Dachao Mountain Fuyuan Chan Temple

Yixing Yingyuan Garden

Yingyuan Garden is a protected cultural heritage site of Jiangsu Province.

Yingyuan Garden, originally named Xingyuan Garden, is located on the left side of the Chenghuang Temple along South Street in Yixing City. It is a delicate, small-scale classical garden with distinctive Jiangnan features and is the best-preserved ancient garden architecture in the city to this day. The garden was first built during the Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong era. Inspired by the phrase “the body harmonizes through movement” from Pan Yue’s “Autumn Inspiration Fu,” a literary work from the Western Jin Dynasty, it was originally named “Xingyuan Garden.” Covering a total area of 2,038 square meters with a built-up area of 363 square meters, the garden features a rigorous structure and well-planned layout. Though compact in size, it embodies the essence of classical Jiangnan garden design.

The garden was originally the private residence of Xie Tingyang, with part of it being the former site of Chu Zhen’s “Bamboo Shade Pavilion.” It was later destroyed in war. Local residents purchased the former residences of the Xie and Chu families and converted the site into a garden for the Chenghuang Temple. Drawing on the notion of a “fairyland on Yingzhou Island,” they renamed it “Yingyuan Garden.” They dug ponds and stacked rocks, modeling the pond after the West Lake in Hangzhou, and giving it an especially refined appearance.

Upon entering the main gate, you’ll walk along a corridor shaded by wisteria. In the center of the garden lies a lotus pond, with wintersweet bushes to its north exuding a rich fragrance — these are rare and precious flowering plants. Further back is a high wall with a round moon gate, leading to a courtyard that houses the magnificent “Xinghe Hall.” Spanning three bays with a width of 10.85 meters and a depth of 11 meters over eight roof frames, it is the principal structure of Yingyuan Garden. The hall features front and rear extended eaves, carved flower-patterned beams, and palace-style lattice windows on both the southern and northern sides, along with double eaves and upturned corners. In front of the “Xinghe Hall” is a round gate, and beneath its windows lies an ancient stone basin rockery — a relic of the garden’s past. To the south of the pond stands a waterside pavilion called “Bamboo Shade Pavilion,” connected by a small bridge over flowing water, harmonizing perfectly with the overall style. To the west of the pavilion is a man-made hill with the “Wanglai Pavilion” atop it. Legend has it that during the Ming Dynasty’s Wanli era, Liu Yongji, the county magistrate of Yixing, was highly commended for his governance. When he was transferred away from Yixing, the locals pleaded with him to return and built the “Wanglai Platform” in his honor. Later, when the platform fell into disrepair, this pavilion was constructed in the garden as a replacement. In front of the pavilion are two trees over 200 years old: a white-bark pine and a juniper.

The garden also houses 16 osmanthus trees that are more than 200 years old. Every autumn, their fragrant blooms fill the air with a rich scent. Small bridges made of stacked stones cross the pond, their blocks interlocked for stability. Inside the bridge openings hang inverted stalactite-like stone formations, incorporating the unique features of Yixing’s karst caves into garden design — a stroke of ingenious craftsmanship that fully showcases the exceptional garden architecture of ancient Yixing. To the east of the pond lies a winding corridor that leads to various parts of the garden. To the west of the pond stands the “Yixing Chuanfei Pavilion,” named by Xu Dazhang, a Qing Dynasty painter and father of Xu Beihong. Winding your way up the steps, you can climb to the top to enjoy panoramic views of the entire garden.

Transportation Guide

Address: Cultural Square, Yixing City, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province

Getting There: Take bus routes 1, 7, or others in Yixing City and get off at Renmin Yiyuan Station.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites