With the rapid development of technology and the industrialisation of the world, human lifestyle has undergone a drastic change. Gone are the days where travel meant days on the road or a message took a week to be delivered but with this welcome change, a number of other developments and adjustments have prompted many to question the futility of the lives we lead. Many find themselves engaged in work day in and day out with little time for leisure, recreation and even family. In cities such as Suzhou, the impact of such changes is felt greatly for its proximity to the metropolis of Shanghai has made it a ripe destination for foreign investment. Given the degree of industrialisation, balanced living is a concept that many citizens as well as businesses are striving to achieve and even hotels and accommodation facilities such as those offered by Somerset Emerald City Suzhou strive to embody this balance.
Given this rapid development many citizens opt to live in Suzhou apartments as opposed to in residential schemes due to increasing land prices and other costs as well. In such a world, the service parks and gardens offer as sites of recreation is immeasurable and this is true to the city of Suzhou as well.
Evidence to support this claim is found in a cluster of gardens in the city known as the Classical Gardens of Suzhou. Inscribed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO, these gardens are stunning and beautiful. Given that its history can be traced back almost a millennium, the gardens have been maintained, renovated and restored at different times. These improvements have contributed to the preservation of classical garden designs adopted centuries ago and at present, the classical gardens feature pavilions and pagodas while the design of the gardens mimic natural rocks, rivers and hills.
A visitor to the Classical Gardens will find that there are sixty nine such grounds in Suzhou including the Humble Administrator’s Garden and the Lingering Garden. The Master of the Nets Garden is particularly scenic and is home to a cypress tree that is believed to be dated back to the Ming Dynasty. The buildings in the garden are constructed close to the water in an attempt to create spatial illusions. However, this is not the only garden which makes use of such architectural tactics and a visit to the Classical Gardens of Suzhou can keep one enthralled for hours.
Thanuja Silva is a travel writer who writes under the pen name Auburn Silver. She has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
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