After exploring Rui Guang Pagoda, we went to Cang Lang Pavilion, another scenic attraction. It was a quick taxi ride and we reached around 1.35pm. This would be the first of a series of Suzhou Classical Gardens we intended to explore in Suzhou.

Entering Canglang Pavilion

The surrounding was beautiful before we even entered the attraction. The trees surrounding the place reflected on the mirrored lake and it was very quiet. We were excited for this new exploration as we walked across the bridge to enter.

Historical Canglang Pavilion

At the entrance, we were greeted with information in Chinese about this place being a historical preserved garden. It was inscribed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Basically, the poster in Chinese says that:

HISTORICAL INFORMATION – WHY VISIT?

Cang Lang Pavilion was built in the Song Dynasty, in 1045. It was first acquired by a poet and built specially beside water. In the Yuan Dynasty, it was used as a buddhist temple and maintained by a monk. Later, in the Qing Dynasty, the pavilion was rebuilt and moved to a topmost point by another owner. In 2000, it was listed as a UNESCO heritage site. It was built against the natural settings of the lake and is the only Suzhou Classical Gardens to have a beautiful scenery outside its surroundings before even entering. There are 594 specially carved sculptures of the famous people in Suzhou. There are 108 uniquely designed windows too, which made the buildings attractive. This is the oldest classical garden in Suzhou and it still retains the same original natural layout from the time it was built, giving a “forest in a city” feel.

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Beautiful Canglang Pavilion Garden Walk

This place was not as well-known as the rest of the classical gardens. Thus, with only a handful visitors, we were able to enjoy the serenity of the place. We walked through various parts of the garden, taking pictures at the pretty roofed corridor and admired some intricate carvings on the frames and ancient furnitures.

Explanations were provided in English and Chinese, so we could all read to understand the place we were observing. With the place so quiet, I had to tell my active daughter to lower down her volume as she sometimes laughed too loud while exploring the place.

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Cang Lang Pavilion

We came to the most significant part of “Cang Lang Pavilion” garden- the Cang Lang Pavilion itself.

It is on a high point and we were to walk up some stone steps.

At the top, we discovered a square pavilion with beams having intricate carvings that depicted birds, flowers, animals, and fairy figures. This was where people could sit, drink a cup of tea and observe the surroundings below.

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Bamboo Forest in Canglang Pavilion

Later, we reached a nice stretch of bamboo plants, creating a beautiful palette of green for a perfect picture backdrop. It became my favourite photo of this trip with Ling. We all love bamboo forests.

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[ IN SUMMARY]

Thoughts on Visiting a Classical Suzhou Garden

If you are wondering whether the kids get bored while exploring classical Suzhou gardens…

Well, we had always bring our kids out on nature trips and explorations of old houses or architectures in different countries.

In fact, the kids love to explore such places (architecture/nature) like us, so they had a lot of fun, walking in and out of the different rooms and walking on the nature paths, yes, even the 2.5 yr old.

We often walked, not knowing what would greet us at the end and we were always pleasantly surprised at the beautiful sights.

It was a short exploration since the Cang Lang Pavilion Garden was quite small but we left with some pretty photographs and good memories. I deemed it worthwhile to visit if you like nature and exploration of ancient places.

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3 days 2 nights Suzhou: Day 1 Itinerary

• Pace Hotel
• Panmen Scenic Area
• Ruiguang Pagoda (Inside Panmen)
• Canglang Pavilion
• Suzhou Silk Museum
• Explore Guanqian Street
• Dinner at De Yue Lou Restaurant in Guanqian Street

• Read A Summary Detailed Itinerary of Our China Trip: 9-Day Family Travel Itinerary in China Shanghai, Suzhou & Hangzhou