Huanxiu Mountain Villa, The artificial hills made of lakeside rocks in the garden are very magnificent.

262 Jinde Road, Gusu District, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province

The artificial hills made of lakeside rocks in the garden are very magnificent.

3.7

Introduction

Formerly the site of the Jin Gu Yuan, a private garden owned by the Qian family of the Wu Yue Kingdom during the Five Dynasties, the Huanxiu Mountain Villa became renowned for its exquisite scenery. With a total area of 2,179 square meters, including a building area of 754 square meters, the garden features mainly mountains and supplemented with ponds, and only a few buildings. Although small, the garden has a grand and magnificent atmosphere. The garden's artificial rockery is the largest of its kind in China, covering only half an acre but presenting cliffs, peaks, caves, valleys, platforms, and paved paths, creating a rich and diverse landscape. The main mountain lies to the east of the pond, while the secondary mountain lies to the north, forming a continuous and interconnected landscape that suddenly breaks into cliffs. At the junction of the paved path and the flowing stream, one can look up to see a clear sky and overlook several winding streams. The exquisite and meticulous treatment of the entire mountain, with each stone and seam carefully positioned, can be admired up close or from afar, earning it the reputation of being "unique and unparalleled in Jiangnan". Huanxiu Mountain Villa is a protected cultural relic site in Jiangsu Province and was listed as a national key cultural relic protection unit in 1988. In 1997, as one of the classical gardens in Suzhou, it was approved by UNESCO to be included in the World Heritage List. The history of Huanxiu Mountain Villa can be traced back to the Jin Dynasty when the brothers Wang Xun and Wang Ming built Jingdesi Temple on the site. Later, it became the Jingu Garden of Qian Yuanliao, the son of Qian Liu, the king of Wu Yue during the Five Dynasties. In the Song Dynasty, it was a medicinal garden owned by the writer Zhu Changwen. It went through several periods of abandonment and revival. During the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, it was successively transformed into a school, a granary supervisory office, and later became the residence of the Grand Secretary Shen Shixing. In the Wanli period, it became the residence of the descendant of Sun Shen Jikui who built the Qu Garden. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, it was the residence of Jiang Ji, an official of the Ministry of Justice, who built the "Qiuzilou" and constructed a rockery and pool, known as the "Flying Snow" spring, and erected buildings and pavilions in between. It was then successively the residence of the Grand Secretary Bi Yuan, the residence of the Grand Secretary Sun Shiyi. Sun Shi's descendant, Sun Jun, with the literary name Linquan, invited the renowned rockery master Ge Yuliang to restructure the garden in the twelfth year of the Jiaqing period. Ge Yuliang created a magnificent artificial rockery on half an acre of land, establishing the reputation of the garden. In the twenty-ninth year of Daoguang (1847), Wang Weiren purchased the garden to build the Wang ancestral temple, established the Gengyin Yizhuang, and restored the northeastern garden. The garden became part of the Wang ancestral temple, renamed "Huanxiu Mountain Villa" but also known as "Yiyuan". It suffered significant damage over time, and by 1949, only one mountain, one pond, and one "Buqiu Boat" remained. From June 1984 to October 1985, significant renovations were carried out by the Suzhou Garden Bureau and the Embroidery Research Institute, with design by the Suzhou Classical Garden Design Office and construction by the Suzhou Classical Garden Construction Company. The main restoration included the Four-sided Hall, Yugu Hall, Wenquan Pavilion, and Side Building, with a total building area of 754 square meters. Additionally, over 200 meters of walls were rebuilt or repaired, 246 square meters of ground were paved, and the artificial rockery was reinforced while the water pond was cleaned and trees were planted.

Address

262 Jinde Road, Gusu District, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province

Opening hours

08:30-16:30 (all day)
last admission at 16:00 (Monday-Sunday from January 1 to December 31) Note: Medical personnel supporting Hubei Province with valid identification can enter for free within three years.

Transportation

You can take Metro Line 4 to the Chayuanchang Station, and then you can walk to your destination after getting off.

Phone 0512-962015;0512-65816805