Located about 100km west of Shanghai, Suzhou is famous for its canals, bridges and classical gardens; collectively a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

With the Yangtze River Delta to the north-east and surrounded by lakes, it's not surprising Suzhou is often called 'Venice of the East'. There's even a Grand Canal running through Suzhou, north to south, connecting Beijing with Hangzhou.

While many tourists might choose the easy option and take a boat tour on the Weichang River, it's easy enough to walk around on foot and discover the quiet backwaters of this 2,500 year-old city; founded in 514 BC as Helü, in the Kingdom of Wu.

An old Chinese proverb says, 'In heaven there is paradise, on earth there are Hangzhou and Suzhou'.

https://travelnotes.org/pics/Asia/04-Suzhou_Canals_China.htm