Shuihui Garden

Shuihui Garden

Shuihui Garden is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.

Shuihui Garden is located in the northeast corner of the ancient city of Rugao County, Nantong City, Jiangsu Province.

Shuihui Garden was first built during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty. Originally the property of a local resident named Mao Yiguan, it was not fully developed until the fourth generation, under Mao Pijiang. After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, Mao Pijiang retired to the mountains and forests, and specially invited a renowned landscape architect from across the country to renovate the old garden. Within the garden, he constructed over ten scenic spots including “Miaoyin Xianglin” (Secluded Fragrant Grove), “Xuanyan Peak,” “Sela Po” (Rough Waves Slope), “Xiao Wuxi” (Little Wuxi Stream), “Yimo Zhai” (Silent Studio), “Zhenyan Ting” (Pillow Smoke Pavilion), “Xiangzhong Ge” (Central Hunan Pavilion), “Hanbi Tang” (Cold Jade Hall), “Biluo Lu” (Azure Abode), and “Jing Ge” (Mirror Pavilion). Chen Weisong, a notable scholar of the early Qing Dynasty, wrote in his “Record of Shuihui Garden”: “Hui means to gather; waters from all directions converge here, with woods, hills, and flowers interwoven as if in a painting.” This was also the place where Mao Pijiang and the renowned Qinhuai beauty Dong Xiaowan once lived in seclusion.

Shuihui Garden centers around the Xibei Pool, from which water flows outward in four directions, dividing the garden into several sections. The garden values water and reflections, combining beauty with elegance. It expresses ideals and memories through its design, integrating poetry, prose, music, chess, calligraphy, painting, antiquities, and performing arts—all within one garden—making it a refined “literati garden.” The garden has no walls, but is encircled by clear water. Natural water flow over the ground creates a serene and picturesque scene. There are mirrored views along the painted embankment, the graceful beauty of Fuxi Stream, the secluded charm of the Fragrant Grove, pavilions floating like mirrors, the openness of Xibei Pool, and the wild charm of the islet. Water reflections include the winter “Biluo,” early spring “Hanbi,” summer “Xuanlu,” and crisp autumn “Po Yan Yu,” along with the hesitant Sela Po and tranquil Zhenyan Ting. In addition, there are islets in the water, and along the winding waterways, there are sparsely placed structures: one hall, one room, one studio, one cottage, two pavilions, and three pavilions—the rest is all water scenery, reflecting the landscaping characteristics of the water-networked plain of the Yangtze River Delta.

Shuihui Garden resembles an elegant and lofty ink painting with a profound artistic conception. The anecdotes of Mao and Dong, along with the poems and verses of predecessors, give every pavilion, terrace, flower, tree, pool, and rock here an ethereal and transcendent charm. In 2001, Rugao’s Shuihui Garden, as an ancient Ming Dynasty structure, was listed by the State Council in the fifth batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level.

Address: No. 299, Bixia Road, Rugao City, Nantong, Jiangsu Province

Type: Garden / Historic Site / Ancient Architecture

Rating: AAAA

Recommended Visiting Time: 2–3 hours

Phone: 0513-87621560

Official Website: http://www.rgshy.cn

Opening Hours:

8:00-17:30

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Fifth Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level