China: A temple building seen from the pagoda, Beisi Ta or North Temple Pagoda, Suzhou

The octagonal North Temple Pagoda (Beisi Ta) is nine storeys and 76m high and dates from the late 10th century.

Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ‘Venice of the East’ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ‘In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou’.

The city’s love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.

Copyright:

CPA Media Co. Ltd.

Photographer:

David Henley

Credit:

Pictures From Asia