Paradise on Earth - Suzhou Chapter

Where can I find the layman's trace? There are actually mountains and forests in the city.

Suzhou is located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province. It has been called a paradise on earth by literati since ancient times, and was also exclaimed as the "Venice of the East" by Mark Pineapple. This place is famous for its natural treasures, outstanding people, beautiful mountains and clear waters, and elegant gardens. It has the reputation of "Jiangnan gardens are the best in the world, and Suzhou gardens are the best in the south of the Yangtze River." This thousand-year-old city with a long history, located in the water network, is like a brilliant pearl embedded in the fertile land of the Yangtze River Delta.

Jiangnan gardens are the best in the world, and Suzhou gardens are the best in Jiangnan

If you want to understand Jiangnan, you must first understand Suzhou; if you want to understand Suzhou, you must first understand Suzhou gardens. Among the classical gardens in the south of the Yangtze River, some have small jasper, while others have extraordinary magnanimity. Many Suzhou gardens were places where officials retired to live in seclusion. Compared with Beijing gardens, which are heavy and powerful manor houses, Suzhou gardens have a bookish aroma, are quiet and elegant. Suzhou gardens Suzhou gardens are the pride of Suzhou people. Every brick and tile of the hall, building, pavilion and pavilion is a symbol of Chinese art.

The Humble Administrator’s Garden, a classical garden in the south of the Yangtze River, is as famous as the Summer Palace in Beijing, the Chengde Summer Resort, and the Lingering Garden in Suzhou. It ranks first among the "Four Famous Gardens in China" and is known as the "Mother of Gardens Beyond Heaven." It has also been included in the World Heritage List, and its gardening achievements can be seen from this.

The Humble Administrator's Garden, located in the northeast corner of Suzhou City, is the largest classical garden in Suzhou. The whole garden is centered on water, surrounded by mountains and rivers, with exquisite pavilions and luxuriant flowers and trees, fully displaying the beauty of the Jiangnan water town. The garden is divided into three parts: east, middle and west. The east garden was originally called "Returning to the Garden". The garden is open and spacious, dominated by pastoral scenery. The middle garden is the essence of the whole garden, and the west garden has exquisite architecture and each has its own characteristics. In addition, the residential areas in Yuannan are typical of Jiangnan residents. It is now the Suzhou Garden Museum and is currently the only garden-themed museum in China.

Water is the center and soul of the Humble Administrator's Garden. It accounts for 1/3 of the entire garden area, creating a cheerful atmosphere for the garden and maintaining the "Chi Guanglin" style of the Ming Dynasty. Mao" characteristics.

The architectural style of the Humble Administrator's Garden also follows the style of the Song and Yuan Dynasties. The mountain-viewing building in the central garden uses a climbing corridor to express the meaning of the mountain, climbing up two floors toward the pavilion in the middle of the water. The eaves of the corridor and the eaves of the mountain building are connected together, making it difficult to tell which is a simple climbing corridor and which is a two-story pavilion. The courtyard spaces of different sizes in the garden are hidden from view. Although the garden is not large, it creates an infinite scenery of natural mountains and rivers.

The Humble Administrator's Garden has always been famous for its "winful trees", which have been inherited for hundreds of years. Lotus, camellia and azalea are the three famous characteristic flowers. The camellias in spring are like fire, the lotuses in the pond in summer are reflected in the eyes, the hibiscus in winter is like overlapping brocade tents, and the winter plum blossoms are proud of the frost, all of them are exquisite and beautiful. It deserves to be the first among the "Four Famous Gardens in China".

If Gusu doesn’t visit Huqiu and pays a visit to Luqiu, that’s two things wrong.

The Huqiu Mountain Scenic Area, located in the northwest corner of the ancient city of Suzhou, has a long history of more than 2,500 years. It is known as the "No. 1 Mountain in Wuzhong" and is a national 5A tourist attraction.

The height of Huqiu Mountain is only more than 30 meters, but it has the style of "the surface of hills and ravines on the left of the Yangtze River". It has towering rocks and ravines with various phenomena, among which Huqiu Tower, Sword Pool and Thousand People Stone are the most famous. Huqiu Tower, also known as Yunyan Temple Tower, is a leaning tower that leans but does not fall. It is known as the "Leaning Tower of Pisa in China" and is the second leaning tower in the world. Sword Pond is named after the legend that three thousand swords were buried for King Helu of Wu. It is also the most mysterious place in Huqiu. The Thousand People Stone has a long-standing legend that "the Duke of Sheng gave a lecture, and thousands of people sat down below".

