The Ancient Lotus Pond in Baoding, one of the top ten famous gardens in China, is a must-visit spot for tourists in Baoding

From private gardens to official gardens, from academy gardens to imperial gardens, over the past 800 years, the Ancient Lotus Pond in Baoding has experienced various types of gardens, and is now known as one of the top ten gardens in China, and a must-visit spot for tourists in Baoding. The Ancient Lotus Pond is located on Yuhua West Road in Baoding City, facing the famous Zhili Governor's Mansion across the street. Originally named Xue Xiang Garden, it was initially the residence of Zhang Rou, a famous general in the late Jin and early Yuan dynasties, and the planning of the entire Baoding city was also from Zhang Rou. After being looted by the Eight-Nation Alliance, the former Ancient Lotus Pond has disappeared, and most of the buildings people see now are restored later, the old trees are still there, but the pavilions have a new look. Today, the layout of the garden is close to the pattern of the early Guangxu period, but the scale has been reduced. The water system in the garden is divided into two pools, the south pool is crescent-shaped, and the north pool is larger and nearly rectangular. The two pools are connected by two canals from east to west, and the main scenery in the garden is set around the water, complementing the vegetation. Spring Noon Slope, Wanjuan Tower, Zao Yong Tower, Han Cang Pavilion, etc. are all among the twelve famous scenes in the garden. Han Cang Pavilion is a bridge pavilion, where you can cross the river, shelter from the sun and rain, or rest and enjoy the scenery. Around the Ancient Lotus Pond, artificial mountains are stacked with different shapes, giving people a sense of tranquility and interest. After bypassing the artificial mountain, you come to the main scene in the garden - the Lotus Pond. The area of the lotus pond is very large, almost a quarter of the park. It is past the season of lotus blooming, and now there are only green lotus leaves crowded together, which is in line with the verse 'the lotus leaves are infinitely green under the sky'. The fame of the Ancient Lotus Pond cannot be separated from the Lotus Pond Academy. The Lotus Pond Academy was established during the Yongzheng period and was the highest academy in Zhili Province. Zhang Xuecheng and Qi Yunshi once served as the dean, and they cultivated a large number of talents. Walking into the special exhibition of the Lotus Pond Academy, you will see the statue of Liu Chunlin, a student of the Lotus Pond Academy, and his more meaningful identity is - the last top scholar in China. Looking down from a high place, the lotus pond in September is half green and half yellow, as if the summer and autumn seasons are quietly alternating here. The winding corridor connects the ancient pavilions, sitting in the pavilion, watching the wind blow the lotus, listening to the rustling of the lotus leaves, I really want to sigh 'the weather is cool, it's a good autumn'. With the profound history of the Lotus Pond Academy and the beautiful scenery of the classical garden, from ancient times to the present, the Ancient Lotus Pond has always been refreshing, 'I almost doubt that there is Penglai in the city' is well deserved.