Near the Zixia Lake, there once stood the Dinglin Temple, a Buddhist sacred site with a rich history of worship. It is said that Wang Anshi, a politician and literary figure of the Song Dynasty, studied here and established a study named ‘Zhaowen Studio’, which was inscribed by the calligrapher Mi Fu. However, the temple fell into disrepair over time and underwent several periods of rise and fall. On its original site, a new ‘Wang Anshi Memorial Hall’ was built, known as ‘Dinglin Villa’. Surrounded by flower walls, the architecture is elegant and antique, with all the exhibits preserved in their original state, including the well-preserved cultural relics and portraits painted by the famous Song Dynasty painter Li Gonglin.
Outside the hall, there is a long corridor with one hundred poems inscribed on the walls, all written by modern national masters, showcasing their brilliant artistry. The courtyard is filled with towering ancient trees and murmuring streams, offering beautiful scenery in all seasons, serene and charming. Dinglin Villa is a complex of antique-style buildings, a three-deep palace-style garden architecture enclosed by winding corridors.
