Yizhou Pavilion

Yizhou Pavilion

Introduction Coming down from the Wenbi Pagoda and exiting the south gate of Hongmei Park, you’ll soon arrive at “Dongpo Park,” a classical Jiangnan-style garden that combines cultural heritage with natural scenery. During the Southern Song Dynasty, the people of Changzhou built the "Yizhou Pavilion" to commemorate the visit of the great Northern Song literary master Su Dongpo, who once moored his boat in this spot. Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty visited during their southern tours, building the Wanshou Pavilion temporary palace here and renovating Yizhou Pavilion. The original site of Yizhou Pavilion was called Wencheng Dam. Legend has it that because Changzhou has always been a hub of talent, a dam was built on the ancient canal to make the river bend sharply eastward, preventing the area’s scholarly energy from flowing away. Su Dongpo visited Changzhou 11 times and eventually spent his final years here. However, he actually moored his boat here only twice. Once was in 1073, when he traveled from Hangzhou to Zhenjiang via Changzhou. On New Year’s Eve, he stayed overnight on his boat in the wilds outside the eastern suburbs of the city and wrote the poem “Lodging Outside the City Walls of Changzhou on New Year’s Eve.” The other time was in 1101, after returning to Changzhou from Hainan, when he stayed at the Sun family residence near Gutang Bridge. One hot and stifling day while he was ill, seeking “fresh wind and flowing water” to relieve his discomfort, he took a boat out onto the canal at midnight and moored it here. Crowds gathered along the riverbanks, and the whole city was abuzz.

　 Transportation Take bus 11 or 30 from the train station to Tianning Temple, then transfer to bus 3 and ride one stop to get there.　

Changzhou, Jiangsu