Pingjiang Road ( Chinese : 平江路 ; pinyin : Píngjiāng Lù ), historically known as Shiquan Li (Chinese:十泉里), is a street and historic district in Gusu District (formerly the Pingjiang District ), northeastern Suzhou , Jiangsu , China . It is a well-preserved area and is part of the so-called Old Town of Suzhou.
99-669: In 2015, the Pingjiang Road Historical Block was added to the list of China's "National Historic and Cultural Streets". The main street (Pingjiang Road) is located along Pingjiang He (Chinese:平江河) and is 1,606 metres (5,269 ft) in length. It stretches from Ganjiang Donglu (Chinese:干将东路) in the south to Baita Road East (Chinese:白塔东路) in the northwest, near the Humble Administrator's Garden and Suzhou Museum . The entire historic district covers an area of 0.4 square kilometres (0.15 sq mi). The city of Suzhou
198-677: A French Jesuit who became court painter for the Qianlong Emperor from 1738 to 1768, described the Jade Terrace of the Isle of Immortality in the Lake of the Summer Palace: "That which is a true jewel is a rock or island...which is in the middle of this lake, on which is built a small palace, which contains one hundred rooms or salons...of a beauty and a taste which I am not able to express to you. The view
297-489: A Suzhou garden. A landboat structure, named for the smell of the lotus blossoms in Surging Wave Pond The interior part of a two gatehouse composed of two gates connected by a passage. This was the original gate to the garden. The exterior part of a two gatehouse composed of two gates connected by a passage. This was the original gate to the garden. A square pavilion with hipped gable roofline and flying eveas. It
396-536: A banquet in his garden, and wrote about the event himself: I have a country house at the torrent of the Golden Valley...where there is a spring of pure water, a luxuriant wood, fruit trees, bambo, cypress, and medicinal plants. There are fields, two hundred sheep, chickens, pigs, geese and ducks...There is also a water mill, a fish pond, caves, and everything to beguile the eye and please the heart....With my literary friends, we took walks day and night, feasted, climbed
495-483: A book recording the event of the Orchid Pavilion Gathering , another famous poetry setting at a country retreat called the "Orchid Pavilion". This was a park with a meandering stream. He brought together a group of famous poets, and seated them beside the stream. Then he placed cups of wine in the stream, and let them float. If the cup stopped beside one of the poets, he was obliged to drink it and then compose
594-708: A component of the Classical Gardens of Suzhou . On the garden's site was first built a garden during the Shaoxing period (1131–1162) of the Southern Song dynasty. Afterwards it changed ownership, and was destroyed or modified continually. It was the residence and garden of Lu Guimeng , a Tang dynasty scholar. Later in the Yuan dynasty it became the Dahong Temple's garden. In 1513, Wang Xianchen, an Imperial Envoy and poet of
693-763: A daughter named Deguan . The couple returned to Suzhou in 1893 and made 29 Xuanqiao Lane home, neighboring Hong Jun's former residence. However, two months after their return, Hong Jun became sick and died at age 55. Sai Jinhua was forced to leave the house after Hong's death and carried on her profession as a courtesan in Shanghai . Pingjiang Road is within walking distance to the Xiangmen Station of Line 1 , Suzhou Rail Transit . Humble Administrator%27s Garden The Humble Administrator's Garden ( Chinese : 拙政园 ; pinyin : Zhuōzhèng yuán ; Suzhou Wu : Wu Chinese pronunciation: [tsoʔ tsen ɦyø] )
792-567: A few buildings around a central great lawn and pond combination. The lawn is ringed by a grove of crape myrtle trees in allusion to the Tang dynasty State Secretariat which was nicknamed the Crape Myrtle Department. Central Garden : This section is composed of many scenes arranged around the "Surging Wave" Pond. Within the pond three islands recreate the scenery of the fairy islands of the east sea (see Penglai ). Western Garden : This part
891-561: A garden with a large lake called Lanchi gong or the Lake of the Orchids . On an island in the lake he created a replica of Mount Penglai, symbolizing his search for paradise. After his death, the Qin Empire fell in 206 BC and his capital city and garden were completely destroyed, but the legend continued to inspire Chinese gardens. Some gardens have a single island with an artificial mountain representing
990-555: A hilltop viewing pavilion. Other lakeside pavilions were added, including a reverence hall, a recitation hall, and a special pavilion for watching the fish. Over the centuries it was much modified, but still keeps its essential plan. Another Song dynasty garden still in existence is the Master of the Nets Garden in Suzhou. It was created in 1141 by Shi Zhengzhi , Deputy Civil Service Minister of
1089-656: A level never seen before, and new gardens, large and small, filled the capital city, Chang'an . The new gardens, were inspired by classical legends and poems. There were shanchi yuan , gardens with artificial mountains and ponds, inspired by the legend of the isles of immortals, and shanting yuan , gardens with replicas of mountains and small viewing houses, or pavilions. Even ordinary residences had tiny gardens in their courtyards, with terracotta mountains and small ponds. These Chinese classical gardens, or scholar's gardens ( wenren yuan ), were inspired by, and in turn inspired, classical Chinese poetry and painting. A notable example
