[2024 Jiangyin Attraction] Travel Guide for Jiangyin Garden (Updated Sep)
Gardens
Address:
Jiangyin, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China, 214400
Opening times:
Open year round, 24/7Open
Recommended sightseeing time:
1 hour
Shiyuan Garden
Shiyuan Garden, also known as Chen Family Garden, is located at No. 198, South Street, Jiangyin City, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, covering an area of about 2260 square meters. It was built in the fourth year of the Xianfeng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1854).
The spatial layout of Shiyuan Garden is clearly divided into primary and secondary areas. The central landscape area is the main scenic area, surrounded by pavilions, corridors, and rockeries, emphasizing the principles of "achieving the natural order and creating natural interest." The main axis of Shiyuan Garden runs north-south, with an asymmetrical layout from east to west. The garden is compact from north to south and open from east to west, with clear boundaries on the north and south sides and open and transparent on the east and west sides. The main building of Shiyuan Garden is the "Water Flowing and Clouds in Pavilion," which faces the "Cloud Surrounding Mountains Pavilion" across the rockery, symbolizing clouds surrounding the mountains. Other buildings include the "Refreshing Pavilion," "Echoing Autumn," and "Easy Painting Pavilion." Shiyuan Garden has a dedicated "Shian Studio" for storing famous calligraphy and paintings from various dynasties. The garden is well-preserved, rich in the characteristics of Jiangnan gardens, and has been included in the "History of Modern Chinese Gardens." It is also listed as one of the top 100 private gardens in China, making it valuable for the study of modern Chinese history and garden history.
On March 5, 2013, Shiyuan Garden was announced by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as part of the seventh batch of national key cultural relics protection units.
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A garden brimming with artistic flair in the south of the Yangtze River—Shiyuan Garden in Jiangyin
❤Recommended reason: Shiyuan Garden, listed as one of the top hundred famous private gardens in China, commonly known as Chen's Garden, is named for its unintentional creation, hence the name Shiyuan, which means 'Garden of Suitability'. It covers an area of about 6 acres and has been included in the 'History of Modern Chinese Gardens'. Despite 150 years of vicissitudes, it is still well-preserved and rich in the characteristics of southern Yangtze River gardens. It houses treasures like Wang Xizhi's 'Goose Tablet' and Ni Yunlin's landscape stone carvings. The spatial layout of Shiyuan is exquisitely ingenious, with the central landscape area as the core, surrounded by pavilions, terraces, and galleries, as well as mountains, stones, and trees, creating a clearly layered beauty. Shiyuan emphasizes 'obtaining the rationale of nature and achieving the interest of nature'. Between the stacked mountains and managed waters, it seems like a divine creation of heaven and earth. The main axis of the garden runs from south to north, while the east and west present a non-completely symmetrical pattern, which makes the layout both compact and spacious. It is a dazzling pearl among the gardens of the south of the Yangtze River. Worth visiting time and again!
📍Detailed address: No. 198, Nan Street, Jiangyin City
📝Note tips: Shiyuan is on Nan Street in Jiangyin, without any tourist signs. After navigating to 'Shiyuan', when you see the 'Jiangyin City Senior Cultural Activity Center' (No. 200, Nan Street), enter through the door indicated by the arrow, and when you see the black wall 'Jiangyin City Federation of Literary and Art Circles', as shown in picture 2, continue walking to the left and forward, and you will see the gate of 'Shiyuan'.