China Guide
Jiangsu and Zhejiang
Suzhou Museum
Opening time: Daily 8.15am–4.15pm
Price: ¥20
Address: At the intersection of Dongbei Lu and Qimen Lu
Designed by China's premier "starchitect", IM Pei, the Suzhou Museum is by far the most successful of the many attempts to update Suzhou's characteristic white wall and black beam style. The collection, though small, is pretty good too, and there are plenty of English captions. Some exquisitely delicate china and jade pieces are on show in the first two galleries; look out for the ugly toad carved out of jasper. In the painting gallery the Ming image of a duckling will raise a smile, but the museum's highlight is the craft gallery, which holds some fantastically elaborate carvings of Buddhist scenes in bamboo roots.