Yipu Garden: A Stunning Chinese Classical Garden

🌟 Yangzhou Yipu: The Hidden Elegance of Salt Merchants 🌿 When people mention Yangzhou, the poetic line "Of all the bright moonlight in the world, two-thirds shines on Yangzhou" often comes to mind. This ancient city, thriving for millennia thanks to its canals, was once the wealthiest gathering place for salt merchants in China. Yipu Garden is like a yellowed thread-bound book, quietly narrating the refined elegance of salt merchant culture. 🏯 The Past and Present of Yipu Garden Built during the Qing Dynasty's Xianfeng era, this garden is one of Yangzhou's most intact surviving salt merchant residences. Its owner, Wang Zhuming, though holding the official title of "Salt Transport Official of Lianghuai," was a scholarly merchant well-versed in literature. He named the estate "Yipu," meaning "Garden of Leisure," reflecting his transcendent and refined lifestyle. 🌙 A Modern "Grand View Garden" Stepping into Yipu, you'll find echoes of the Grand View Garden from *Dream of the Red Chamber*. Wang Zhuming lovingly crafted this garden for his daughter, with its delicate bridges, rockeries, and pavilions. Standing before the moon gate, gazing at the Taihu rockery, one can almost glimpse the silhouette of a young lady leaning on the railing. The most breathtaking feature is the exquisitely preserved brick-carved gate tower, with its lifelike "Pine and Crane" motif—a living fossil of Yangzhou's brick-carving art. 🍵 A Day in the Life of a Salt Merchant 1️⃣ The Study: Scholars at Heart The "Baoshan Study" in the backyard was the owner's favorite retreat, with a huanghuali wood desk by the window and the "Four Treasures of the Study" on display. Here, Wang Zhuming once hosted literati like Zheng Banqiao for tea and intellectual discussions. 2️⃣ The Theater: Entertainment Fit for Royalty The small stage in front of the west wing is like a miniature imperial theater, where salt merchants once enjoyed Kunqu opera and Pingtan storytelling. Standing beneath it, you can almost hear the melodious strains of *The Peony Pavilion*. 3️⃣ The Kitchen: "Wealth Lasting Three Generations" The copper hot pot and fine porcelain in the kitchen attest to the luxury of "salt merchants dining with silverware." The ingenious smoke ventilation system above the stove is a testament to ancient ingenuity. ✨ While strolling through Yipu, I met an elderly caretaker who said, "These old houses—even the cracks between the bricks hold stories." Indeed, every brick and tile here records the rise and fall of the salt merchants. Visit on a drizzly day, umbrella in hand, and become a time-traveling guest.