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#17328694708101188-460: A life suits a retired official like me well". This verse symbolized Wang's desire to retire from politics and adopt a hermit's life in the manner of Tao Yuanming . In the Xianju rhyme-prose, he writes 'This is the way of ruling for an unsuccessful politician'. It took 16 years until 1526 to complete. Wen Zhengming wrote an essay Notes of Wang's Humble Administrator's Garden , and painted Landscapes of
1287-637: A maze of connected pools and islands. It consists of three major parts set about a large lake: the central part (Zhuozheng Yuan), the eastern part (once called Guitianyuanju, Dwelling Upon Return to the Countryside), and a western part (the Supplementary Garden). The house lies in the south of the garden. In total, the garden contains 48 different buildings with 101 tablets, 40 steles, 21 precious old trees, and over 700 Suzhou-style penjing /penzai. According to Lou Qingxi [ zh ] , compared with
1386-573: A mountain to view the scenery, and sat by the side of the stream. This visit to the garden resulted in a famous collection of poems, Jingu Shi , or Poems of the Golden Valley , and launched a long tradition of writing poetry in and about gardens. The poet and calligrapher Wang Xizhi (307–365) wrote in his excellent calligraphy the Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion introducing
1485-610: A noted Classical Garden located within the historic district, is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Classical Gardens of Suzhou . Guanqian Street is also in walking distance. There are two national-class and 12 provincial-class protection units within the historic district. Pingjiang Road undergone a major renovation prior to the 28th Session of the World Heritage Committee which took place in Suzhou in 2004. There are 18 stone bridges in
1584-535: A pagoda. The 16th-century Chinese writer and philosopher Ji Cheng instructed garden builders to "hide the vulgar and the common as far as the eye can see, and include the excellent and the splendid." Some early Western visitors to the imperial Chinese gardens felt they were chaotic, crowded with buildings in different styles, without any seeming order. But the Jesuit priest Jean Denis Attiret , who lived in China from 1739 and
1683-626: A poem for each scene in the garden and commissioned a famous artist, to paint scenes of the garden on the walls of his villa. After retiring from the government, he passed his time taking boat trips on the lake, playing the cithare and writing and reciting poetry. During the Tang dynasty, plant cultivation was developed to an advanced level, with many plant species being grown by means of plant introduction , domestication , transplantation , and grafting . The aesthetic properties of plants were highlighted, while numerous books on plant classification and cultivation were published. The capital, Chang'an ,
1782-577: A poem. The garden of the floating cup ( liubei tang ), with small pavilions and artificial winding streams, became extremely popular in both imperial and private gardens. The Orchid Pavilion inspired Emperor Yang (604–617) of the Sui dynasty to build his new imperial garden, the Garden of the West , near Hangzhou . His garden had a meandering stream for floating glasses of wine and pavilions for writing poetry. He also used
1881-490: A scholar and diplomat temporarily residing on 27 Xuanqiao Lane, Pingjiang Road, met 20-year-old Sai Jinhua in 1886, then as a prostitute while on a flower boat. At the time Hong Jun was in mourning due to his mother's death. Hong Jun made Sai Jinhua his concubine one year after meeting her. Sai Jinhua followed Hong Jun in his diplomatic visits to Russia , Germany , Australia and the Netherlands , Sai Jinhua also gave birth to
1980-652: A view of the lake and the mountains. In 1271, Kublai Khan established the Mongol -led Yuan dynasty in China. By 1279, he annihilated the last resistance of the Song dynasty and unified China under Mongol rule. He established a new capital on the site of present-day Beijing , called Dadu , the Great Capital. The most famous garden of the Yuan dynasty was Kublai Khan's summer palace and garden at Xanadu . The Venetian traveler Marco Polo
2079-417: Is "lined with houses that embody Suzhou’s style – graceful, simple and timeless. Pingjiang Road gives an insight into the leisurely existence of the city’s residents. [It is a] centre of Suzhou's artistic life, lined with bookshops and local opera theatres. There are also several teahouses, where people gather for performances of traditional storytelling and ballad singing". Couple's Retreat Garden (Ou Yuan),
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#17328694708102178-480: Is a Chinese garden in Suzhou , a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most famous of the gardens of Suzhou. The garden is located at 178 Northeast Street (东北街178号), Gusu District . At 78 mu ( 亩 ) (5.2 ha; 13 acres), it is the largest garden in Suzhou and is considered by some to be the finest garden in all of southern China. In 1997, Humble Administrator's Garden was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site as
2277-723: Is a model of Chinese aesthetics, reflecting the profound philosophical thinking and pursuit of life of the Chinese people. Among them, Chengde Mountain Resort and the Summer Palace , which belong to royal gardens, and several the Classical Gardens of Suzhou in Jiangsu Province , which belong to private gardens, are also included in the World Heritage List by UNESCO . Many essential elements are used in Chinese gardens, and Moon Gate
