Heyuan Garden

Heye Garden

Heye Garden is a cultural heritage site protected at the municipal level in Suzhou.

Heye Garden is situated on Hanjia Lane in Suzhou. It was initially constructed during the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty by Dao official Hong Luting. It was named “Heye Garden” (Crane Garden) after Yu Yue inscribed a plaque reading “Xiehe Caotang” (Pavilion for Cranes and Grass). The garden features a pool as smooth as a mirror, corridors like rainbows, and pavilions and moon halls nestled among rocks and hills. Though the garden was not completed, Hong left Suzhou, and it was temporarily used as the Agricultural Affairs Bureau. Later, it was acquired by Pang Qulu of Wujiang, and his grandson Pang Hengshang further renovated it, making it a gathering place for literati and poets. The poet Zhu Zumou once resided here. A lilac tree planted by Zhu himself still stands in the garden, filling the air with its fragrant blossoms in season. Deng Bangshu inscribed the words “Ouyin Ciren Shouzhi Zidanxiang” (Purple Lilac Planted by the Ci Poet Ouyin) in seal script on the flower stand. Pang Hengshang, living leisurely in the garden, playfully styled himself “Heyuan” (Crane Connection) based on the homophonic sound of the garden’s name, and also named his hall “Qihu” (Crane’s Nest).

Covering a total area of 3,134 square meters, Heye Garden is compact, simple, and elegant. The eastern residence and western garden are arranged side by side, with the residence having three courtyards. The central feature of the garden is a pool, with small bridges spanning over it. Bamboo, rocks, and flowers are arranged around the pool, while pavilions and halls face each other across the water. To the north lies the main hall, “Xiehe Caotang” (Pavilion for Cranes and Grass), which is exquisitely structured. The lintels of the east and west gates of the front corridor bear brick plaques inscribed by Pang Hengshang with the words “Yanfei” (Rock Door) and “Songjing” (Pine Path), references to the lines from Meng Haoran’s poem “Night Return to the Deer Gate Mountain Song”: “Suddenly I reach the secluded dwelling of Old Man Pang, where rock doors and pine paths lie in eternal solitude.” In front of the hall stands the lake rock “Zhangyun Peak,” named for its shape. To the south of the pool is the Four-Sided Hall, inscribed with “Zhenliu Shushi” (Resting by the Stream and Gargling Stones), facing the main hall across the water. The “Tingfeng Shanguan” (Pavilion for Listening to Maple and Pines), also called “Henest” (Crane’s Nest), is tucked away amid the lush bamboos in the northern part of the garden.

The main gate of Heye Garden is on the south side, leading to an entrance hall—a five-bay structure shielded by whitewashed walls and floral windows to prevent the entire garden view from being seen all at once. In the northeast corner of the entrance hall is a door that opens to a long, winding corridor running from south to north through the entire garden. The corridor connects to the Four-Sided Hall and the main hall to the west. The centrally positioned Four-Sided Hall divides the garden into northern and southern sections. To the south, it forms a visual counterpoint with the entrance hall; along the whitewashed wall are flower stands with plants and trees, accented with standing stones, creating the scenery to the south of the hall. To the north, it forms a visual counterpoint with the main hall, with a pool dug between them to form the scenery to the north. The irregularly shaped pool is surrounded by stacked rocks, accompanied by flowering plants such as winter jasmine, magnolia, lilac, crabapple, osmanthus, oleander, crape myrtle, and wintersweet, as well as tall evergreen trees like pines and cypresses, forming the garden’s main scenic feature.

To the west of the pool is a double-eaved, trapezoidal hall connected to the main hall via a winding corridor. The corridor twists and turns gracefully, forming several small courtyards with the courtyard walls, interspersed with miscellaneous flowers and bamboo, creating rich layers—it is the highlight of the entire garden.

To the south of the hall is an earthen mound with a small hexagonal pavilion on top. The pavilion has a pointed roof, with proportions just right, making it delicate and charming. Along the western wall are planted climbing plants and shrubs such as wisteria, roses, and ficus pumila, concealing the prominent boundary wall among the greenery. A section of the pool extends toward the mound through a gap, curving into a small inlet with a small bridge crossing it, suggesting an endless source of water. This is a common technique in garden design for handling water surfaces—giving the impression of boundless flow, also referred to as “mystery.”

Heye Garden is not large in scale, and its layout resembles that of a traditional courtyard. The arrangement of hills and water and the treatment of details are characterized by simplicity. The garden scenery mainly features flat, open views, combining elements of “openness” and “seclusion.”

Transportation Guide

Location: Hanjia Lane, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province

Getting There: In Suzhou, take bus lines 1, 5, 8, 38, 101, 102, 933, Night 1, Night 3, or Tourist 4, and get off at Leqiao North Station.