location of the Astor House Hotel, Broadway Mansions, Lu Xun Park and the Lu Xun memorial, as well as the junction of Suzhou Creek and the Huangpu River.
Tan Ting-pho (Chen Chengbo; Peh-oe-ji: Tan Teng-pho; February 2, 1895 – March 25, 1947), was a well-known Taiwanese painter. In 1926, his oil painting <i>Street of Chiayi</i> was featured in the seventh Empire Art Exhibition in Japan, which was the first time a Taiwanese artist's work was displayed at the exhibition.<br/><br/> Tan devoted his life to education and creation, and was greatly concerned about the development of humanist culture in Taiwan. He was not only devoted to the improvement of his own painting, but also to the promotion of the aesthetic education of the Taiwanese people. He was murdered as a result of the February 28 Incident, a 1947 popular uprising in Taiwan which was brutally repressed by the Kuomintang (KMT).