2376-617: Is admirable... Their construction and improvement consumed a large part of the imperial treasury. Empress Dowager Cixi famously diverted money intended for the modernization of the Beiyang Fleet and used it to restore the Summer Palace and the marble teahouse in the shape of boat on Lake Kunming . Both the Summer Palace and Old Summer Palace were destroyed during the Boxer Rebellion and by punitive expeditions of European armies during
2475-402: Is an allusion to a story by Li Bai about a red flower blooming from the tip of his brush that became a symbol of creativity. It is a three bay hall with a walled courtyard attached to the front. It is named for the magnolia trees in the courtyard and functioned as Wen Zhengming's studio. Named for a verse by Tao Yuanming , "As I pick chrysanthemums on the eastern fence, my eyes fall leisurely on
2574-606: Is believed to have visited Xanadu in about 1275, and described the garden this way: "Round this Palace a wall is built, inclosing a compass of 16 miles, and inside the Park there are fountains and rivers and brooks, and beautiful meadows, with all kinds of wild animals (excluding such as are of ferocious nature), which the Emperor has procured and placed there to supply food for his gerfalcons and hawks, which he keeps there in mew. Of these there are more than 200 gerfalcons alone, without reckoning
2673-768: Is built around a pond, with the Longevity Pavilion on the north side, the Fry Pavilion on the east side, a dramatic rock garden on the south, and the creator's study, the Humble House, to the west. The Qing dynasty was the last dynasty of China. The most famous gardens in China during this period were the Summer Palace and the Old Summer Palace in Beijing. Both gardens became symbols of luxury and refinement, and were widely described by European visitors. Father Attiret,
2772-471: Is enclosed on four sides as a winter retreat for viewing Flying Rainbow Bridge. Named for the surrounding Loquat ( Eriobotrya japonica ) grove. The overall composition of building and plants is one several mini-gardens. A hexagonal pavilion with flying eves, sited in the middle of the pond. It is named for a verse by Li Hongyi, "Green willow foliage connects twin bridges; gentle breeze sends in lotus scent from around". Also called Blooming Brush Hall, which
2871-558: Is freestanding and fan shaped. A terrace with two wings built over a pond. it is named for a verse by Chu Guangxi , "Waterweeds in the pond look dark green". Also called the Angling Terrace. Chinese garden The Chinese garden is a landscape garden style which has evolved over three thousand years. It includes both the vast gardens of the Chinese emperors and members of the imperial family, built for pleasure and to impress, and
2970-455: Is mounted in the middle. Also called the Southern Hall, it is a three bay hall with a portico on four sides. The roofline is hipped-gable with flying eves. The hall is named after a nearby bamboo grove. The main hall of the central garden, it is three bays wide and open on four sides. It has with a hipped-gable roofline with flying eves, and a portico on all four sides. It was rebuilt during
3069-437: Is one of them. A typical Chinese garden is enclosed by walls and includes one or more ponds, rock works, trees and flowers, and an assortment of halls and pavilions within the garden, connected by winding paths and zig-zag galleries. By moving from structure to structure, visitors can view a series of carefully composed scenes, unrolling like a scroll of landscape paintings. The earliest recorded Chinese gardens were created in
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3168-401: Is only half the size of the central part, and is also mainly dominated by water. The pond runs from north to south, and at the central part rises an islet. Although small, it is planned with meticulous care and precision. The buildings, though numerous, do not clutter; small mountains and ponds do not give a cramped impression. Facing the garden gate, this dragon wall marked the garden entry on
3267-563: Is open and all sides and sited over the water, to enjoy the reflection of willows in the winter. Also called the Pavilion of Exqusitiness, it is inspired by a verse by Su Shunqin, "Autumn drops in and tinges the dark woods red; moonlight pours down and grants the bamboo groves an exquisite look". It has a hipped gable roofline with flying eves. Named for the sound of rain on banana trees. It anchors an enclosed courtyard with rockery and pond. A three bay terrace hall with portico built on piers over
3366-534: Is still visible today. Despite the Mongol invasion, the classical Chinese scholar's garden continued to flourish in other parts of China. An excellent example was the Lion Grove Garden in Suzhou. It was built in 1342, and took its name from the collection of fantastic and grotesque assemblies of rocks, taken from Lake Tai. Some of them were said to look like the heads of lions. The Kangxi and Qianlong emperors of
3465-630: Is unreasonably optimistic, and he underlines that Liu Dunzhen and others tend to imply that, "despite the vicissitudes of history, there is continuity at the much more important level of essence". Xue Zhijian, the curator of the garden and of the Suzhou Garden Museum, explained the exquisite design and aesthetic value of the Humble Administrator's Garden, the largest of Suzhou's gardens. "This style of Suzhou old style garden has numerous layers," Xue says. "There are four particular components:
3564-504: The Couple's Retreat Garden (1723–1736) and the Retreat & Reflection Garden (1885), both in Suzhou. A Chinese garden was not meant to be seen all at once; the plan of a classical Chinese garden presented the visitor with a series of perfectly composed and framed glimpses of scenery; a view of a pond, or of a rock, or a grove of bamboo, a blossoming tree, or a view of a distant mountain peak or
