Mudu, 10 km west of Suzhou, is a famous historical and cultural town. Its name, 'Mudu', meaning 'timbers blocking the river', came from a legendary story, which says that during the Spring and Autumn Period, when King Wu was building 'Guanwa Palace' for his concubine Xishi, the huge amount of timbers rafted here blocked the river.

With numerous Ming and Qing dynasty gardens, Mudu is famed as a town of gardens. Another special feature of the town is its numerous bridges and plenty of waters. The one-square-kilometer town proper once had 72.5 bridges, 41 of which still exist, each having its unique design. In terms of density of bridges, Mudu doubtlessly exceeds Venice.