Time-tested adages sing praises of Suzhou, and Michael Paul Franklin finds it's not hard to understand why on a recent visit.

Many cities have slogans to entice you to visit and spend your tourist dollars. These are usually written by some tourism office or travel agency, and no matter how clever or well thought out, they often fall on the deaf ears of seasoned travelers or the cynical.

But there are adages that are time-tested - like this one, which roughly translates to: Up in the sky there is heaven, down on earth there is Suzhou and Hangzhou.

That's a pretty bold declaration when you consider the size of China and the many beautiful places to see within its borders. Yet, Suzhou's beauty has won it boasting rights.

Suzhou, built in 514 BC, has a storied past.

Marco Polo spent time there in 1276 while on the Silk Road. Sun Tzu wrote The Art of War in Suzhou when it was the kingdom of Wu.

While famous for its gardens, Suzhou has long been inspirational to artists, musicians and craftsmen. There is far more to Suzhou than its gardens - ancient temples, canals and respect for art, just for starters.

There is a peaceful air that reflects the soul of the area. You can see that it is a city trying to remain very livable and keep its beauty even as it grows. The feeling is intangible, but you know it's there.

Perhaps it's the smiles you see on the streets, or maybe the way they take care of the elderly in the city. Maybe it is the way they promote art and culture as the government provides studio space for artists to work on their traditional skills - or it could be that there are pockets of beauty all over the city.

You don't have to go far to find one of these to escape the honking horns or the electric bikes, and find your own little piece of Heaven on Earth.

(China Daily 05/15/2011 page6)