3663-552: The Garden of the North ( Beiyuan ) and the Garden of the South ( Nanyuan ), both belonged to Shen Dehe , Grand Minister to Emperor Gaozong (1131–1162). The Garden of the South was a classic mountain-and-lake (shanshui) garden; it had a lake with an Island of Immortality ( Penglai dao ), on which were three great boulders from Taihu. The Garden of the South was a water garden, with five large lakes connected to Lake Tai. A terrace gave visitors
3762-465: The Humble Administrator's Garden , was a little over ten hectares in area, with one fifth of the garden occupied by the pond. But they did not have to be large. Ji Cheng built a garden for Wu Youyu, the Treasurer of Jinling , that was just under one hectare in size, and the tour of the garden was only four hundred steps long from the entrance to the last viewing point, but Wu Youyu said it contained all
3861-564: The Ming dynasty , created a garden on the site of the dilapidated Dahong Temple which had been burnt during the Ming conquest. In 1510, he retired to his native home of Suzhou on the occasion of his father's death. He had experienced a tumultuous official life punctuated by various demotions and promotions, and gave up his last official post as magistrate of Yongjia county in Zhejiang province, and began to work on
3960-617: The Qing dynasty each visited the garden several times, and used it as model for their own summer garden, the Garden of Perfect Splendor , at the Chengde Mountain Resort . In 1368, forces of the Ming dynasty , led by Zhu Yuanzhang , captured Dadu from the Mongols and overthrew the Yuan dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the Yuan palaces in Dadu to be burned down. The most famous existing garden from
4059-556: The Spring and Autumn period (722–481 BC), in 535 BC, the Terrace of Shanghua , with lavishly decorated palaces, was built by King Jing of the Zhou dynasty . In 505 BC, an even more elaborate garden, the Terrace of Gusu , was begun. It was located on the side of a mountain, and included a series of terraces connected by galleries, along with a lake where boats in the form of blue dragons navigated. From
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4158-556: The Chinese garden. There were two periods of the Song dynasty , northern and southern, and both were known for the construction of famous gardens. Emperor Huizong (1082–1135) was an accomplished painter of birds and flowers. A scholar himself, he integrated elements of the scholar garden into his grand imperial garden. His first garden, called The Basin of the Clarity of Gold , was an artificial lake surrounded by terraces and pavilions. The public
4257-580: The English romantic poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge . When he established his new capital at Dadu, Kublai Khan enlarged the artificial lakes that had been created a century earlier by the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty, and built up the island of Oinghua, creating a striking contrast between curving banks of the lake and garden and the strict geometry of what later became the Forbidden City of Beijing. This contrast
4356-580: The Han Dynasty is the first known garden built with the complete set of the three remaining Bohai Shenshan mountains. Since then, the Yichi Sanshan (Chinese: 一池三山 ) system of one pond with three mountains has been a main model of royal gardens. Another notable garden of the Han period was the Garden of General Liang Ji built under Emperor Shun (125–144 AD). Using a fortune amassed during his twenty years in
4455-431: The Humble Administrator's Garden in 1533 including 31 paintings and poems to commemorate the garden. Wen produced a second album of eight leaves showing sites in the garden in 1551, with different views but the same poems as in 1533. Wang's son lost the garden to pay gambling debts, and it has changed hands many times since. In 1631 the eastern garden was divided from the rest and purchased by Wang Xinyi, Vice Minister of
4554-523: The Justice Board. He added many modifications over the next four years, finishing work in 1635. After completion it was renamed Dwelling Upon Return to the Countryside ( 歸田園居 ). The central garden was purchased by Jiang Qi, Governor of Jiangsu in 1738. After extensive renovations he renamed it Garden Rebuilt. In 1860, it became the residence of a Taiping prince, Li Xiucheng , and it was remodelled, and
4653-502: The Ming dynasty is the Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou. It was built during the reign of the Zhengde Emperor (1506–1521) by Wang Xianchen, a minor government administrator who retired from government service and devoted himself to his garden. The garden has been much altered since it was built, but the central part has survived; a large pond full of lotus blossoms, surrounded by structures and pavilions designed as viewpoints of
4752-515: The Pingjiang Road historic district. Among them, 12 bridges (or in their previous forms) are shown on the Song dynasty Pingjiang Tu . They are namely Sipo, Shou'an, Xuegao, Jiqing, Sujun, Zhong'an, Tongli, Huxingsi, Beikaiming, Tangjia, Zhumajiao and Xiaoxin . 10 of the bridges are lying in the north–south direction, the other eight in the east–west direction. The historic district thus has the highest density of bridges across Suzhou. Hong Jun ,