It has beautiful scenery and a long history. The poet Su Shi of the Song Dynasty once lamented: "It would be a pity to go to Suzhou without visiting Tiger Hill!" For Suzhou, Tiger Hill is not only a scenery , it is also a cultural landmark of this city. It is a scenic spot in Wuzhong and one of the must-visit attractions when we come to Suzhou.

Looking east from Huqiu Mountain, a resort in Wuzhong, you can see the blue sky against the clear water, the green land against the shady lines, and the sparkling shadows of the tall buildings. This is Jinji Lake in the east of Suzhou.

Jinji Lake is named after the legend that a golden rooster landed here. The lake surface is wide and the lakeside scenery is pleasant. Jinji Lake has classic projects such as musical fountains, water Ferris wheel, Ligong Causeway, Peach Blossom Island, Jinji Lake Bridge Waterfall, etc. The largest water Ferris wheel in Asia is here. On July 2, 2012, Jinji Lake was rated as a national 5A tourist attraction by the National Tourism Administration, becoming the only scenic spot of the same level in the country with business tourism characteristics.

This is the largest urban lake park in China and can be called the symbol of Suzhou's "Paradise on Earth" in the 21st century. The majestic Jinji Lake subverts people's traditional impression of Suzhou's thousand-year-old city with small bridges and flowing water. The night view of Jinji Lake must not be missed. Along the lakeside, buildings with Jiangnan characteristics are shining with neon lights. Rent a bicycle and go for a night ride. It's quiet and comfortable, and the beauty of Jinji Lake will mesmerize you.

The moon is setting and the sky is full of frost, and the river maple and fishing fire are facing melancholy. At Hanshan Temple outside Gusu City, the bell rang for the passenger ship at midnight.

Hanshan Temple, located in Gusu District, Suzhou City, was built in the Southern Dynasties and is the most famous temple in Suzhou.

Zhang Ji, who was down and out, passed by Suzhou and wrote a poem "Night Mooring on Maple Bridge". From then on, Hanshan Temple became famous and became this famous scenic spot.

Hanshan Temple is mainly composed of the Main Hall, Bell Tower, Stele Gallery, Sutra Library and other buildings. The bell tower in the temple is the source of the "midnight bells". The loud and melodious bells are the symbol of Hanshan Temple. Hanshan Temple holds a New Year's Eve bell-ringing ceremony on December 31 every year. Ringing the bell 108 times means that troubles will disappear and I wish people happiness and health in the coming year.

Many ancient towns in Suzhou are well-known, the most famous is Zhouzhuang Ancient Town, and the most lively Tongli Ancient Town. It’s also great to come here and spend a day or two in one or two ancient Jiangnan ancient towns.

Zhouzhuang Ancient Town is surrounded by water. It is a town based on the river. Streets are formed by the water and the streets are the city. 14 ancient stone bridges built in the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties are well preserved on the well-shaped river. , more than 60% of the residents still retain the architectural style of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Its main attractions include Fu'an Bridge, Shuangqiao, Provincial Hall, etc. It is one of the first batch of national 5A tourist attractions.

The charm of Zhouzhuang lies in its cultural connotation. Shen Hall, Zhang Hall, etc. all have high historical, cultural and ornamental value. Where there is a river, there must be a bridge. There are many ancient bridges in Zhouzhuang, which are very unique. The famous ones include Shuangqiao and Fu'an Bridge. The famous painter Wu Guanzhong once said, "Huangshan embodies the beauty of China's mountains and rivers, and Zhouzhuang embodies the beauty of China's mountains and rivers." Wu Nong's soft words, the fragrance of grandma's tea, the gentle sound of the oar, the distant Kun Opera, a beautiful picture of "small bridges and flowing water, people's houses".

The beauty of Zhouzhuang falls in the morning light. Zhouzhuang is fresh all year round. The ancient town is quiet and elegant, the lakeside is beautiful, and the lush forests are beautiful. Come to Zhouzhuang to visit the classic architecture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and feel the cultural heritage of Zhouzhuang. Take a boat trip to Zhouzhuang to explore the dreamy water town, have tea and listen to Pingtan in Jubin Tower, come to Zhouzhuang to listen to Kun Opera, the ancestor of all operas, and linger in the music. Come to Zhouzhuang and experience a kind of life called Zhouzhuang. The true meaning of.

China has four major cuisines: Su, Shandong, Guangdong and Sichuan, with different tastes. There are many kinds of Su-style food, and Su-style dishes pay attention to "the four seasons are different, and they are available according to the order." In spring, there are bisnail shrimps, pickled bamboo shoots, and pond carp. Summer has watermelon chicken and stir-fried three shrimps. In autumn, there are barbel lung soup and hairy crabs. In winter, there are hen-fat chicken, herring, mutton, etc.

