Suzhou's old town a cherished oasis of tranquility
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It covers more than 20,000 square meters and contains residences, memorial temples and gardens.
Many tourists ask why there is such an ordinary gate for such a magnificent garden - shouldn't the entry be splendid as well?
But the intention was to build a quiet garden with an unobtrusive entrance, much like the entry to ordinary residences nearby.
The garden was built by Xu Taishi, a righteous official in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) who was impeached for offending influential officials. Then he retired and lived in seclusion, spending time only in the garden with his family.
Over the years the garden was abandoned and repaired several times by three owners before it underwent major restoration by the Suzhou government in 1953.
The name Liu Yuan was given by the third owner in the Qing Dynasty who said he wished that every beautiful scene in the garden could linger in the world forever.
After entering the plain black gate, visitors follow a long corridor that finally opens into a courtyard revealing part of the garden.
The garden contains four sections in the east, west, north and center, connected by a 700-meter-long meandering corridor.
The central part features delicate scenes of rockeries, artificial ponds and boat-like structures. The building complex in the east includes sitting rooms, pavilions and studies. The west is a natural setting with large rocks and wooded areas.
Boat-like structures are common in many classic gardens, especially those whose owners were once government officials. In Chinese culture boats often indicate successful careers.
Another typical feature of Suzhou gardens are Yuan Yang Ting or "mandarin duck reception halls" comprised of similar chambers - the larger, more magnificent and delicately decorated naturally belonging to the male/husband. The hall for the wife is comparatively much more simple.
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