But Chinese historians, tour leaders and journalists here and in China warned us not to expect much, that the Suzhou gardens had been ruined by brutal restoration and masses of tourists and had no plants.

SHANGHAI: To get an idea what the Suzhou gardens are like, visit the Yu Yuan and adjacent teahouse in the center of Shanghai.

The oldest Suzhou garden that can be seen today is the Blue Wave Pavilion, built in 1044 by the Song Dynasty poet Su Shunqing.

In 1997, it was recognized with other classical Suzhou gardens as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The garden was built in the late Qing Dynasty in late 19th century, and is the most recently built Suzhou gardens.

It has been described as one of the most representative Suzhou gardens, comprising a garden, a lotus pond, residences, artificial villages and ancestral halls.

Because the garden incorporates all the elements of the various Suzhou gardens, it is sometimes regarded as an agglomeration of Suzhou's garden culture.

In 2001, the Retreat & Reflection Garden was recognized with other classical Suzhou gardens as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It was all tied into his theory of illusion that the master had taught him in a faraway Suzhou garden.

It is recognized with other classical Suzhou gardens as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.