Located by the Jinji Lake, Ligong Dyke is a hundred-year-old dyke with a total length of 1400 meters, connecting Fengqing Water Street and the inner lake to the west, facing Jinji Lake Avenue to the south, and extending to Wanghujiao in the east, forming a peninsula that extends northward into the Jinji Lake. It is an open national 5A-level tourist attraction and an important part of the Jinji Lake Scenic Area. It is also the first “commercial street characterized by Chinese elements” in Suzhou.
Ligong Dyke, with its intricate tapestry of cultural integration, scenic beauty, amusement, leisure, culinary delights, shopping, artistic expression, and exhibition, presents a water-centric commercial thoroughfare where style and classicism, trade and culture converge. The historical and cultural treasures of “Li Chaoqiong, the upright county magistrate who raised funds to construct the dam”, the bridge-dam ethos of “nine bridges, three steles, and two pavilions”, the Jiangnan water town’s architectural marvels of “white walls and dark blue tiles, sinuous balustrades and intricate brick carvings”, and the lakeside park resembling a Suzhou garden-style courtyard, meld seamlessly with the Jinji Lake landscape, infusing Ligong Dyke with an iridescent and dynamic radiance.
At the Ligong Dyke, visitors can embark on a cultural journey that transcends time by exploring the iconic cultural enclaves such as Laozi Square, Youth Sculptor Exchange Center, Yao Jianping Embroidery Art Museum, Ming Art Museum, and Pastel Painting Art Museum, each exuding a historical and aesthetic allure imbued with the rich cultural heritage.
Ligong Dyke has also created a series of branded events of social and cultural significance. These events include the “Suzhou Jinji Lake Biennale” curated by Wu Weishan, the director of the National Art Museum of China, the exhibition of works by the sculptors of the French Academy of Fine Arts, the International Pastel Painting Exchange event, the France-China Cultural Exchange Exhibition, etc. Additionally, locally themed events such as the Suzhou Street Painting Art Festival, the Dyke Cultural Gathering, and the Suzhou Youth Arts Festival have been thoughtfully orchestrated to promote cultural exchange between China and other countries.
