The Couple's Retreat, Ou Yuan, is a small garden in the Qing style, tucked in a lane in the old quarter of Suzhou and often missed by visitors who head for the larger gardens. The name refers to its layout, which is divided into two parts, east and west, that are joined by a covered walkway, a bit like two halves of a household, and the pairing of the pavilions on each side gives the place its romantic title. It was laid out by a Qing dynasty official and is part of the UNESCO list of Classical Gardens of Suzhou.
What the garden does well is intimacy. The pond is small, the rockeries are compact, and the halls are close to each other, so that you feel more like a guest in a family house than a tourist in a monument. Windows frame views of bamboo and plum trees, with latticed patterns that cast shadows on the floor. A pavilion beside the water is a good place to sit, listen to the sounds of the neighbourhood over the walls and take in the scent of osmanthus in autumn. It is the kind of place where you can imagine a husband and wife arguing over where to put a rock.
As in the rest of Suzhou, riding is not a sensible plan for a visitor. The old streets are narrow and thick with scooters and pedestrians, and foreign riders are hampered by Chinese licence and registration rules. The best way to see the quarter is on foot, by canal boat, or by rented bicycle, and to use taxis and the metro for the rest. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, because summers are hot and sticky and winters are chilly and damp.
You are in the middle of the city, with a shop, a noodle stall or a tea house on every corner, and several million people living nearby. Fuel stations and repair shops are on the outskirts and ring roads. Try the local pastries, such as the sweet green rice balls and the small meat buns called xiaolongbao, and a pot of green tea from nearby Dongting hills. The garden is small and quiet, so visit in the morning on a weekday, and be considerate in the narrow walkways, since a crowd of tour groups makes it feel crowded.