Fodor's Expert Review Blue Wave Pavilion

The oldest existing garden in Suzhou, the Blue Wave Pavilion dates back more than 900 years to the Song Dynasty. With a rambling, maze-like design, the grounds feel a little wilder than other Suzhou gardens. The central pond is surrounded by a wooden walkway; gaze into the water at the reflection of the upturned eaves of the surrounding buildings. More than 100 different latticework motifs in the windows provide visual variety as you saunter through the covered corridor that winds through the grounds. The Pure Fragrance Pavilion showcases Qing Dynasty furniture at its most extreme; the entire suite is created from gnarled banyan root.