Tingfeng Garden, originally the private garden of Wu Yun, the Qing Dynasty’s Suzhou prefect, i[...]
Tingfeng Garden, originally the private garden of Wu Yun, the Qing Dynasty’s Suzhou prefect, is now located in the central Qingyuan Fang of Suzhou’s ancient city. Known for its elegant pavilions, clear pools, and tranquil rocks, it is acclaimed as a famous study garden in Wu County. The main hall, ‘Tingfeng Xiandian,’ stands at the heart of the garden, with a courtyard to the north and south.
The southern courtyard is lush with flora and diverse rocks, featuring main structures such as the ‘Daowei Residence,’ ‘Red Leaf Pavilion’ (now known as ‘Dai Shuang Pavilion’), and ‘Shiran Pavilion.’ The northern courtyard boasts a clear pond, with a half-pavilion reflecting the surrounding flora in the water.
During the Tongzhi and Guangxu reigns of the Qing Dynasty, Wu Yun, a native of Huzhou and then the prefect of Suzhou, built his residence here. The garden was named ‘Tingfeng Garden’ due to the presence of ancient maples within. Wu described his residence as: ‘not spacious but with the beauty of flowers and trees.’ He compared it with his own ‘small and subtle’ Quyu Garden. Wu Yun was adept at calligraphy and enjoyed collecting and appreciating bronze inscriptions, with the garden adorned with historical texts and bronze vessels.
The calligrapher and painter Wu Changshuo had a close relationship with the garden’s owner in his early years and was invited to reside in the garden to teach children, which allowed him to observe the collection of calligraphy, painting, and bronze inscriptions, greatly improving his artistic skills. After Wu Yun’s death in 1883 during the Guangxu period, the garden gradually fell into decline. In 1910, during the Xuantong period, the poet Zhu Zumou once lived in this garden. In 1928, the garden was owned by the Chen family and underwent repairs. After the liberation in 1949, it was used successively as a teacher’s training school, the second middle school, a Pingtan research room, and a Pingtan troupe.
After 1966, the rockery was dismantled, buildings fell into disrepair, and the flora withered. In 1979, more than ten households of Pingtan actors who returned to the city from the countryside were temporarily housed here. In 1983, the units and residents in the garden were relocated, and the city’s cultural bureau began renovations at a cost of 148,000 yuan, which were completed by the end of 1984. In the Spring Festival of 1985, the National Painting Academy moved in. Tingfeng Garden, located in the northeast of the residence, covers an area of 1,200 square meters. The main hall, ‘Tingfeng Xiandian’ (now renamed ‘Tingfeng Shan Guan’), is at the center of the garden, with a courtyard to the north and south.
The southern courtyard is lush with flora and diverse rocks, featuring main structures such as the ‘Daowei Residence,’ ‘Red Leaf Pavilion’ (now known as ‘Dai Shuang Pavilion’), and ‘Shiran Pavilion.’ The northern courtyard boasts a clear pond, with a half-pavilion reflecting the surrounding flora in the water. To the east of the hall used to be Wu Yun’s study, ‘Pingzhai.’ In front of it, there is a stacked mountain with a climbing path leading up to the ‘Moxiang Pavilion.’ The lower level of the pavilion is hidden in the mountain, and the upper level protrudes from the mountaintop. The study and the pavilion form a courtyard, which is the essence of the entire garden. The garden is not open to the public.
