Suzhou Museum

204 Dongbei St, Gusu Qu, Suzhou Shi, Jiangsu Sheng, China, 215000

Pressed for time, there are different ways to visit a museum, especially one by a famous architect such as I. M. Pei. You can take a look at a small portion the displayed artifacts, or you can step back, and take in the space. Having experienced a number of I. M. Pei’s buildings (the Pyramid in the Louvre in Paris, or the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar) in person, I was curious to walk through the exhibition halls and stunning garden, to take a closer look at the architecture. It’s a curious departure from the much grander, much more gregarious buildings I’d seen of his, but its history, and surroundings put it into perspective for me. Without writing a dissertation here, I. M. Pei spent his childhood in Suzhou, so coming back to build a modern Museum in an ancient neighborhood must have been an interesting challenge, to say the least. The museum houses an overwhelming amount of paintings, calligraphy, porcelain and unearthed relics. Docent lead tours are available in English (highly recommended). OPEN: 7:30AM - 5:00PM (Tuesday to Sunday) Ticket price: FREE 100 RMB for English docent tours or Audio Guides for 30 RMB >>>A heartfelt xièxiè (谢谢) to the incredible and extremely hardworking teams at Suzhou Municipal Tourism Administration and PHG Consulting for a fascinating 4 days in Suzhou, China. @visitsuzhou #visitsuzhou

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I. M. Pei's Suzhou Museum

Pressed for time, there are different ways to visit a museum, especially one by a famous architect such as I. M. Pei. You can take a look at a small portion the displayed artifacts, or you can step back, and take in the space. Having experienced a number of I. M. Pei’s buildings (the Pyramid in the Louvre in Paris, or the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar) in person, I was curious to walk through the exhibition halls and stunning garden, to take a closer look at the architecture. It’s a curious departure from the much grander, much more gregarious buildings I’d seen of his, but its history, and surroundings put it into perspective for me. Without writing a dissertation here, I. M. Pei spent his childhood in Suzhou, so coming back to build a modern Museum in an ancient neighborhood must have been an interesting challenge, to say the least. The museum houses an overwhelming amount of paintings, calligraphy, porcelain and unearthed relics. Docent lead tours are available in English (highly recommended). OPEN: 7:30AM - 5:00PM (Tuesday to Sunday) Ticket price: FREE 100 RMB for English docent tours or Audio Guides for 30 RMB >>>A heartfelt xièxiè (谢谢) to the incredible and extremely hardworking teams at Suzhou Municipal Tourism Administration and PHG Consulting for a fascinating 4 days in Suzhou, China. @visitsuzhou #visitsuzhou

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