Suzhou's Eden

Gardens and pavilions revealing the biodiversity of Suzhou draw visitors during the Ninth Horticultural Exposition of Jiangsu province that runs throught May 10.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Suzhou was where China adopted its first national standards for what constitutes a horticultural city in 1992. This certification has since served as the gold standard for green design.

Over 300 cities and regions have since earned the honorific.

"The policy marks a turning point in China's transformation from an industrial society to a developed nation with traditional foundations," says Wu Wei, a planning professor of Shanghai's Tongji University.

Horticultural cities advance modern urbanity's end goal, Wu believes.

It infuses classical garden settings into heritage that informs contemporary life.

"It's not just government guidelines," he says.