4851-515: The Qing dynasty, on the site of Wang Xiancheng's Country Hall House. The hall is sited to capture the scent of Lotus blossoms on Surging Wave Pond, as well as frame views of the islands. The hall is named after a verse by the Neo-confucianist poet Zhou Dunyi, " Though growing out of the filthy mub, she remains unstained. Though bathed in clear water, she bears no sign of seduction." This verse describing
4950-565: The Qing dynasty, twelve tall limestone rocks were added to the garden, symbolizing mountains. The most famous was a picturesque rock called the Auspicious Cloud-Capped Peak, which became a centerpiece of the garden. A third renowned Ming era garden in Suzhou is the Garden of Cultivation , built during the reign of the Tianqi Emperor (1621–27) by the grandson of Wen Zhengming , a famous Ming painter and calligrapher. The garden
5049-569: The Southern Song government. It had his library, the Hall of Ten Thousand Volumes, and an adjacent garden called the Fisherman's Retreat. It was extensively remodeled between 1736 and 1796, but it remains one of the best example of a Song Dynasty Scholars Garden. In the city of Wuxi , on the edge of Lake Tai and at the foot of two mountains, there were thirty four gardens recorded by the Song dynasty historian Zhou Mi (1232–1308). The two most famous gardens,
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#17328694708105148-435: The angle formed by the side walls of the "With Whom Shall I Sit?" Pavilion. Named after a verse by Bai Juyi , "The bright moon shines over the hermits farmstead; the green willow proclaims the approach of spring to both families". This verse was an allusion to the clever use of borrowed views from the central and western gardens. It is a two-story octagonal tower sited atop a rockery in an enclosed courtyard. The main hall of
5247-399: The canal. A terrace with two wings built over a pond. It is named for a verse by Chu Guangxi , "Waterweeds in the pond look dark green". Also called the Angling Terrace. An octagonal tower with flying eaves, built around a preexisting well called the celestial spring. A five bay hall open on four sides with hipped-gable roofline. The name comes from sorghum fields that once existed near
5346-415: The center of a large square park. It was described in one of the early classics of Chinese literature, the Records of the Grand Historian ( Shiji ). According to the Shiji , one of the most famous features of this garden was the Wine Pool and Meat Forest (酒池肉林). A large pool, big enough for several small boats, was constructed on the palace grounds, with inner linings of polished oval shaped stones from
5445-454: The center of his garden he had constructed an artificial mountain a hundred meters high, with cliffs and ravines, which he named Genyue , or "The Mountain of Stability." The garden was finished in 1122. In 1127, Emperor Huizong was forced to flee from the Song capital, Kaifeng , when it came under attack by the armies of the Jurchen -led Jin dynasty . When he returned (as a captive of the Jurchens), he found his garden completely destroyed, all
5544-572: The city of Luoyang , capital of the Northern Wei dynasty, had over 1,300 temples, mostly in the former residences of believers. Each of the temples had its own small garden. During this period, many former government officials left the court and built gardens where they could escape the outside world and concentrate on nature and literature. One example was the Jingu Yuan , or Garden of the Golden Valley , built in 296 by Shi Chong (249–300 AD), an aristocrat and former court official, ten kilometers northeast of Luoyang. He invited thirty famous poets to
5643-446: The city of Luoyang by Li Deyu , Grand Minister of the Tang Empire. The garden was vast, with over a hundred pavilions and structures, but it was most famous for its collection of exotically shaped rocks and plants, which its creator collected all over China. Rocks of unusual shapes, known as Chinese Scholars' Rocks, often selected to portray the part of a mountain or mountain range in a garden scene, gradually became an essential feature of
5742-408: The current aspect of the garden is said to be inherited from this period. Also in 1738 the Western Garden was purchased by Ye Shikuan Chief Histographer, and renamed The Garden of Books. The Garden of Books was purchased by a Suzhou merchant, Zhang Lüqian, in 1877 and renamed The Subsidiary Garden. In 1949 all three parts of the garden were rejoined by the Chinese government and subsequently opened to
5841-522: The features of botanical and zoological gardens, as well as the traditional hunting grounds. Inspired by another version of Chinese classic about the Isles of the Immortals, called Liezi , he created a large artificial lake, the Lake of the Supreme Essence , with three artificial islands in the center representing the three isles of the Immortals - Penglai , Fanghu , and Yingzhou. The park was later destroyed, but its memory would continue to inspire Chinese garden design for centuries. The Jianzhang Palace in
5940-424: The four sides are walled with a large moongate in the wall creating a gaitian symbolism. Named after the crabapple ( Malus spectabilis ) planted in the attached courtyard. A covered bridge arched in three segments connected to a covered corridor on either end. It was designed to give the appearance of a rainbow shimmering when its reflection is stirred in the water. It is unique for being the only arched bridge in
6039-443: The garden. This garden, meant to express his fine taste, received close attention from the renowned artist, Suzhou native, and friend, Wen Zhengming . The garden was named (first evidence around 1517 ) after a verse by the famous scholar official of the Jin dynasty, Pan Yue , in his prose, An Idle Life , "I enjoy a carefree life by planting trees and building my own house...I irrigate my garden and grow vegetables for me to eat...such
