He Garden in Yangzhou—The Finest Garden of the Late Qing Dynasty! Magnolia blossoms, how beautiful!

He Garden in Yangzhou, also known as Jixiao Mountain Villa, was first built during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty (1883). It represents the pinnacle of late Qing Dynasty garden art and is known as "China's finest garden of the late Qing Dynasty." The entire garden covers an area of 14,000 square meters. Its pavilions, terraces, and towers are connected by covered walkways, creating a three-dimensional landscape of "sky corridors." Its 1,500-meter double-layer corridor is a masterpiece of Jiangnan gardens. The garden integrates the essence of Chinese and Western architecture, featuring traditional wood carvings, brick carvings, and ornamental windows, while also incorporating Western-style louvered windows and glass decorations, showcasing the open and inclusive aesthetics of the late Qing Dynasty literati. The core landscape, "Pianshi Shanfang" (Stone Mountain Retreat), is a unique rock garden designed by Shitao, a painter from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. It is famous for its Zen-like artistic conception of "flowers in the mirror, moon in the water." Buildings such as Yuxiu Tower and Shuixin Pavilion are exquisite and elegant, surrounded by flowers and trees throughout the seasons. The scenery changes with every step, fully demonstrating the beauty of a "city forest." It is now a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Site and is on the tentative list of World Cultural Heritage Sites.