Ge Garden, constructed during the Jiaqing and Daoguang reigns of the Qing Dynasty by Huang Zhiyun, the ‘Two Huai Salt Controller’ (a significant tax collector for the imperial court), was built on the site of the Ming Dynasty’s Shouzhi Garden. The garden is abundant with lush bamboo, named ‘Ge’ because the bamboo leaves resemble the Chinese character for ‘individual’. The garden’s seasonal rockeries are distinctive, offering a tour that mimics the passage through spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
Divided into three areas – the northern bamboo appreciation area, the central garden, and the southern residential area – the entire garden has three gates: north, east, and south. The north gate is for entry only, the east gate for exit only, and the south gate serves both purposes, located on the famous Dongguan Street. Accessible through either the north or south gate, visitors can tour the garden along its north-south axis. Compared to other famous gardens, Ge Garden’s essence lies in its rockery art themed around the four seasons, created with various stones to represent ‘spring, summer, autumn, and winter’. Each seasonal rockery has its unique charm. Within the garden, visitors can admire a stone peak standing amidst a sparse bamboo forest, symbolizing ‘spring’, with the image of spring’s return and the revival of bamboo shoots after rain; to the north of the spring scene is ‘summer’, with clear water flowing through rocks, displaying a vibrant landscape; to the east of the spring scene is ‘autumn’, where a pile of stones surrounded by a few maple trees exudes an autumnal chill; and to the south of the spring scene, near the south gate, is ‘winter’, with white rockery stones resembling a snowy winter. These four seasonal rockery scenes are located in the southern part of the garden. Strolling through the bamboo forest in the northern part of the garden is also a pleasant experience, offering a cool retreat even in the height of summer. At the north and south gates, visitors can hire guides at varying costs based on group size. The garden is open year-round from 07:30 to 17:00.Preferential policies include free entry for children under 140cm in height or aged 6 and under with valid identification, half-price for those aged 6 to 18 with valid identification, free entry for seniors aged 65 and over with an elderly card or ID, half-price for those aged 60 to 64 with an elderly card or ID, half-price for full-time undergraduate and below students with a valid student ID, free entry for active military personnel with an officer’s ID, Yangzhou retired cadres with the ‘Yangzhou City Retired Cadres Preference Certificate’, journalists with a ‘Journalist’s Certificate’ issued by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, and retired personnel with the ‘People’s Republic of China Retirement Honor Certificate’, free entry for military spouses with the ‘Yangzhou City Military Spouse Certificate’, free entry for the dependents of martyrs, those who died in service, and those who died of illness with valid identification, free entry for disabled individuals with a ‘Disability Certificate’, and free entry for retired personnel with the ‘People’s Republic of China Retirement Honor Certificate’.
For those with不便 in mobility, one accompanying person may enter free of charge. Yangzhou City retirees with the ‘Scenic Spot Preference Certificate’ (stamped and sealed by the Garden Bureau for the current year), Yangzhou City retired cadres with the ‘Yangzhou City Retired Cadres Preference Certificate’, Yangzhou City honorees with their ID and ‘Jiangsu Province Blood Donation Honor Certificate’, ‘Moral Model Certificate’, ‘Provincial and Ministerial级以上劳模英模’, or ‘Yangzhou Honor Citizen Card’, and Yangzhou City guests with the ‘Yangzhou City Model Preference Card’, ‘Yangzhou City Overseas Chinese Certificate’, or ‘Yangzhou City VIP Certificate’ are also granted free entry. Journalists with a ‘Journalist’s Certificate’ issued by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, and talents recognized as Class A-D, who can scan a QR code and display their personal service code, are admitted for free. Yangzhou City’s preferential treatment recipients with ‘Jiangsu Province Preferential Treatment Certificate’ are also entitled to free entry.
Service facilities include a parking lot: [Yangzhou Ge Garden Parking Lot] with a reference price of ¥4 per hour, located at No. 10 Yanfu East Road (at the main entrance of the north gate of Ge Garden); 52 spaces. WIFI: username: geyuan; password: verification login; full coverage. Mobile charging: charging power sockets are available at the visitor center. Luggage storage: reference price of ¥2 per item. Guided tours:人工讲解服务 is provided at the ticket office.
Fees: For groups of up to 8 people, the cost is 80 yuan, with a maximum of 180 yuan.
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