SUZHOU GARDEN TOUR

Master of the Nets Window, Photo by Jerome Silbergeld

Cameron's group toured some of Suzhou's cultural sites, including two of its famous gardens: Master of the Nets Garden and Lingering Garden.


Only one acre, Master of the Nets is the smallest of Suzhou's historically significant gardens. A latticed window that resembles a fishing net gives it its name. Some of its features include "Shooting at Ducks Walkway", "Pavilion Where the Moon Meets the Wind", and "Chapel of Accumulated Emptiness". An online guide from the University of Washington can be found here: http://depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/3wangshy.htm#netwindow 

Master of the Nets Garden, Photo by Cultural-China.com

Cameron & friends at Master of the Nets Garden

The students also visited the 30-acre Lingering Garden, built in 1583 during the Ming Dynasty. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is one of the four most significant classical gardens in all of China. 

Cloud-capped Peak at Lingering Garden

Distinguishing features include elegant buildings, hundreds of calligraphy-carved steles and a tall pillar of limestone, known as Cloud-capped Peak. 

Lingering Garden, Suzhou (Photo by China5000Year.blogspot.com)

The man-made mountains and lakes are meant to resemble a scrolled classical Chinese landscape painting. A brief description of Lingering Garden can be found here: http://www.7wonders.org/wonders/asia/china/suzhou/the-lingering-garden.aspx

Students in front of Cloud-capped Peak (Photo by Claire Balani)

~ Posted by Pam Hughes