Suzhou’s tranquil and pleasant Garden of Harmony is an excellent place to relax and spend leisure hours. Known as Yuyuan in the local dialect this pleasant park is a traditional Chinese garden with many appealing attributes. This attractive garden is always a pleasant respite from the stresses and strains of the urban lifestyle.
The garden inherits a long history which spans several centuries. Initially it belonged to a Ming Dynasty official called Wu Guan. However its appearance today owes much to its subsequent owner Gu Wenbin, a local regional governor. This individual purchased the land in the year 1874 and proceeded to expand and develop it.
Today the visitor will see that the area, which spans 0.6 hectare is subdivided into two distinct sections by a dual corridor which seemingly separates the park into western and eastern sections. The eastern segment which is the older part of the site features a number of interlinked courtyards as well as intricately designed buildings. Some of these are the ‘All Season Grace Pavilion’, ‘Winding Jade Pavilion’, ‘Rock Fetish Pavilion’ and ‘Su Dongpo’s Lute Chamber’.
On the other hand the western segment of the garden features embellishments made by the Gu clan. This section is constructed around a central pond with a complex of halls on one side and a number of grottos and rocky hillocks on the other.
A noteworthy aspect of the present garden is that it has borrowed and replicated attractive stylistic features from other leisure gardens in the locality. These include a stone boat in jade which resembles an element of the Humble Administrator’s Garden and a corridor resembling a similar feature from the Blue Wave Pavilion. Another noteworthy feature is the picturesque caves which seem to replicate similar structures at the Lion Grove.
Unlike some other Chinese gardens the Garden of Harmony is not frequented by a multitude of visitors. Since it is often uncrowded and tranquil there is no better venue for a laidback leisurely stroll.
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Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.
