Officials wanted the design to reflect contemporary life, yet height limitations dictated that the structure should not exceed 6 meters. Scholars at Beijing's Tsinghua University suggested that the architect respect the prevalent Suzhou coloration, white and gray, colors that serve as a backdrop for the community's leafy green gardens and streets.

The obvious solution to height limitations, which Pei had employed at the Pyramide du Louvre, would be to depress the building's mass into the Earth. The high water table in Suzhou, a water-encircled city, compounded the difficulty of excavating very deep. Requirements demanding open space and greenery added complexity to a solution that ultimately split the difference: two stories above ground and one below, with a large quadrant on the ground plane left as garden space.

The museum is said to be the final design of his career. "To me, architecture and art are of the same spiritual essence. My goal is to pursue harmony between the two," said the 90-year-old architect in an interview with China Pictorial.

The location of the museum created some controversy in the very beginning, with many people worried that it would ruin the overall style of surrounding ancient architectures and lead to disastrous consequences if something went wrong during construction.

Fortunately, a happy ending ensued. The museum not only became an architectural landmark in Suzhou, but also a significant building bridging traditional Chinese architectural design with modern concepts.

The museum has collected more than 30,000 cultural relics; among them, approximately 250 are classified as top national treasures. The collection enjoys a high reputation for relics, paintings and calligraphy from the Ming and Qing dynasties (between the mid 14th Century and early 20th Century), as well as seals and ancient arts and crafts. The total exhibition area is 3,600 square meters and houses some 1,160 pieces, spanning prehistoric times to recent years.

The museum has been open to public for free since May 18 this year, but there is a limit on the number of daily visitors of 3,000. "The museum used to charge 20 yuan ($2.80) for admission. That was not a lot of money, but for such a frequent visitor as me free admission is really a good thing," said Xia.