Suzhou Gardens: Beibanyuan (A lesser-known Suzhou garden)

Beibanyuan, also known as Lu's Garden, is a private small garden in Suzhou with a history of over three hundred years. Originally named 'Zhiyuan', it was built during the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty by Shen Shiyi. By the Xianfeng era, it came into the possession of Jiangsu Governor Lu Jiemei, who renovated it and renamed it 'Banyuan'. Half mountain, half water, half entering the garden; half bridge, half pavilion, half corridor winding. The garden design revolves around the concept of 'half', which is said to reflect the life philosophy of its owner who 'is content and does not seek completeness, happily maintaining the half'. To truly understand this garden, one needs to know about the Lu background: it is said that the Lu family, sandwiched between neighboring families such as the Pan and Zhou families who were engaged in overt and covert struggles, saw through the disturbances of the world, did not wish to take sides, and simply closed the garden gate, maintaining a place of tranquility. Entrance is a pavilion/stop Generally speaking, the entrance to a garden is not described as a winding path leading to a secluded spot, but at least there is a sequence. The entrance to Beibanyuan is directly a pavilion, and it is completely open, which is a very eye-catching layout. Tracing back to its origins, this gate was originally the main entrance from the residence to the garden. With this understanding, it becomes more reasonable. The dynamic and static planning of the entrance being a pavilion (stop) is very effective for a garden with relatively small space and no room for a psychological transition area. This pavilion serves as a comma, a boundary, a mental turn between the mortal world and paradise. Endless half-bridge perspective Just right, from the entrance pavilion looking into the garden, there is a picturesque perspective towards the half-bridge, which is the focal point of the entire garden design. The water surface narrows to the stone bridge in front of the eyes, with the bridge's eaves watching over both sides, and the revetment stones and rockery terraces echoing each other in height. A wisteria vine over 500 years old twines around the bridge, and in spring, the wisteria blossoms fly, with a distant fragrance. Wild ducks play in front of the bridge, and the rockery along the wall behind the bridge is faintly visible under the mottled shade of trees. The most interesting part is the reflection of the stone bridge in the water, combining reality and illusion to form a complete circle. Banyuan is planted with ancient trees and famous woods such as white pine, magnolia, boxwood, and wisteria. In front of the tea room, there is a 150-year-old osmanthus tree, tall and full of flowers, making it a very charming spot to rest and enjoy the sweet osmanthus in the golden autumn. The afternoon tea in Banyuan is a 'fusion style' mix of Chinese and Western elements, with swan puffs, raspberry mousse, blueberry cheesecake, mini ham and cheese sandwiches, smoked salmon rolls, and other Western sweet and savory pastries, presented in exquisite Chinese containers. Tea choices include Biluochun, Longjing, Pu'er, and you can also pick a pot of roselle tea, a favorite among girls, with its slightly sour taste, just right to offset the sweetness of the pastries. 🍵Tea House Name: Pingjiang Mansion Banyuan Tea Room 📍Location: No. 60 Baita East Road, inside Banyuan (Enter through the main gate of Pingjiang Mansion~)