China: A lady with bound feet playing a musical instrument is attended by her maid in a Suzhou garden, late 19th century.
Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the 'Venice of the East' by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: 'In Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhou'. <br/><br/>
At the time of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) There were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.