The Suzhou Museum encompasses both the newly opened museum since 2006 and the ancient architecture of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom’s Loyal King’s Mansion (old museum), resembling a miniature garden. Inside the new museum, one can admire artifacts such as pottery, jade, and calligraphy from ancient times to modern, while the Loyal King’s Mansion displays the elegant ‘Suzhou-style painting’. The entrance is through the new museum’s main gate, and the exit is through the Loyal King’s Mansion’s gate. Upon entering, take a moment to appreciate the architecture of the new museum, designed by the master architect I.M. Pei, which features traditional Suzhou garden style with interlocking levels, dark gray roofs complementing white walls, creating a fresh and elegant atmosphere. The pyramid-shaped glass skylights on the roof fill the museum with natural light, a feature visible at the entrance, skylight corridors, cool halls, and various exhibition halls. The museum also includes courtyards, ponds, and stone bridges, blending tradition with modernity. Strolling through the new museum’s courtyard, one can enjoy the blue sky, white walls, green bamboo, and clear water, providing great comfort; walking on the stone bridges reveals unique sandstone paintings beneath the white walls, which are worth capturing in photos. The museum houses four permanent exhibitions with distinctive Suzhou characteristics: ‘Treasures of Wu Land’, ‘National Treasures of Wu Pagodas’, ‘Elegance of Wu Culture’, and ‘Calligraphy and Painting of Wu School’. It contains many artifacts discovered from Tiger Hill Pagoda and Rui Guang Pagoda, including two must-see treasures displayed in ‘National Treasures of Wu Pagodas’: the ‘Yue Kiln Secret Color Porcelain Lotus Bowl’, composed of a bowl and a saucer, featuring large petal lotus reliefs that are very elegant and crystal clear; and the ‘Pearl and Gem Stupa’, a container for storing relics made of pearls and other seven treasures, dazzling and eye-catching. In addition, the museum also has folk customs exhibitions to understand the customs and habits of the Suzhou area; it also regularly hosts temporary thematic exhibitions, such as ‘Ming and Qing Dynasty Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition’. In the Loyal King’s Mansion, visitors can tour the ancient architecture from the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom period, feeling the atmosphere of that time, with the courtyard filled with many flowers, plants, and trees, pleasing to the eye. Opening hours: 07/02-09/01 Tuesday-Sunday 09:00-20:00; 09/02-12/31 Tuesday-Sunday 09:00-17:00; 01/01-06/30 Tuesday-Sunday 09:00-17:00; National Day 09:00-20:00. The Suzhou Museum may temporarily close for major events or important equipment maintenance, and public notice will be given accordingly. Service facilities include luggage storage.
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