Suzhou is a well-known historic and cultural city as well as a tourist city of national importance. Praised as "garden city" since ancient time, Suzhou enjoys a high reputation worldwide due to its possession of favorable location and excellent talents. With a long history of two thousand odd years, Suzhou classical gardens take a unique historic position in world gardening history of and become specimen of Oriental gardening art by superb artistic expression of scenery and containment of strong traditional thoughts.
In December, 1997, Suzhou classical gardens were listed as world cultural heritage by UNESCO Heritage Committee.