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#17328694708106138-437: The garden. The windows are decorated with boxwood carvings of scenes from Romance of the Western Chamber . A square pavilion open on two sides, sited atop a hill in front of the Fragrant Sorghum Hall. A three bay hall internally divided by a lacquer screen engraved with a map of the garden. Orchid and snow are symbolic of ritual purity. An attached square pavilion with hipped gable roofline and flying eves built in front of
6237-467: The highest terrace, a view extended as far as Lake Tai , the Great Lake. An ancient Chinese legend played an important part in early garden design. In the 4th century BC, a tale in the Classic of Mountains and Seas described a peak called Mount Penglai located on one of three islands at the eastern end of the Bohai Sea , between China and Korea, which was the home of the Eight Immortals . On this island were palaces of gold and silver, with jewels on
6336-436: The imperial court, Liang Ji built an immense landscape garden with artificial mountains, ravines and forests, filled with rare birds and domesticated wild animals. This was one of the first gardens that tried to create an idealized copy of nature. After the fall of the Han dynasty, a long period of political instability began in China. Buddhism was introduced into China by Emperor Ming (57–75 AD), and spread rapidly. By 495,
6435-423: The island of the Eight Immortals. Other gardens have gardens featuring three Boshan Mountains - Penglai , Yingzhou, and Fanghu or Fangzhang. The Yichi Sanshan (Chinese: 一池三山 ) system of one pond with three mountains has been a main model of royal gardens. Under the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), a new imperial capital was built at Chang'an , and Emperor Wu built a new imperial garden, which combined
6534-410: The lake and gardens. The park has an island, the Fragrant Isle, shaped like a boat. It also makes good use of the principle of the "borrowed view," ( jiejing ) carefully framing views of the surrounding mountains and a famous view of a distant pagoda. Another existing garden from the Ming dynasty is the Lingering Garden , also in Suzhou, built during the reign of the Wanli Emperor (1573–1620). During
6633-434: The late Shang dynasty was the Terrace, Pond and Park of the Spirit ( Lingtai, Lingzhao Lingyou ) built by King Wenwang west of his capital city, Yin . The park was described in the Classic of Poetry this way: Another early royal garden was Shaqui , or the Dunes of Sand , built by the last Shang ruler, King Zhou (1075–1046 BC). It was composed of an earth terrace, or tai , which served as an observation platform in
6732-480: The layout from the Zhenghe period in the Ming dynasty, the garden "now has more buildings and islets", and although lacks a "lofty" feeling, it is "still a masterpiece of meticulous work". Liu Dunzhen judged that the arrangement of rocks and water in the ponds of the central third may have its origins in the early Qing. The western third retains the late nineteenth-century layout, while the eastern third has seen several renovation since. But Clunas believes that even this
6831-436: The lotus flower, also alludes to noble character, thus lotus fragrance coming off the Surging Wave Pond is ideologically tied to Neo-confucianism . Named after a Chinese folk expression, "Where there are bamboo groves there are houses," and "With a Parasol tree ( Firmiana simplex ) in his yard, one is assured of a phoniex's coming and good fortune." It is a square pavilion with a hipped gable roofline and flying eves. Each of
6930-510: The main entry axis passing through Distant Fragrance Hall. Also called the Embroidered Silk Pavilion, it is a square pavilion open on three sides. It is sited on top of a yellowstone rockery and forms an ideal vantage point for viewing the islands. a three bay hall with attached courtyard in front housing a collection of scholar stones. The name comes from the book of Yi Xun, "standing by deep valleys makes you think deep, and scaling great heights makes you aim high." Named after Buddhist sutra of
7029-413: The main entry to the central garden. This pavilion is the vantage point for a borrowed view of North Temple Pagoda. A terrace open on two sides with a hipped gable roofline and a portico on all four sides. It overlooks a lotus pond and was named for the verse by Yang Wangli, "To the horizon green lotus leaves seem to extend infinitely; under the sun reddish lotus flowers go bright scarlet." A scholar stone
7128-421: The marvels of the province in a single place. The classical garden was surrounded by a wall, usually painted white, which served as a pure backdrop for the flowers and trees. A pond of water was usually located in the center. Many structures, large and small, were arranged around the pond. In the garden described by Ji Cheng above, the structures occupied two-thirds of the hectare, while the garden itself occupied
7227-431: The more intimate gardens created by scholars, poets, former government officials, soldiers and merchants, made for reflection and escape from the outside world. They create an idealized miniature landscape, which is meant to express the harmony that should exist between man and nature . The art of Chinese garden integrates architecture , calligraphy and painting , sculpture, literature , gardening and other arts . It
