Things to see and do Jiangsu 江苏

This garden, the most famous of the top Yangtze region, was developed in 1506. At that time, Wang Xianchen, a state official accused of corruption, decided to withdraw from public affairs by returning to Suzhou, his hometown. He then decided to build Zhuozheng Yuan, a 5 ha set. The term "petty administrator" or "the politics of the modest" is drawn from the classic Jin poem. He mentioned that the "garden is the work of a modest man". The garden is divided into three parts: to the east, the main building, Orchid and Snow (Lan Xue Tang), contains a lacquered wood screen on which the garden plan is engraved. By accessing the central part, the Northern Temple pagoda appears. The central part is the most harmonious and the best preserved of the three: the Distant Perfume Room (Yuanxiang Tang), with the largely pierced walls of bays offers an overview. The western part of the garden, separated from the whole under the Qing, became the property of a wealthy trader. He rajouta a large number of buildings. The Mandarins Hall was the central building. The owner amused his guests by inviting Suzhou opera troops.

The garden is a UNESCO World Heritage SITE.

The Purple Mountain is a huge forest park in the heart of the city of Nanjing. There are many tourist attractions that constitute the identity of the city, the former Republican capital, and in particular the most famous of them: Sun Yat-sen mausoleum; or the Linggu temple. The Purple Mountain is also an ideal place to escape the heat of the city in summer and enjoy the quietness. 

Suzhou has also made new skin and the most spectacular change is evident in the renovation of the entire Pingjiang district. Now, the canals and the lanes are lavishly highlighted and if there are not yet many stores, this is not possible. So it's a magical place to walk through the canals and even why not by allowing a walk on the canals (many boatmen offer their service for a short walk). A visit over time. 

Located in the north of the city, adjacent to the small administrator's garden, this museum is divided into two parts. The first and oldest, Zhong Wang Fu, is an architectural complex dating back to the time of the kingdom and recounts the history of the city. The second part, inaugurated in October 2006, is nothing more than the work of I.M. Pei, the architect behind the pyramid of the Louvre.

The ensemble includes a fund of over 10 000 pieces among which many Buddhist relics discovered during the rehabilitation of the many places of worship in the city. A wide selection of pottery, porcelain, bronzes and local crafts.

The city is connected by 49 bridges, some of which are particularly remarkable. The Taiping bridges (peace and tranquillity), My (luck) and Changqing (long celebration) form a circular route considered to be lucky by the premises. According to tradition, the inhabitants of the village carry out this journey for weddings or anniversaries in order to ensure good fortune for the coming year. The Siben Bridge (origin of thought) is the oldest in the city. It was built under the Song dynasty between 960 and 1276. Finally the Dubu Bridge (only one step) is the smallest in the city: by barely one metre, it is only metres long.

You can take walks on the canals or Lake of the south. Wooden boats depart from the wharf south of the Tiyun Bridge. Some channels drive outside the city and surrounding lakes. We can then, with a little luck, observe the fishermen in full work and discover the fishing for birds, a traditional practice in the region.

Manufacture of clay figurines from the Huishan hills. Traditional traditional crafts dating from the Ming River and reached its apogee under the Qing when more than 150 workshops were in operation. These grotesque characters, old man dodu or child kissing a fish, the respective symbols of wealth and good fortune, were produced for the faithful who went to the temple Huishan on the weekend as a souvenir of their stay. Visit of the museum to the Research Institute on Niren, art and Local crafts (Niren Yansuo, Gongyimeishu Yanjiusuo).

It's nothing less than one of China's five largest freshwater lakes!

This vast expanse of shallow water (less than two meters), 500 times greater than that of Xihu Lake in Hangzhou (2,400 km ²) is the central element of regional culture. To the northeast, fish and freshwater crabs are stretched inseparable from the mulberry plantations. Boiled chrysalides serve as food for fish whose feces produce rich fertilizers. To the north, the nine peaks of the Huishan hills overlook the lake. This landscape, evoking a dragon seeping along the banks is a sign of good Shui feng, Chinese geometry…

At the end of May 2007, severe pollution caused the sudden onset of algae on Taihu Lake, leading to the interruption of the water supply for over one million Wuxi inhabitants and triggering the start of national reflection on environmental issues…

Located at the foot of Nandu Hill, on the edge of Lake Taihu, approximately 8 km from Wuxi, this peninsula is the shape of a turtle head moving in the waters of the lake. Yuantouzhu offers an excellent perspective of the lake.

Guo Moruo (1892-1978), the famous contemporary Chinese writer, says «The beauty of the Lake is revealed in Yuantouzhu». A few steps away, the terrace of an old tea house offers a pleasant stopover. The clarity pavilion at the top of the hill offers an exceptional view of the lake and 72 peaks.

The Temple of Universal Happiness (Guangfu Si, 光复寺), built in 1924 on the ruins of a temple of the Southern Kingdoms, is still active today.

A boat trip between Yuantouzhe and the islands in the Three Mountains (Sanshan, 三山) allows a nice walk. The pier is located on the side of the Arche ark and the bridge of the Spring spring.