Whether you are making a business trip to the East or planning your winter getaway to warmer climates, travelling is a past time that allows the enthusiastic tourist an opportunity to escape into a different place and sometimes, a different time. For those visiting many parts of Asia, it appears as though time has halted. The Pan Gate in Suzhou in the Republic of China is one such example.
Known as Pan Men and sometimes as Panmen Gate, this attraction is found in close proximity to the Main Canal in Suzhou. Intriguingly, the Pan Gate itself is believed to be over two thousand five hundred years old while historians believe that it was constructed as part of the wall surrounding Suzhou in 514 BC. Pan Gate served as the only entrance to the area and is therefore, a remarkable site of importance in the history of the area. Predictably constructed during the Era of Warring States, the gate served as a form of restriction and monitoring of those who came and went from Suzhou. In modern times, tourists will be delighted to note that no such restrictions exist and a special Pan Gate Scenic Area has been declared. This Scenic Area displays the Ruiguang Pagoda, believed to be the oldest pagoda built in the area itself, the Pan Gate and the Wu Gate Bridge. At the time of construction, the latter was said to be the highest bridge in the city and facilitated entrance to the city over a passage of water.
In Suzhou, both the Pan Gate and the Wu Gate Bridge are very well known and as a result, the duo is frequently referred to as the Land and Water Gate and is enthusiastically visited by those residing in Suzhou apartments. For those residing at Citadines Xinghai Suzhou, make your way to the Railway Station and take the No. 2 Tourist Bus to visit this fascinating place.
Nigel Walters is a travel writer, who writes under the pen name, Fritzjames Stephen. His content is based on the myriad of experiences and indulgences that the world has to offer travellers across all walks of life.