Squirrel mandarin fish has a sweet and sour taste and is a must-eat dish in Suzhou. After the mandarin fish is fried, its head is raised, its mouth is open, and its tail is slightly raised, resembling a squirrel. The squirrel mandarin fish should be fried just right, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside; the tomato sauce should also be in place, with a strong flavor but not too sweet. There is a poem in the Tang Dynasty that says "peach blossoms and flowing water with mandarin fish fat". The best time to taste squirrel and mandarin fish is March and April every year.

Suzhou-style dishes pay attention to "the four seasons are different and are available according to the order", and the same is true for dishes using pork as raw materials. In winter, there are delicious sauce recipes, and in spring, "cherry meat" is recommended. This dish is made of pork belly stewed with rock sugar. It has a cherry-like color, is rich in oil, has rotten skin and crispy meat that melts in your mouth. It is salty with a sweet and sour taste. It is an excellent dish to accompany wine or rice.

Speaking of Suzhou, there is another delicacy that I have to mention, and that is eating crabs. Every crab season will attract a large number of tourists to taste the delicious hairy crabs. Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs have always been known as the best among crabs. Female crabs in September of the lunar calendar and male crabs in October have the best gonad development. When cooked and condensed, the female ones are golden yellow and the male ones are like white jade. They are delicious and nutritious, so there is a saying of "Nine Males and Ten Females".

Special snacks

Suzhou snacks: honey-glazed dried tofu, pine nut candy, rose melon seeds, shrimp soy sauce, jujube paste sesame cake, lard rice cake, etc.

Shrimp soy sauce is a traditional specialty of Suzhou. It is made of natural soy sauce, fresh shrimp, white sugar and sorghum wine. The red shrimps and soy sauce are so colorful that it makes you salivate just by looking at them

Date paste sesame cake is a traditional Chinese snack, a Soviet-style pastry. The jujube paste sesame cake is shaped like a full moon, with both sides golden and even in color. It is soft and sweet in the mouth, sweet but not greasy, soft and crispy, everyone loves to eat it. One was produced in Mudu, Wuzhong. The representative one is sesame cake, which is crispy and hard as the backbone, and is produced in Xiangcheng Town, Xiangcheng District. The representative one is sesame cake with soft and glutinous rice. The main feature of sesame cakes is soft and glutinous. It is a good gift for relatives and friends.

Pingjiang Road is a historical old street in Suzhou. It is named after the river next to it is called Pingjiang River. Pingjiang Road has the characteristics of a typical Jiangnan old street. It has the most unique shops in Suzhou and the most charming stone paths. The old streets here not only preserve ancient buildings, but the food on the old streets is also closely related to Suzhou’s ancient food culture.

Street food along the old street from beginning to end, cooked by local people, with authentic flavors. Osmanthus cake, big bowl of tea, fresh meat mooncakes, crabapple cakes, from all kinds of street snacks, you can feel the food culture of Pingjiang Road.

The shop with green bricks and white tiles facing the street hides the real Suzhou delicacies. Many friends come here just for it. Zhuangyuan Street Dumpling House and Fox’s Sour Cheese are not only delicious food, but also It’s the Suzhou people’s attitude towards food.

In Suzhou Cuisine Restaurant, you can taste authentic Suzhou cuisine with authentic taste. Squirrel mandarin fish, crab roe tofu and other dishes will make people salivate just by looking at the names. All the delicacies here highlight the food culture of Pingjiang Road and tell the ancient food story.

Guanqian Street, located in the center of Suzhou, is an old commercial street established in the Qing Dynasty. Guanqian Street attracts tourists from home and abroad with its rich Taoist culture and century-old shops that are famous all over the world. It has the reputation of "Suzhou's first business district". It is worth mentioning that in Guanqian Street there is Xuanmiao Temple, "the first ancient temple in the south of the Yangtze River". There is a saying that "you must go to Guanqian Street in Suzhou, and you must go to Xuanmiao Temple in front of Guanqian".

As the most prosperous commercial street in the ancient city of Suzhou, Guanqian Street is naturally home to a variety of delicacies. There are many famous restaurants that are treasured by old Suzhou people, such as "Huang Tianyuan" cake dumplings, which are famous for their jujube paste and yam cakes, and "Songhelou" restaurant, which has the highest reputation among Suzhou cuisine. A wide variety of specialties: Caizhizhai’s rice dumplings. Su-style mooncakes in Daoxiang Village. Here is the fusion of tradition and modernity, complementing each other and shining for thousands of years.

Finally, I end with a poem by Fan Chengda from the Song Dynasty

Suzhou, this beautiful and lively Jiangnan water city, is looking forward to everyone’s exploration.