Jiangyin Xingguo Park

Jiangyin Xingguo Park

Xingguo Garden is located at the northwest corner of the intersection between Zhongshan South Road and South Street in Jiangyin City. It is an elegantly classic and historic garden with exquisitely designed landscapes. Originally, there was no garden here — the idea of creating one arose from the need to protect an ancient pagoda. Xingguo Pagoda is situated on South Street in the city center and was built during the Taiping Xingguo era (976–983) of the Northern Song Dynasty. It was originally a seven-story brick-and-wood pavilion-style structure that served as the stupa of the Taiping Xingguo Buddhist Temple. It was damaged by fire during the Yuan Dynasty's Zhi Zheng era. It was repaired during the Ming Dynasty's Zhengtong era, when the pagoda was increased to nine stories. In the 22nd year of the Qing Dynasty's Jiaqing era (1817), the wooden interior structure and the top of the pagoda were destroyed in a fire. On January 26, 1925, during the conflict between the Zhili and Fengtian warlords, a shell fired by the Fengtian army hit the top of the damaged pagoda, giving it its current pencil-point shape.

After the liberation, the pagoda underwent several restorations, and the lower six stories remain original structures from the Song Dynasty. In 2002, the municipal government included the Xingguo Garden construction project in its list of ten key initiatives, which was implemented by the Jiangyin Landscape and Tourism Bureau. The design was centered around Xingguo Pagoda, adopting a cultural garden concept inspired by the aesthetics of the Song Dynasty. The project was designed by the Suzhou Classical Gardens Design Institute and constructed by the Changshu Classical Gardens Construction Engineering Company, who won the bid. Construction began on July 8, 2002, and was completed on January 28, 2003. The construction of Xingguo Garden involved relocating the Jiangyin Vocational High School and demolishing residential buildings, covering a total area of 25,000 square meters.

The newly built Xingguo Garden spans an area of 26,000 square meters, bordered by Zhongshan South Road to the east, South Street to the south, Xingguo Lane to the west, and Qinglong Lane to the north. It is divided into three main functional zones: the Memorial Area, the Historic Appreciation Area, and the Poetry Culture Area. A pond was excavated, greenery planted, a new plaza constructed, and large-scale relief sculptures created. The garden has revived seven ancient bridges that once existed in Jiangyin but had disappeared: Shan Zheng Bridge, Sacred Mother Bridge, Little Rainbow Bridge, Taiping Bridge, Jiyang Bridge, Jin Xian Bridge, and Hong Jian Bridge. It also features a collection of classical-style buildings that follow a historical and cultural theme, including Daya Hall, Jiao Shan Pavilion, Qing Yin Pavilion, Yu Sheng Pavilion, Hui Yu Nunnery, Yi Chun Pavilion, and Shang Hu Cottage. It has become a modern "urban oasis," an educational site for reflecting on history and appreciating the present, as well as an excellent place for citizens to relax and exercise.

Address: No. 58, Zhongshan South Road, Jiangyin City, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province (near South Street)

Transportation: Take bus routes 128, 15, 16, 23, 29, 30, 37, 38, 53, or 76 within Jiangyin City and get off at Xingguo Park Station.