Being a key natural city, suzhou has today 417 protected cultural relics, among which 12 are national and 89 are provincial, an amount just behind Beijing and Xi'an.   The ancient city of suzhou lies amid the crisscrossed waterways, which parallel with the streets. The residences have a street running in front and a canal behind, forming the typical scenery of "exquisite bridges span the waterways, along which houses line uneven".

The classical gardens of suzhou lead the world. They are wonderful works of art integrated with craft of architecture, carving calligraphy&painting and beauty of mountains, waters, flaowers&trees. Being a perfect combination of natural and artistic beauties, each garden affords a circuitous view that changes at each pace. There are more than 60 gardens in suzhou, among which the Humble Administrator¡¯s Garden and the Lingering Garden are listed among the four most famous classical gardens in China and in the ¡°Catalogue of World Relics¡± together with the Master of Nets Garden and Huanxiu Mountain Villa in December 1997 by UNESCO.

The city of suzhou embodies the beauty of classical gardens and the wonder of mountains&waters. Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries are scattered in both the urban and rural areas of the city. The cultural relics and places of historical interest enhance each other¡¯s beauties. Inscriptions, poems and paintings by men of letters throughut the history make these places of interset enjoy worldwide popularity. There are national places of interest including the Fairy Rock, Tian Ping, Dongting East&West Hills, Dengwei,Yushan, etc. There are also modern tourist attractions such as the Township of Zhouzhuang, Taihu Recreation Garden, etc.   There are as many as 10 comprehensive or specified museums in suzhou, such as suzhou Theatrical Museum, Museum of Local Customs, Museum of Inscribed Stone Tablets, Suzhou Silk Museum, Museum of Suzhou Embroidery Art, Suzhou Coinage Museum, etc. They are becoming a must for the tourist. Besides, Museum of Suzhou Arts and Crafts is to be established.