Pao Pavilion

Pao Pavilion

Pao Pavilion is a protected cultural heritage site of Jiangsu Province.

Pao Pavilion is located at No. 221 Ganquan Road, Guangling District, Yangzhou. It was built in the early years of the Republic of China by Lu Dianhu, then chairman of the Zhenyang Automobile Company, and designed by Yu Jizhi, a renowned garden designer in Yangzhou. It is one of the "Four Pavilions" of Yangzhou from the early Republican period. Lu Dianhu (1876–1936), courtesy name Shaoliu, was a native of Baoying County, Yangzhou. He graduated in 1910 from the Jiangnan Higher Institution and was awarded the title of Jinshi. He served as the head of the Education Department under the Jiangsu Patrol Office and as the principal of Haizhou Middle School. After the Xinhai Revolution, he held positions such as the head of the Education Departments of Anhui and Gansu provinces. Later, he settled in Yangzhou. In 1918, he advocated for the construction of a road from Yangzhou to Qingjiang. With official approval, the Guayang section was constructed first, and he also initiated the establishment of the Guaqing Long-Distance Automobile Company and the Jiangbei Road Administration Bureau. In 1924, the road from Yangzhou to Liuxu was completed, and in 1925, the Yangqing Road (earthen road) was fully opened to traffic. Wharves and trestle bridges were also built in Liuxu and Zhenjiang, along with barges for passenger convenience. Cao Zhi wrote in his “Ode”: “Lament the solitary gourd, and sing of the diligent Herdsman.” The owner named the residence “Pao” (gourd) not only as a form of self-reflection and encouragement, but also because the garden is long in the north and wide in the south, resembling a ladle, hence the name Pao Pavilion. After Lu Dianhu’s death, Han Guojun wrote his “Biographical Account.”

Covering an area of 1,600 square meters with a built-up area of 750 square meters, the pavilion is long in the north and broad in the south, shaped like a gourd—hence its name. The garden is divided into eastern and western sections: the eastern part is the “Pao Pavilion” garden, and the western part is the “Kexi” (Restful Abode) garden. To the north lies a five-courtyard residential complex. The main gate faces east and features a masonry archway with tightly fitted bricks. The eastern “Pao Pavilion” has a stone plaque with seal script inscribed by Chen Yanzhe (Hanguang). The courtyard is long and narrow, shaped like a carpenter’s square, with floral arrangements, trees, and rockeries to the south. In the southeast corner, there is a pond with a half pavilion by the water, and to the north of the pond stands a three-bay veranda-connected pavilion. The western “Kexi” garden is more open, with a south-facing flower hall in the center dividing the northern and southern courtyards. The flower hall is three bays wide and five rafters deep. The southern courtyard of the hall is lush with trees and features a group of lake rock artificial hills. In the southwest corner of the courtyard stands a waterside pavilion connected by a corridor extending northward. At the end of the corridor is a corner gate inscribed with the characters “Liuyu” (Leave Surplus). Passing through the gate leads to a small alley that connects to a small courtyard north of the hall, which contains a yellow-stone flower stand and planted greenery. The residence lies to the north of the garden and consists of five courtyards. From south to north: the first is the front hall, three bays wide with a single attached room to the west. The second is the main hall, also three bays wide and seven rafters deep, flanked by corridors and with a single room to the west. Behind the main hall are two more courtyards of the residence, both designed in the “three bright, five hidden” style, and also seven rafters deep. The halls and main rooms have glass lattice windows, square brick flooring, while bedrooms, attached rooms, and side chambers retain intact lattice windows, window frames, wooden floors, ceilings, and paneling. The courtyards between each section are paved with bluestone slabs. The front hall and south flower hall also feature carved lattice windows and window frames. The fifth courtyard houses the kitchen and includes an ancient well. Though compact in size, Pao Pavilion is exquisitely laid out and is an outstanding example of design making use of irregular plots of land.

On June 5, 2006, Pao Pavilion was designated as part of the sixth batch of Protected Cultural Heritage Sites of Jiangsu Province.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Protected Cultural Heritage Sites of Jiangsu Province