7326-453: The mountains. The most famous garden in Luoyang was The Garden of Solitary Joy ( Dule Yuan ), built by the poet and historian Sima Guang (1021–1086). His garden had an area of eight mu , or about 1.5 hectares. In the center was the Pavilion of Study, his library, with five thousand volumes. To the north was an artificial lake, with a small island, with a picturesque fisherman's hut. To the east
7425-672: The nineteenth century, but are now gradually being restored. In addition to the Old Summer Palace and Summer Palace, between 1703 and 1792 the Qing emperors built a new complex of gardens and palaces in the mountains 200 kilometers northeast of Beijing, to escape the summer heat of the capital. It was called the Chengde Mountain Resort , and it occupied 560 hectares, with seventy-two separate landscape views, recreating landscapes in miniature from many different parts of China. This enormous garden has survived relatively intact. Renowned scholar gardens which still exist from this period include
7524-410: The other hawks. The Khan himself goes every week to see his birds sitting in mew, and sometimes he rides through the park with a leopard behind him on his horse's croup; and then if he sees any animal that takes his fancy, he slips his leopard at it, and the game when taken is made over to feed the hawks in mew. This he does for diversion." This brief description later inspired the poem Kubla Khan by
7623-448: The other third. In a scholar garden the central building was usually a library or study, connected by galleries with other pavilions which served as observation points of the garden features. These structures also helped divide the garden into individual scenes or landscapes. The other essential elements of a scholar garden were plants, trees, and rocks, all carefully composed into small perfect landscapes. Scholar gardens also often used what
7722-493: The park for theatrical events; he launched small boats on his stream with animated figures illustrating the history of China. The Tang dynasty (618–907 AD) was considered the first golden age of the classical Chinese garden. Emperor Xuanzong built a magnificent imperial garden, the Garden of the Majestic Clear Lake, near Xi′an , and lived there with his famous concubine, Consort Yang . Painting and poetry reached
7821-524: The pavilions burned and the art works looted. Only the mountain remained. While the imperial gardens were the best known, many smaller but equally picturesque gardens were built in cities such as Luoyang . The Garden of the Monastery of the Celestial Rulers in Luoyang was famous for its peonies; the entire city came when they were in bloom. The Garden of Multiple Springtimes was famous for its view of
7920-423: The pond. A two-story tower with a ground floor dedicated to Wen Zhengming and Shen Zhou . A covered corridor with attached pavilion used as a boat dock. It is named for the grade changes which give it the feel of floating on the waves. Named after a verse by Su Shi , "With whom shall I sit? the bright moon, refreshing breeze and me". This verse is symbolic of the poet's desire to purify his soul. The pavilion
8019-476: The province famous for its gardens was Suzhou , where many scholars, government officials and merchants built residences with gardens. Some of these gardens still exist today, though most have been greatly altered over the centuries. The oldest Suzhou garden that can be seen today is the Blue Wave Pavilion , built in 1044 by the Song dynasty poet Su Shunqing. (1008–1048). In the Song dynasty, it consisted of
8118-567: The public, then restored in 1952. In 1997 the garden was given UNESCO World Heritage status. Cao Xueqin , author of the Dream of the Red Chamber , is supposed to have lived at the garden during his teenage years – around 1735. Among Chinese scholars, it is believed that much of the garden in his novel Dream of the Red Chamber was inspired by the scenery of the Humble Administrator's Garden. The garden contains numerous pavilions and bridges set among
8217-462: The same name, it is a three bay square attached pavilion with hipped gable roofline and flying eves. An attached squared pavilion sited in front of the main entry into the western garden. This entry in the form of a moongate is named Scenery of Exceptional Beauty. Also called the Indocalamus Pavilion. A freestanding hexagonal pavilion with a round roofline. It is the sited at the vertex of
8316-452: The seashore. The pool was then filled with wine. A small island was constructed in the middle of the pool, where trees were planted, which had skewers of roasted meat hanging from their branches. King Zhou and his friends and concubines drifted in their boats, drinking the wine with their hands and eating the roasted meat from the trees. Later Chinese philosophers and historians cited this garden as an example of decadence and bad taste. During
8415-413: The southern mountain". Also called the Pavilion of Awaiting Frost. It is sited atop an island. Also called Snow Like Fragrant Prunus mume Pavilion, it is a square pavilion open on three sides. The inscription of this pavilion by Wang Ji, "The shrill of cicadas enhances the serenity of the woods, The twitter of birds lends tranquility to the hillsides." It is sited atop an island in the pond and along
8514-472: The stone, the plant, the architecture and the water." And these are woven together in endless combinations. At one corner in the Humble Administrator's Garden, rocks cutthrough the wall, making viewers feel like they are exploring a mountain, despite the fact that they are in the middle of the city. The plants here represent various seasons, peonies for spring, lotus for summer, osmanthus in the winter time and plum blooms in winter. Eastern Garden : Composed of
