1940s. The "Garden of Leisure," for example, built in 1596 with an area of 20,000 square meters, was destroyed by the Japanese invaders and later used as stables by Kuomintang troops in the 1940s.

　　In the early 1950s, a huge campaign was launched to restore the gardens of Suzhou. The best craftsmen from all over China were called in to restore historical doors, windows, bricks, tiles and furniture as well as calligraphy and paintings in the gardens.

　　In the last 20 years, 200 million yuan has been spent on restoring the gardens. A number of research institutes have also been actively involved in the restoration work.

　　More than 50 gardens have been restored. About 30 of these are now open to the public. The Suzhou municipal government and more than 130 factories have moved out of the old city area to help preserve the gardens. More than 800 historical lanes and about 200 bridges have been restored.

　　"Suzhou gardens are unparalleled. Their preservation and protection by the Chinese is internationally recognized," said Bernd Von Droste, director of UNESCO's World Heritage Center.

　　Suzhou gardens were put on UNESCO's World Heritage list in December 1997.

Xu Wentao, director of the Suzhou Gardens Bureau, said that the gardens are Suzhou's most