Jiangnan Gardens

Wuxi Xihui Park and Jichang Garden: Treasures of Jiangnan Garden Art Wuxi, a historic and cultural city located on the shores of Taihu Lake, has nurtured countless breathtaking garden landscapes. Among them, Xihui Park and Jichang Garden stand out as outstanding representatives of Jiangnan garden art, attracting numerous visitors with their unique natural scenery and profound cultural heritage. Xihui Park is situated in the western suburbs of Wuxi City, composed of two famous mountains, Xishan and Huishan. Covering an area of 687 acres, the park is a large comprehensive garden integrating natural and cultural landscapes. Ancient trees tower throughout the park, with pavilions and towers scattered among them, offering different scenery in each season. In spring, azaleas bloom all over the hills; in summer, the shade is dense and the breeze gentle; in autumn, maple leaves blaze like fire, coloring the forests; in winter, snow covers the mountains, creating a silver wonderland. The Huishan Spring within the park is praised as the "Second Best Spring Under Heaven." Its water is clear and sweet, historically a favored spot for literati to enjoy tea and compose poetry. The Tang Dynasty tea sage Lu Yu highly praised it in his "Classic of Tea," and the great Song Dynasty writer Su Shi left the immortal verse, "Alone I carry a small moon from heaven, to taste the second spring on earth." The Erquan Academy by the spring was once a lecture place for the famous Ming Dynasty scholar Shao Bao, and its rich cultural atmosphere can still be felt today. Adjacent to Xihui Park, Jichang Garden is one of China's Four Great Gardens, founded during the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty, with a history of over 500 years. The garden's name is derived from Wang Xizhi's "Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Collection," meaning "to freely express secluded feelings," reflecting the owner's longing for natural landscapes and a reclusive lifestyle. Jichang Garden is renowned for its "borrowed scenery" technique, skillfully incorporating the natural views of Huishan and Xishan into the garden's perspective, achieving the artistic realm of "a garden within a mountain, a mountain within a garden." The garden's layout is exquisite, with winding paths leading to secluded spots, and pavilions and waterside terraces arranged harmoniously. The babbling waters of Bayin Stream, the shimmering ripples of Jinhui Pond, the Zhiyu Railing built by the water, and the Yupan Pavilion hidden in bamboo groves all embody the Jiangnan garden philosophy of "though man-made, it seems naturally created." Notably, Jichang Garden has had a profound influence on later garden art. The Xiequ Garden in Beijing's Summer Palace was built by order of Emperor Qianlong during his southern tour, modeled after Jichang Garden. This fusion of northern and southern garden arts testifies to the inheritance and development of classical Chinese gardens. Strolling through Xihui Park and Jichang Garden, visitors can not only appreciate the delicate elegance of Jiangnan gardens but also feel the deep cultural heritage of traditional China. Every scene contains the wisdom and sentiments of the ancients, and every brick and stone tells stories of history's vicissitudes. These precious cultural heritages are not only the city’s calling card but also a shared spiritual treasure of the Chinese nation. Today, Xihui Park and Jichang Garden have become important cultural tourism attractions in Wuxi. With their unique charm, they showcase the essence of Jiangnan garden art to the world, inherit the excellent traditional Chinese culture, and serve as cultural bridges connecting the past and present, China and the world.