Next to the Jiaxiu Tower is the Jiangnan-style garden in Guiyang - Cuiwei Garden

Upon arriving in Guiyang, people always visit Jiaxiu Tower. Standing on the tower and looking towards the south bank of the Nanming River, one can see a cluster of ancient buildings distributed along the riverbank and mountainside, with gray walls and black tiles, upturned eaves and pointed corners. Wang Yangming once lectured here, and the Emperor of the Southern Ming Dynasty, Yongli, once made his stay here. This is a Jiangnan-style garden deep in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, known as Cuiwei Garden. Cuiwei Garden was originally built during the Ming Dynasty's Xuande era, and its history predates even that of Jiaxiu Tower. The site was initially a temple, around which a beautiful garden was constructed. Today, the temple has long disappeared, and the early garden has been lost to time and war. Most of the current garden has been reconstructed based on descriptions from ancient texts. However, there are still ancient buildings preserved in the garden, among which the most intact is the Gongnan Pavilion, built in the ninth year of the Yongli era of the Southern Ming Dynasty (1655). This pavilion, with a history of over 300 years, has withstood the test of time and still maintains its upturned eaves, white walls, green columns, and its simple and upright appearance. This pavilion was built by the famous general of the late Ming Dynasty, Sun Kewang, with the intention of 'confronting the Qing court in the north and supporting the south.' Unfortunately, the fate of the Ming Dynasty was sealed, and despite the efforts of wise men and brave generals, the tide could not be turned. Passing through the Gongnan Pavilion into the depths of the garden, a wall with a courtyard gate inscribed with the words 'Dan Hua Kong Cui' blocks the way. Entering through it, one arrives at a beautiful Jiangnan-style garden, with pink walls, black tiles, arched doors, and latticed windows. The garden's lush vegetation, winding corridors, and the elegance and uniqueness of the Jiangnan garden style are all around, making it hard to believe that this place is thousands of miles away from the actual Jiangnan region. The most attractive spot in the garden is the two-story Cuiwei Pavilion. Sitting on the beauty couch on the second floor's corridor, one can enjoy the babbling streams and the beauty of the nine-turn corridor of Cuiwei Garden below, and the magnificent view of Jiaxiu Tower and the cityscape of Guiyang beyond. Listening to the echoing sounds of insects and birds, it is truly a delightful experience.