What exactly is the Su-style lifestyle? What makes Suzhou gardens so beautiful? On April 13th, during the 18th "Oriental Water City" China Suzhou International Tourism Festival, the elegant gathering event "Living in Reading Time – The Aesthetic Meaning of Gardens," jointly organized by the Suzhou Municipal Tourism Bureau and the Book Fragrance Culture Research Institute, was held at the National Reading Culture Communication and Research Base in the North Half Garden on Baota East Road, Suzhou. Nearly 20 national tourism media outlets experienced a unique Su-style lifestyle amid the bookish cultural ambiance and elegant Kunqu opera performances at Pingjiang Mansion, a model garden and scholarly residence.
During the Suzhou Tourism Festival, "Explore the Oriental Water City, Experience the Su-style Lifestyle" was a key highlight promoted by the organizers. As a window into Suzhou tourism, local hotels are the perfect choice to showcase the refined Su-style way of life. To allow national tourism media to truly experience the Su-style lifestyle, the Book Fragrance Culture Research Institute under the Book Fragrance Hotel Group specially invited Ju Yueshi, Vice President of the China Symbol Culture Research Association, to deliver a presentation on the "Aesthetic Meaning of Gardens" in the form of an elegant gathering for media reporters covering the festival in Suzhou.
As an expert in garden culture studies, Ju Yueshi has conducted in-depth research on Suzhou’s garden culture. He is not only the Vice President of the China Symbol Culture Research Association but also an academic committee member of the Architectural History Professional Committee of the Chinese Society for the History of Science and Technology. His representative works include "The Way of Gardens – The Cultural Implications of Suzhou Gardens," "The Unspoken Meaning – Cultural Symbols in Chinese Architecture and Gardens," and "Chinese Architecture and Garden Culture."
The Book Fragrance Mansion Pingjiang, located within the North Half Garden, is a model integration of gardens and hotels, and an excellent choice for out-of-town visitors to experience the Su-style lifestyle and appreciate the beauty of gardens during their trip to Suzhou. At the recently concluded Suzhou Reading Festival, the Book Fragrance Mansion Pingjiang was awarded the title of "National Reading Culture Communication and Research Base" by the China National Reading Alliance, the China Academy of Press and Publication, and the New Reading Research Institute, in recognition of its unique brand philosophy, elegant environment, and outstanding contributions to bookish cultural development. It became the first boutique hotel in China to receive this honor.
At the elegant gathering, national tourism media journalists gathered in the North Half Garden, sipping tea while enjoying the famous guqin piece "Flowing Water" and the Kunqu opera excerpt "Fifteen Strings of Cash – Visiting the Fortune Teller." Amidst the deep courtyards and beautiful gardens, they listened to Ju Yueshi discuss the "aesthetic meaning of classical gardens." Through the appreciation of "The Past and Present of Pingjiang Mansion," they immersed themselves in an authentic Su-style lifestyle experience.
What is the Su-style lifestyle? Ju Yueshi believes that even among Suzhou locals, there are a hundred different ways of living. However, some elements remain essential: classical gardens, small bridges over flowing water, and delicate Su-style snacks. For visitors, when facing garden architectures with similar exteriors, understanding the beauty of Suzhou gardens requires grasping the deeper meanings behind them.
Zhu Wei, General Manager of the Book Fragrance Hotel Group, stated that during the tourism festival, guests staying at the Book Fragrance Mansion Pingjiang can not only experience the beauty of gardens without leaving the hotel but also enjoy exquisite Su-style cuisine. They can even select their favorite books from the hotel’s mobile bookshelves and spend half a day reading amidst the gardens, immersing themselves in a true bookish slow life. Within the ancient city of Gusu, Pingjiang Mansion is arguably the only distinctive hotel that offers such an authentic lifestyle experience. The Book Fragrance Hotel provides guests not just accommodation and meals, but a tangible and perceptible way of life, allowing them to subtly savor and feel the true Su-style lifestyle.