Travel and Adventure by Various Travel Authors

By Robert Selwitz

Suzhou is worth a much longer look than just the usual tourist day trip. Unfortunately, it is heavily trafficked by overscheduled Shanghai-based travelers drawn to Suzhou's one-hour-away geography for the sole purpose of adding a classic garden visit to their lists. A wiser move is to bunk in for at least four days, sample the many gardens, admire the exquisite I.M. Pei-designed museum, dine on extraordinary food and visit nearby water towns.

Hiring a taxi for the day is the best way to get around. Like much of China, Suzhou has far fewer taxis than it needs. Therefore, a hotel is about the only place where finding a cab is a sure thing. A concierge who speaks the driver's language can ensure that visitors will cover the route that takes them where and when they want to go.

Suzhou's classic gardens, like those throughout China, are quite different from what most Westerners imagine. Instead of sculpted hedges, gorgeous flowers or greenery, the prime elements here are extraordinary rock configurations. Appearing to the uninitiated to be randomly picked and placed, these rocks — and the waters and paths that meld with them — are actually as precisely situated as the pagodas, libraries and other buildings onsite.

One of the city's most famous gardens, and one of its smallest, is The Master of the Nets, which dates to 1342. Much like a maze, its symmetrical shape features white walls, ponds (including one crossed by two arching stone bridges) and a lovely pagoda. A portion of this garden is replicated in New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Another favorite is the much larger Humble Administrators Garden, created in the early 1500s. Ponds, fruit trees, pagodas, wending paths and multiple courtyards are the features here, all designed to enhance contemplation and serenity.

Equally appealing is the smallish Lingering Garden, dominated by a sculptured, massive 20-foot-tall rock. Also here are pavilions, particularly Mandarin Duck Hall, and ponds that are home to many of the vibrantly colored namesake waterfowl.

The sprawling Gusuyuan Garden, built in 1351 and now adjacent to the Pan Pacific Hotel, provides a complete change of pace. Hours could be spent here meandering past its many temples, along numerous pathways and crossing over copious waterways. The most prominent feature here is a seven-story-tall, nearly 900-year-old pagoda. From its top, there's a sweeping panoramic city view that includes the nearby city walls and the Grand Canal that extends to Hangzhou, approximately 100 miles to the south. One of the pavilions in the garden was the site of a 2001 meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.

There are plenty of indoor attractions to see, as well. Most impressive is the four-year-old Suzhou Museum, designed by famed architect and native son I.M. Pei. His spacious, airy, two-story structure is a wonderful setting for all matter of Chinese art that ranges from the Neolithic period to Buddhist bronzes, textiles and ceramics, scrolls and paintings, and a gallery for contemporary work. Upon exiting, visitors find themselves in a sector with rooms, a home, garden and pavilions where the Pei family once lived.

About a half-hour's walk away is the brightly neoned Guangianjie area, also known as Suzhou's gourmet center.

It's dotted with multiple restaurants, some of which serve an area specialty, a whole sweet-and-sour fish that is the heart of a local culinary experience.

Suzhou, while fascinating all by itself, is also a great jumping-off point for visits to other relatively nearby water towns. While there are a number of these canal-laced former villages, several of the most popular, including Zhujiajiao, are often overwhelmed by busloads of tourists. For anyone willing to wander a bit farther from Suzhou, Nanxum and Tongli can still recall the days when boat traffic dominated the scene and the cities with multimillion populations that today surround these historic enclaves were very far in the future.

The canals, shaped by soil dredged from drained swampy areas, created what became shop-lined streets crisscrossed by frequent bridges. Much of old Nanxum —which dates back as far as the 13th century — is surrounded by a modern city whose buildings and malls are no different from those that proliferate throughout urban China.

Within the protected area, which costs $14.60 to enter, are beautifully preserved grand homes of silk and rice merchants, a library that once held some 600,000 old to ancient scrolls and plenty of intriguing shops. Food options include canal-side spots serving wonderful wonton soups and dumplings. Indeed, a stroll through the sector provides a glimpse of life enjoyed by prosperous 19th- and 20th-century capitalists before it disappeared following the 1949 Communist takeover.

Just 12 miles from Suzhou lies Tongli, which offers a similar water-town experience, albeit with heavier crowding and more touristy goods for sale. Visits —preferably on less-crowded weekdays — should include strolls through what actually are seven tiny islands linked by nearly six dozen bridges. Wanderings through the restored town bring visitors past centuries-old wooden structures, now converted to eateries and shops, and a number of elegant homes. Also not to be missed is Tuisi Yuan, a classic garden with World Heritage protection status. It includes elegant residences, extended ancillary rooms and numerous serene pavilions.

After strolling through the town, a half-hour boat ride, powered by the strong shoulders of formidable pole-wielders, provides a lovely respite. From the boats there are also opportunities to photograph remnants of lifestyles past.

IF YOU GO

The Pan Pacific Suzhou is a 484-room, centrally located property that features fine dining, a savvy concierge who easily arranges taxi-by-the-hour Suzhou explorations and a genuinely helpful staff. Guests also enjoy free access to the adjacent Gusuyuan Garden (www.panpacific.com/suzhou).

Pine and Crane Restaurant at 72 Tai Jian Nong, reputed to be 250 years old, serves up fabulous whole sweet-and-sour fish plus hundreds of other choices. Exquisite cuisine, warm greetings and endless patience for non-Chinese-speaking foreign visitors ensure a memorable meal. Local telephone: 0512-67700688,

Robert Selwitz is a freelance travel writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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