Skyscrapers reflected at sunset, Jinji Lake, Suzhou, China

Horizons new and old

It's easy to overlook Suzhou on the world map given its proximity to famous Shanghai, but this massively modernized city is steeped in history. Founded more than 2,500 years ago, Suzhou today is dominated by skyscrapers on a carefully designed city plan. Its sleek look is based on urban principles pioneered by Singapore, which struck a deal with China to help develop Suzhou in the 1990s. But as with many of China's metropolises, echoes of the past are preserved amid glass and steel, like the ancient water town of Zhouzhuang and more than 50 classical gardens, some almost a thousand years old.