Yi Garden, constructed during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty by the wealthy merchant Gu Wenbin, stands out among Suzhou’s gardens for its ability to incorporate the best features of various gardens, forming its characteristic style of a collection. Its compact layout and appropriate techniques render it highly aesthetically valuable.
The garden spans an area of about nine acres, elongated from east to west. The scenery is divided into eastern and western parts according to the terrain, separated by a corridor with flower windows that connect the eastern and western views, enhancing the depth of the scene.
The eastern part is primarily composed of courtyard buildings, with winding corridors encircling pavilions and courtyards, adorned with flowers, trees, and stone peaks. Looking through the empty windows of the winding corridors, one can see richly implied traditional Chinese paintings. The western part is the main scenic area of the garden, with a central pond surrounded by rockeries, flowers, trees, and buildings. The central water surface is gathered, with narrow ends to the east and west, and curved bridges and water gates are built to convey the idea of water flowing in a loop and never-ending.
The rockeries in the north of the pond are made entirely of beautiful lake stones, forming a mountain that, though not tall, has peaks, ravines, and caves, reflecting off the trees, mountain pavilions. The main hall, Ou Xiang Xie, is a four-sided hall in the style of a Mandarin Duck Hall. It faces the pond to the north, the courtyard to the south, a small bridge and flowing water to the right, and pavilions, caves, and ravines to the left, providing access to various scenic spots in the western part.
There are also dozens of stone tablets with calligraphy and paintings by celebrities from different dynasties in both the eastern and western parts, known as ‘Yi Garden Calligraphy Stones’, which are available for appreciation.
For your reference only. The specific information is subject to the announcements at the scenic spot. Must-see tip: There is Quyuan Garden in the alley to the north of the block, which can be reached on foot.
