Culture-Chinese cities

中(Zhōng)国(guó )城(chéng)市(shì)——苏(Sū)州(zhōu)、杭(Háng)州(zhōu)、桂(Guì)林(lín)

In China, there is an old saying, 上(shàng)有(yǒu )天(tiān)堂(táng)，下(xià)有(yǒu )苏(Sū)杭(Háng), meaning up above there is Paradise, down here there are Suzhou and Hangzhou. 苏(Sū)州(zhōu) is famous for its numerous classical gardens, big or small. Among them the top four are the most famous ones and all of which belong to the world cultural heritages. The top four are 拙(Zhuō)政(zhèng)园(yuán)、狮(Shī)子(zi)林(lín)、沧(Cāng)浪(làng)亭(tíng)、留(Liú)园(yuán). Each of them has its own characteristics.

杭(Háng)州(zhōu) is renowned for 西(Xī)湖(hú) (West Lake), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Now it is also leading an important role in the hi-tech and Internet because the headquarter of Alibaba is located there.

There is another old saying, 桂(Guì)林(lín )山(shān)水(shuǐ )甲(jiǎ )天(tiān)下(xià)，meaning east or west, the scenery of Guilin is the best. 桂(Guì)林(lín), a typical karst landform area, is a historical and cultural city as well as a tourist wonderland of world fame. It literally means “cassia tree forest”, named for the local cassia trees, whose scent wafts through the city in autumn. It is also a multi-national city with 11 ethnic groups of the Han, Zhuang, Miao, Yao, etc. The diversity in dresses and social customs of different ethnic groups offers colorful folklife.