Resilience Value and Recovery: The Symbiotic Relationship between Classical Gardens of Suzhou and the Historic Urban Water System

The World Heritage property Classical Gardens of Suzhou (CGS) comprises water-focused cultural landscapes closely integrated with the historic urban water system (HUWS) of the ancient city of Suzhou in China. Historically, the gardens and the water system developed together, influencing and complementing one another in a symbiotic relationship. In response to the combined pressures of climate change and rapid urbanization, the resilience value – that is, the inherent capacity to adapt to and withstand environmental stresses – embedded in this relationship offers critical insights for urban planners, ecologists and cultural heritage agencies working to improve the flood and ecological resilience of gardens and ancient cities. This article surveys relevant scholarship and draws on field visits and interviews. It focuses on the resilience value of the symbiotic relationship that developed between the gardens and the urban water system and reviews key policies and practices since the 1950s. It summarizes efforts that have helped revive the symbiotic relationship and proposes strategies to further promote the recovery of this relationship by drawing on its embedded resilience value to enhance the resilience of both the gardens and the city of Suzhou.