Suzhou – Through the moon gate

Going through the moon gate at night along the stone-paved banks of Suzhou is the first steps one should experience to enter the landscape of the “Venice of the East”. This elements of Suzhou’s classical garden architecture marks the transition of the different spaces which should be hidden and only revealed while exploring the city with a contemplative mind.

In the age of overtourism and snapshots , the moon door (yuèliàngmén) is still acting its role as a profound intersection of functional design, landscape philosophy, and poetic symbolism. When cosplayers are trying to catch its essence with multicolor costumes posed at the different scenic spots, the roundness of the stone arch is remembering the visitor to raise the head to observe the moon light hatched by the clouds.

The narrow lanes, flanked by white-washed walls and the dark, sweeping curves of tiled eaves provide the perfect a blank canvas for the mind which finally has found in the calm of the water in the canals its way through the maze.