Enjoy crape myrtle flowers at gardens and scenic areas in Suzhou

As the crape myrtle flower (Ziwei Hua in Chinese) sounds like Ziwei Star, it has been regarded as a symbol of wealth, high rank and glory since ancient times. Its blooming season stretches all the way from midsummer into late autumn, which earned it the graceful nickname "Hundred-Day Red." 
Across classical gardens in the ancient city of Suzhou, crape myrtle in summer is an indispensable sight. Growing by rockeries and ponds or against whitewashed walls, it adds a note of quiet elegance to the scorching days.

Yiyuan Garden怡园

Address: 1265 Renmin Road, Gusu District

Admission: ¥15
To the south of Baishi Pavilion stands a 650-year-old white crape myrtle said to have been planted by Wu Kuan, a zhuangyuan (top scholar) in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Known as the "Zhuangyuan Wei," it bursts into snow-white blossoms in late summer and autumn, and it is the most legendary living relic in the garden.

Quyuan Garden

Address: 43 Mayike Lane, Gusu District

Admission: Free (closed on Mondays)
This crape myrtle has weathered more than 220 years as a legacy of the late-Qing master of Chinese classical learning Yu Yue who once lived here, draping its flowering branches low and casting dappled shade, as if still telling bygone days of studying.

Master of the Nets Garden

Address: 11 Kuojiatou Lane, Gusu District

Admission: ¥30 (Jan-Mar, Jun, Nov-Dec), ¥40 (Apr-May, Jul-Oct)
When the two white crape myrtles beside Caixia Pool are in full bloom, they are as pure as drifting clouds. In the small courtyard of the Peony Study, a pink crape myrtle flowers luxuriantly against the lake rocks, its branches heavy with blossoms. Together with the pool water and winding corridors, it forms the garden's most enchanting summer scene.

Garden of Cultivation艺圃

Address: 5 Wenya Lane, Gusu District

Admission: ¥10
This small Ming-dynasty garden is celebrated for its waterscape. Each summer, the crape myrtle blossoms by the pool weigh down the branches, with their reflections on the water echoing the lotus flowers nearby. It embodies both an air of nobility and the subtle charm typical of Jiangnan gardens.

Suzhou (China) Flower Botanical Garden

Address: Intersection of Taiyang Road and Guangji North Road, Yuanhe Subdistrict, Xiangcheng District

Admission: ¥20
The garden treasures an ancient crape myrtle tree nearly 1,200 years old, its trunk over two meters in diameter and its height exceeding four meters. Despite a thousand years of vicissitudes, it still flowers every midsummer. Hailed as the treasure of the garden, it is a truly breathtaking sight.

Photos/Suzhou (China) Flower Botanical Garden

Recommended Crape Myrtle City Walk Routes:

Route 1: Yiyuan Garden→Quyuan Garden→Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty环秀山庄→Garden of Cultivation

Route 2: Master of the Nets Garden→Shiquan Street十全街→Confucian Temple苏州文庙→Keyuan Garden可园→Canglang Pavilion沧浪亭

Source: 好玩苏州 (WeChat ID: suzhouwlv); Photos: William