The Master of Nets Garden Guide

The Master of the Nets Garden, located in Suzhou, is the smallest but finest masterpiece of Suzhou classical gardens. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site with other classical gardens. The Master of the Nets Garden is a clear example of that the smallest package can contain the most magnificent gift. It is the smallest but most impressive one because of its efficient space utilization which creates an illusion of much more spacious than its actual size even with an atmasphere of tranquility and harmony that this humble garden embodies. The garden was first constructed in 1140

AD by the Southern Song Dynasty government official Shi Zhengzhi. Then named the Fisherman's Retreat (Yuyin), it was inspired by the simple and solitary life of Chinese fisherman. The garden subsequently fell into disarray until six centuries later it was restored by Song Zongyuan, a retired official during Emperor Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty. He drastically redesigned the garden and added multiple buildings, but retained the humble spirit of the site when renaming it the Master of the Nets. Covering an area of 0.6 hectare, the Master of the Nets Garden is divided into two sections

with the eastern part as residential quarters and the western as the garden. The residential area consists of: the entrance hall, the sedan-chair hall, the major hall, a two-story Hall of Captured Grace and a back yard. This particular garden is easy to walk around and not particular large; however, the garden is filled with many mazelike paths that will allow visitors to spend some quality time enjoying the scenery. There is also an art gallery inside filled with local Suzhou works of art that can be purchased if so desired. 
Tickets: CNY 30 (Apr.16 - Oct.30); CNY 20 (Oct.31 - Apr.15); CNY 80 at night                 Contact number: +86 512 65296567                  Location: No.11 Kuojiatouxiang, Daiqiao Road, Canglang District           Opening Hours: 08:00 to 17:00 

• Water Town Tongli
• The Lingering Garden
• The Ancient Grand Canal
• The Master of Nets Garden
• Silk Embroidery Factory
• Tiger Hill
• Xuanmiao Taoist Temple
• Panmen Scenic Zone
• Shiquan Culture Street
• Zhouzhuang town
• Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty
• The Garden of Cultivation
• Lingering Garden
• Suzhou Museum
• Lion Grove Garden
• Hanshan Temple
• Jinji Lake
• Shantang Street