I.M. Pei's gift to Suzhou.

As a Suzhou native, I've been to museums in many other cities, but never to the Suzhou Museum. Today, I took my parents to experience the gift that I.M. Pei gave to Suzhou. Seniors over 60 years old do not need to make a reservation, but accompanying persons do. Reservations can be made up to 7 days in advance. Suzhou Museum is said to be one of the most difficult museums to book in China. To be honest, Suzhou Museum is the most beautiful Chinese-style museum I've ever seen, combining the water charm of Jiangnan, Suzhou gardens, the ancient architectural style of Suzhou, and modern light and shadow design. The beautiful art hall that I.M. Pei designed for his hometown even amazed me more than the collection itself. It's hard to imagine that it was designed by an 85-year-old man. I.M. Pei spent most of his childhood in Suzhou immersed in gardens, growing up in the Lion Grove Garden (famous Pei family), so the concept of harmony between man and nature in Suzhou gardens had a profound influence on him. I.M. Pei's main works include the Louvre Pyramid in Paris, the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, the Miho Museum in Japan, and the Suzhou Museum. Suzhou Museum is not only a gift from I.M. Pei to his hometown of Suzhou, giving Suzhou culture a new breath of life, but also a new way to present Chinese architecture to the world. What relics does Suzhou Museum have? The three treasures of the museum are the Pearl Sarira Pagoda, the Secret Color Porcelain Lotus Bowl, and the Painted Wooden Box with Four Heavenly Kings. Although the Pearl Sarira Pagoda is a replica, it is super exquisite, with tens of thousands of pearls, glass, and agate, and a dragon coiled on it. As a layman, I am very satisfied with the replica. You can't tell the real from the fake without being told. The real one is kept underground. The Secret Color Porcelain Lotus Bowl in the first-floor exhibition hall has a background of green bamboo specially designed by I.M. Pei to set off its secret color. The green bamboo was transported and planted from other places, which shows the great effort put into it. The Secret Color Porcelain Lotus Bowl of the Yue Kiln in the Five Dynasties is one of the treasures of Suzhou Museum and one of the 195 cultural relics prohibited from leaving the country.