Wuxi Plum Garden

Wuxi Plum Garden

Wuxi Plum Garden is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Located on the southern slopes of Dongshan and Hushan in the western suburbs of Wuxi, about 7 kilometers from the city center and 1.5 kilometers from Taihu Lake, the garden is covered with plum trees and is one of the well-known plum blossom viewing destinations in the Jiangnan area. The designers planned the garden according to the terrain and the features of the plum trees, adorning the hills with plum blossoms and planting plum trees along the slopes. The plum blossoms highlight the beauty of the hills, while the hills lend a tranquil charm to the blossoms, offering a distinctive landscape. The garden has over 5,500 plum trees of various varieties. There are also scenic spots for visitors to enjoy step-by-step ascents, such as Tianxin Terrace, Xixin Spring, Qingfen Pavilion, and Zhaohe Pavilion.

Situated on Hushan in the southwest of Wuxi and facing Taihu Lake, the Plum Garden was first built in 1912, covering an area of 81 mu with over 4,000 plum trees and more than 2,000 potted plum plants. The garden design takes advantage of the terrain and the characteristics of the plum trees, using plum blossoms to decorate the hills and shaping the hills around the plum trees, resulting in a unique landscape. Currently, the expanded garden covers 812 mu and includes over 40 varieties. Notable ones include the pure white and clean Yudie Plum, the emerald sepals and jade-like petals of the Lü’e Plum, the lightly rouged Gongfen Plum, the crimson Danhua Plum, the inky black Mojie Plum, and the twisting, dragon-like Longyou Plum. There are also elegant plum-blossom shaped potted plants with twisted branches, ancient trunks, and graceful shadows.

Wuxi Plum Garden, officially known as the Rong Family Plum Garden in Wuxi, showcases its refined and classic style through old vines, ancient plum trees, new osmanthus, and unique rocks. Major attractions include: Plum Garden Carved Stone, Xixin Spring, Mi Xiangyang Worshipping Stone, Tianxin Terrace, Yili Pavilion, Qingfen Pavilion, Xianghai, Songbin Hall, Zhaohe Pavilion, Xiaoluofu, Nianqu Tower, Huoran Cave, Kaiyuan Temple, Songhe Garden, Xiaojingu, and Yin Feng Pavilion. The garden is 7 kilometers from the city center, located on Dongshan, Hushan, and Hengshan in the western suburbs of Wuxi. Facing the vast Taihu Lake and backed by the nine peaks of Longshan, it is famed for its plum blossoms and is a long-renowned plum blossom viewing destination in the Jiangnan region.

Before liberation, it was the private garden of the “red capitalist” Rong Yiren. The Plum Garden is famed for its plum blossoms and currently covers an area of 812 mu, with 56 mu dedicated to plum groves. There are over 5,000 plum trees and more than 2,000 potted plum plants, most of which are fruiting plum varieties. Flowering plum varieties include Yin Hong, Jia Zhusha, Guli Hong, Su Bai Taige, and Xiao Lü’e. The cultivation of plum trees here has a history of over 70 years. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, both the quantity and variety of plum trees gradually increased. The garden now has over 4,000 plum trees, more than 2,000 potted plants, and nearly 40 varieties, many of which were introduced from Suzhou, Changshu, Yangzhou, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan, and Anhui.

Notable varieties include the pure white and clean Yudie Plum, the emerald sepals and jade-like petals of the Lü’e Plum, the lightly rouged Gongfen Plum, the crimson Danhua Plum, the inky black Mojie Plum, and the twisting, dragon-like Longyou Plum. There are also elegant plum-blossom shaped potted plants with twisted branches, ancient trunks, and graceful shadows.

Opening hours: 6:00–18:00

Public transport: Bus routes 2, K3, 40, 52, 53, 67, 72, 83, 87, 88, 89, 106, 112, 131, 158, 310, 766, Beer Garden Special Line — get off at Meiyuan Station

History

The Plum Garden was first built in 1912 when the renowned national industrialists Rong Zongjing and Rong Desheng established the garden on Dongshan, utilizing the site of the former Xiaotaoyuan Garden of Xu Dianyi, a late Qing Dynasty scholar. They planted thousands of plum trees, and after more than ten years of development, the garden covered 81 mu. Most of the plum trees planted at that time were fruiting varieties. After the liberation, both the quantity and variety of plum trees gradually increased. The garden now has over 4,000 plum trees, more than 2,000 potted plants, and a wide range of varieties, many introduced from Suzhou, Changshu, Yangzhou, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan, and Anhui.

Plum Varieties

The Plum Garden is famed for its plum blossoms. With over 70 years of cultivation history, the garden now has thirty to forty varieties. Notable ones include the pure white Yudie Plum, the emerald sepals and jade-like petals of the Lü’e Plum, the lightly rouged Gongfen Plum, the crimson Danhua Plum, the inky black Mojie Plum, and the twisting, dragon-like Longyou Plum. There are also elegant plum-blossom shaped potted plants with twisted branches, ancient trunks, and graceful shadows.

Attractions

Major attractions include: Plum Garden Carved Stone, Xixin Spring, Mi Xiangyang Worshipping Stone, Tianxin Terrace, Yili Pavilion, Qingfen Pavilion, Xianghai, Songbin Hall, Zhaohe Pavilion, Xiaoluofu, Nianqu Tower, Huoran Cave, Kaiyuan Temple, Songhe Garden, Xiaojingu, and Yin Feng Pavilion.

Nianqu Tower

Nianqu Tower

Nianqu Tower is the crowning feature of the Plum Garden and its iconic structure. This octagonal three-story tower stands 18 meters tall and was built in 1930 as a memorial to Rong Zongjing and Rong Desheng’s mother, Madam Shi, by the brothers as a tribute to their parents’ nurturing love.

At the time, it was built to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Madam Shi’s passing. Initially named “Nianci Tower” (Tower of Compassionate Remembrance), the name was later changed to “Nianqu Tower” (Tower of Filial Devotion) upon the suggestion of Mr. Qian Zhen?, who was invited to write an inscription for the tower. He proposed the new name based on lines from the Book of Songs: “Alas, the mother’s heart, weary with giving me life,” expressing filial gratitude, and “The thorny heart thrives, the mother toils sore,” commemorating the mother.

Address: No. 13, Bianjiawan, Liangxi West Road, Binhu District, Wuxi City

Type: Botanical Garden, Mountain, Historic Architecture

Rating: AAAA

Recommended visiting time: 2–4 hours

Phone: 0510-85517197

Official Website: http://www.wuximeiyuan.com/

Opening Hours:

6:00–18:00.