Yiquan Pavilion

Yiquan Pavilion

Yiquan Pavilion is a cultural heritage site protected by Suzhou Municipality.

Constructed in April of the second year of the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty (1629 AD), Yiquan Pavilion is entirely built from stone, presenting an ancient and unadorned appearance. The pavilion has a square layout, about 0-1 meters wide and roughly 4.5 meters tall, with a hip-and-gable roof formed by eight stone slabs. "Yiquan" was the name of a man—Feng Yiquan and Yin Xinyi were two close friends in the town at that time. Feng trusted Yin deeply and once entrusted him with a lifetime savings of one hundred taels of silver while away. Not long after, Feng Yiquan died suddenly of illness without any children. Yin Xinyi then used the one hundred taels Feng had left in his care to dig a well and build a pavilion. This act not only provided convenience for passersby but also served as a unique way to honor his deceased friend. People greatly admired Yin Xinyi’s noble character, emphasizing righteousness over profit, and came to see this ancient Yiquan Pavilion as a symbol of pure friendship. Yin Xinyi’s disciple wrote a poem titled “The Well Pavilion”: “In days of old, there was Yiquan who left gold behind, / His name buried beneath the spring for years unconfined. / Who now would rise to build anew with such grace? / By Yiquan Pavilion, they speak of Yiquan’s face.”

Source: Suzhou Mudu Tourism Development Co., Ltd.