The Forgotten Suzhou Gardens - Zeng Garden and Zhao Garden, quiet and waiting for you

🎈Suzhou Free Garden Exploration | Zeng Garden and Zhao Garden Tour🎈 Baozis👫, the gardens in Suzhou are really always so popular, even those that were not very noticeable before are now overcrowded😵. However, I have discovered a super great place, which is the Zhao Garden·Zeng Garden in Changshu!😍 These two gardens are located at the foot of Yushan Mountain, originally one entity, and later divided into two parts. Zeng Garden, that has been around since the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, when the imperial censor Qian Dai built the 'Xiaowuchuan' here. Later, the Zeng family bought the eastern half and named it 'Xu Kuoyuan'. As soon as you enter Zeng Garden, wow, the first thing you see is a huge screen wall with 'Xu Kuoyuan Village Residence' written on it, which feels super cool😎. Walking along the stele corridor, you will encounter a 365-year-old camphor tree, whose canopy covers the entire courtyard, creating a particularly tranquil atmosphere. The essence of Zeng Garden is that body of water, which is drawn from the inner city river of Changshu, and it's living water. Rockeries, waterside pavilions, willows, floating bridges, pavilions, all arranged in a scattered and orderly fashion, simply stunning🤩, from the full pond of lotus leaves to the reflection of Yushan Mountain in the distance, all in this pool of water. This is also the former residence of the famous late Qing novelist Zeng Pu, who completed one of the four great denunciatory novels of the late Qing Dynasty, 'Flowers in the Sea of Sin', here. Now there is also a Zeng Pu Memorial Hall in the garden, and outside the hall is a super precious red bean tree, a treasure left from the 'Xiaowuchuan' period of the Ming Dynasty. Passing through the moon gate 'Han Xu Tian Jing' between Zeng Garden and Zhao Garden, you arrive at Zhao Garden. The owner of Zhao Garden, Zhao Liewen, was an aide to Zeng Guofan and became famous for his prophecy. He said that the fate of the late Qing would end, and it must perish within 50 years, and it really came true. The architectural style of Zhao Garden is somewhat similar to that of Zeng Garden, but it feels more simple and grand. There is a clear pond in the garden, and next to the pond is a two-story building called 'Si Fang'. The words 'Si Fang' on the plaque were personally inscribed by Zhao Liewen, perhaps he also looked far away from here, watching the world change. Now, Zhao Garden has become a place for Changshu people to drink tea. For them, everywhere is a teahouse, including the gardens. On the longest corridor in the west, tea tables are filled, and we can also taste the fragrant tea here, and truly feel the tranquility and beauty of the garden. In short, Zeng Garden and Zhao Garden are really two super beautiful gardens, they not only have a long history and profound cultural heritage but also let us feel that unique tranquility and beauty. If you have the chance to visit Changshu, be sure to come here and experience the charm of the gardens in the south of the Yangtze River.💖