8613-565: The trees. There was no pain, no winter, wine glasses and rice bowls were always full, and fruits, when eaten, granted eternal life. In 221 BC, Ying Zheng, the King of Qin conquered other rival states and unified China under the Qin Empire , which he ruled until 210 BC. He heard the legend of the islands and sent emissaries to find the islands and bring back the elixir of immortal life, without success. At his palace near his capital, Xianyang , he created
8712-499: The valley of the Yellow River , during the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). These gardens were large enclosed parks where the kings and nobles hunted game, or where fruit and vegetables were grown. Early inscriptions from this period, carved on tortoise shells, have three Chinese characters for garden, you , pu and yuan . You was a royal garden where birds and animals were kept, while pu
8811-417: The water to create the illusion of an unseen source feeding Surging Wave Pond, after which it is named. The name of the pond alludes to a quote by Mencius, "when the water is clean I wash my Imperial Ribbon, when the water is dirty I wash my muddy feet", itself an allusion to the correct behavior of a civil servant in a corrupt government. A pavilion connected by covered corridor to Little Surging Wave Hall. It
8910-456: The western garden. It is a typical mandrian duck hall but with four attached pavilions at the corners in Shanghai garden style. This hall was used for Kunqu Opera performances. Named after a verse by Li Shangyin , "Autumn gloom doesn't clear up yet and fall frost gets delayed; withered lotus leaves are left in the pond to hear the patter of rain". It was designed as a vantage point to view lotus in
9009-438: Was a court painter for the Qianlong Emperor , observed there was a "beautiful disorder, an anti-symmetry" in the Chinese garden. "One admires the art with which this irregularity is carried out. Everything is in good taste, and so well arranged, that there is not a single view from which all the beauty can be seen; you have to see it piece by piece." Chinese classical gardens varied greatly in size. The largest garden in Suzhou,
9108-457: Was a garden for plants. During the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC), yuan became the character for all gardens. The old character for yuan is a small picture of a garden; it is enclosed in a square which can represent a wall, and has symbols which can represent the plan of a structure, a small square which can represent a pond, and a symbol for a plantation or a pomegranate tree. A famous royal garden of
9207-488: Was a garden of medicinal herbs, and to the west was an artificial mountain, with a belevedere at the summit to view the surrounding neighborhoods. Any passer-by could visit the garden by paying a small fee. After fall of Kaifeng, the capital of the Song dynasty was moved to Lin'an (present-day Hangzhou , Zhejiang ). The city of Lin'an soon had more than fifty gardens built on the shore of the Western Lake. The other city in
9306-561: Was a very cosmopolitan city, filled with diplomats, merchants, pilgrims, monks and students, who carried descriptions of the gardens all over Asia. The economic prosperity of the Tang dynasty led to the increasing construction of classical gardens across all of China. The last great garden of the Tang dynasty was the Hamlet of the Mountain of the Serene Spring ( Pingquan Shanzhuang ), built east of
9405-415: Was called "borrowed" scenery (借景 jiejing ) ; where unexpected views of scenery outside the garden, such as mountain peaks, seemed to be an extension of the garden itself. Chinese gardens are filled with architecture; halls, pavilions, temples, galleries, bridges, kiosks, and towers, occupying a large part of the space. The Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou has forty-eight structures, including
9504-435: Was invited into the garden in the spring for boat races and spectacles on the lake. In 1117 he personally supervised the building of a new garden. He had exotic plants and picturesque rocks brought from around China for his garden, particularly the prized rocks from Lake Tai . Some of the rocks were so large that, in order to move them by water on the grand canal, he had to destroy all the bridges between Hangzhou and Beijing. In
9603-409: Was known as Pingjiang during Southern Song dynasty . As a major thoroughfare of eastern Suzhou back then, the street carries on the former name of the city. It was featured in the map Pingjiang Tu (Chinese:平江图), produced in the year 1229. There are 51 smaller alleys intersecting the street. There are also about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) of canals within the historic district. In 2009, Pingjiang Road
9702-463: Was listed as a Zhongguo Lishi Wenhua Mingjie (Chinese:中国历史文化名街, literally: Famous historical and cultural street of China), one of the first nine streets with such title across China. Along with Shantang Street , the area was also declared a Zhongguo Lishi Wenhua Jiequ (Chinese:中国历史文化街区, literally: Historical and cultural block of China) in 2015. A BBC Travel article describes Pingjiang Road as less touristy than Shantang Street and states that it
9801-885: Was the Jante Valley Garden of the poet-painter and civil servant Wang Wei (701–761). He bought the ruined villa of a poet, located near the mouth of a river and a lake. He created twenty small landscape scenes within his garden, with names such as the Garden of Magnolias, the Waving Willows, the Kiosk in the Heart of the Bamboos, the Spring of the Golden Powder, and the View-House beside the Lake. He wrote
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