Youjia Garden is located on the shores of Wuli Lake, to the west of Yingxian County, and was a private garden built by You Chengzhang, a military governor of the late Qing Dynasty. In 1923, his son You Yuxuan expanded the garden. The layout of the garden is exquisitely designed, which is quite rare for a Suzhou-style garden in northern Anhui, earning it the reputation of ‘Yu Garden of Northern Anhui’.
Youjia Garden consists of four distinct areas. The first area features a bonsai garden that attracts visitors with a variety of bonsai such as plum, crabapple, and pomegranate, known for their abundance and variety. The second area showcases artificial hills, peculiar rocks, pavilions, and towers. The third area is dedicated to shaped pines and cypresses, where the trees are pruned into various forms, some resembling umbrellas, pagodas, drums, and more, with vivid shapes. The fourth area is a newly constructed garden and botanical area. Here, the term ‘garden’ in Youjia Garden truly lives up to its name, as the vegetation remains evergreen throughout the seasons.
In addition to the gardens, there are several structures within Youjia Garden, including the Storm Pavilion, Reading Hall, Pine and Cassia Pavilion, White Jade Tower, Xianggui Building, Meditation Hall, Prospect Pavilion, and the General’s Stele Pavilion. The garden is not large and can be easily explored at leisure. It is open to visitors from 08:30 to 17:30 all year round.
Youjia Garden
Youjia Garden is located on the shores of Wuli Lake, to the west of Yingxian County, and was a priva[...]
