Fangta Garden is located 80 meters north of Fangta Street, a bustling commercial area in Changshu, and is a newly built ancient-style garden on the ruins of the Song Dynasty’s Chongjiao Xingfu Temple, sharing a similar style with Suzhou gardens.
Although the ancient temple has been destroyed, the Fangta, which was originally built in the fourth year of Jianyan during the Southern Song Dynasty (AD 1130), still stands. It is said that the Fangta was built to improve the Feng Shui of Changshu, and its full name is ‘Chongjiao Xingfu Temple Pagoda’. The pagoda has been renovated several times throughout the ages and is one of the landmarks of Changshu, from which Fangta Garden derives its name.
Fangta Garden has two main entrances, the South Gate and the East Gate, and there is no particular preference for which gate to enter the garden. Walking straight from the South Gate leads to the Fangta. The pagoda has four sides and nine levels, with the second and third levels offering a terrace outside the tower to overlook Fangta Garden and gaze at the cityscape of Changshu. Going higher up the tower does not allow for external viewing; if one wishes to take photos, they must extend their hands outward, which is not very convenient.
Heading northeast from Fangta, Lian Pond is located to the north of the East Gate, with the reflection of Fangta mirrored in the pond, making it an ideal spot for photography. To the north of Lian Pond stands an ancient ginkgo tree that is over 800 years old, and to the west of Wenquan Hall lies a Song Dynasty well; these, together with Fangta, are known as the ‘Three Treasures of Fangta’.
Walking north from Fangta, visitors can successively visit the Stele Museum and the Celebrity Hall. The stele corridor in the Stele Museum displays stone tablets from various dynasties. The Celebrity Hall features celebrities, both ancient and modern, associated with Changshu, such as Zhong Yong from the Shang Dynasty, Yan Zi from the Spring and Autumn Period, and contemporary Changshu-born academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Fangta Garden
Fangta Garden is located 80 meters north of Fangta Street, a bustling commercial area in Changshu, and is a newly […]
