Taizhou Liuyuan Garden

Taizhou Liuyuan Garden

Taizhou Liuyuan Garden was built in memory of Liu Jingting, a master storyteller of the Taizhou region. Originally, the East and West City Moats extended southward on either side of South City Avenue, forming two bays to the east and west, known as Fishing Bay. It is said that Fishing Bay was Liu’s former residence, so Liuyuan Garden was constructed on the east side of Fishing Bay and the south bank of the City Moat, nestled by the water. The garden covers an area of about 50 acres, with water surfaces accounting for approximately 15 acres. After years of development, the garden has flourished with lush trees and dense groves. The most delightful aspect is its well-chosen location—enclosing a small water bay within the garden while being embraced by the surrounding city moat outside. Water birds are often seen skimming and resting here, adding lively charm. Moreover, its secluded setting, rarely frequented by people, makes it a perfect spot for quiet contemplation and a “solitary stroll of a hermit.”

Building Liuyuan Garden to commemorate Liu Jingting is highly meaningful. Liu Jingting, a master storyteller of common birth, lived during the turbulent transition from the Ming to the Qing dynasty and led a life full of legend. His original surname was Cao, and he was from Caofang Village in Tangwan. As a youth, he resisted the constraints of feudal etiquette, fled to escape arrest, and eventually took shelter under a willow tree. Feeling his life was as rootless as willow catkins, he adopted the surname Liu. Later, he studied storytelling under Mo Houguang, becoming intimately familiar with the lives of various social classes as well as regional dialects and customs. Throughout his life, he wandered and performed in cities such as Yangzhou, Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Nanjing. Liu’s storytelling skills were extraordinary, as documented in many accounts. In Zhang Dai’s "Tao’an Dream Recollections," the chapter "Liu Jingting Tells a Story" describes his performance of the prose version of Wu Song Fighting the Tiger: “His descriptions and portrayals were exquisitely detailed… when he reached the climax, his shouts and roars shook the walls. When Wu Song entered the tavern to buy wine and found no one there, he suddenly let out a roar, causing all the empty jars and vats in the tavern to rumble loudly.” Huang Zongxi also wrote in "The Biography of Liu Jingting": “He could mimic the accents and customs of all regions, making them vividly real. With a single cry, he could sound like clashing swords and armored cavalry surging through the air; or like the howling wind and weeping rain, birds grieving and beasts panicking. A deep sorrow would well up instantly, rendering the sound of wooden clappers dull in comparison…” and so on. Liu was not only renowned for his storytelling but also admired for his patriotism, sense of justice, and unyielding integrity. As Hou Chaozong in "The Peach Blossom Fan" remarked: “His character is noble, his mind open and free—he is one of us. Storytelling is merely his side skill.” Thus, despite being a commoner, he maintained close ties with many esteemed scholars of the late Ming period. He treated nobles and officials as equals, leaving behind many memorable anecdotes. He once served as an aide in the retinue of the anti-Qing general Zuo Liangyu, nicknamed “Liu the Pockmarked” due to his appearance. “Shaking his head and wagging his tongue, he mixed humor into his tales. Each evening, he would sit under the lamplight, recounting stories from the Sui and Tang dynasties.” After the fall of the Ming dynasty, he returned to storytelling, performing at the “Changyin Pavilion” by the Qinhuai River in Nanjing. Longing for the fallen dynasty, he used historical tales to reflect on the present, evoking a sense of the vicissitudes described in “Old Bai Nian Gui Nian Talks About the Glorious Days of Tianbao.” Many former officials and literati of the old regime competed to write poems in his honor. He associated with members of the Fu She (Restoration Society), and was also closely connected with contemporary scholars such as Qian Qianyi and Wu Weiye. In Qian’s poem "Song of the Portrait of Zuo Ningnan for Liu Jingting," he praised: “By the tent, seated close to the general, Liu the Pockmarked—no one in the land could match his storytelling. A simple bow could startle Emperor Han; a shake of the head dismissed the death of the King of Chu.” Wu Weiye wrote in "Qinyuan Chun – To Liu Jingting": “Strategies of Chu and Han, games of Chen and Sui, his tongue could wrap up absurdity in a smile. Who’s real or fake? Laugh at scholars who deceive the world, fixing their own 'Spring and Autumn Annals'.” Jingting was not only a master storyteller but also a patriotic and extraordinary figure, whose legacy endures through the ages. His former home, Fishing Bay, has naturally become a cherished site where the people of Taizhou remember him.

(No translation needed — this segment is already in English and appears to be part of a quote or citation from a previous segment.)