Pingjiang Road Historical and Cultural Block in Suzhou
苏州市平江历史文化街区
With a history of more than 2,500 years, the block is located in the northeast of Suzhou old city, and is the most complete, best preserved and largest historical neighborhood in Suzhou, an eastern Chinese city in Jiangsu province.
The world famous Ouyuan Garden, or the coupling garden, one of the four classical gardens in Suzhou and a UNESCO world cultural heritage, is located in the historical block, and is now the World Cultural Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia-Pacific Region.
The China Museum for Kunqu Opera, which UNESCO lists as a masterpiece of the oral and intangible cultural heritages of humanity, and a related exhibition on Kunqu art, are also located there.
The Pingjiang Road block has more than 100 provincial and municipal cultural relics and over 100 ancient urban points of note such as city walls, a river way, bridges, streets and alleys, houses, gardens, halls, temples, old wells, ancient trees and old arches.
Famous attractions:
China Museum for Kunqu Opera, Suzhou Pingtan Museum
Situated near the Kunqu Opera Museum is Suzhou Pingtan Museum. Suzhou Pingtan is a storytelling with music and singing in the Suzhou dialect.
Originating in Suzhou 400 years ago, it is regarded as one of three unique culture heritages of Suzhou together with Kunqu Opera and the Suzhou Classic Gardens.