Xishan Carved Flower Building (Renben Hall)

Gucang Garden by Taihu Lake, Xishan

Gucang Garden is located in Houpu Village, Xishan, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province. The garden features two ancient camphor trees that cast dense shade, earning them the title “The First Trees of Wu Region.” Situated on the eastern foothills at the junction of Damao Mountain and Ma Mountain, the garden derives its name from these millennia-old camphor trees. As inscribed on a stele from 1995: “Gucang Garden was once a temple. In the Song Dynasty, it enshrined Guanyin; in the Qing Dynasty, the City God. Over time it fell into ruin and was rebuilt in the Year of Jiaxu. The thousand-year-old camphor trees stand tall and reach for the sky, their thick foliage covering the ground in majestic splendor. Mountain pools sculpt the clouds, deep as abysses, with clear waters that sparkle like mirrors. Green mountains act as barriers, lush trees as screens, while rosy clouds and radiant sunlight drape over branches that shade the paths.”

The garden has two ancient camphor trees, one from the Song Dynasty and one from the Yuan Dynasty. The Song-era tree stands tall and spreading, dignified and graceful, with a trunk over eight meters in diameter. The Yuan-era tree rises forcefully from the earth, majestic and imposing, with a trunk nearly five meters wide. These two ancient trees, picturesque and emerald-green, stand close to each other. Their intertwined branches and overarching leaves create a canopy that covers the sky, giving an overwhelming sense of grandeur and extraordinary beauty. The camphor trees are the focal point of the entire garden, with all structures built around them. Halls, pavilions, winding corridors, white walls, and blooming flowers combine to offer both the refined beauty of a traditional garden and the untamed charm of nature—an unparalleled masterpiece of landscape design.

At the front of the garden stands a memorial archway with four pillars and three gates, constructed from granite. The characters “Gucang Garden” were written by Yang Zaihou, while the couplet “The vast sky meets the boundless marsh; scattered islands form a fairyland” was penned by Xie Xiaosi. On the back of the archway, the plaque “Embracing Greenery and Gathering Beauty” was inscribed by Wa Weng, and the couplet “Rows of peaks barely contain the splendors of Wu and Yue; the ancient camphor trees have witnessed the Song and Yuan eras” was written by Qian Zhonglian. The mountain gate features a single-eave hip-and-gable roof, with the plaque “Welcoming Splendor” inscribed by Wu Jinxian. The flanking couplet “Green canopies in the clouds add vibrancy to the camphor trees; beyond the Buddha’s light, the garden grows even more serene” was composed by Yang Zaihou and calligraphed by Tan Yiwen.

In the central bay of the mountain gate stands a stele inscribed with “Gucang Garden.” At its center is a line engraving of an aerial view of the garden, with inscriptions and signatures above and below. The upper inscription reads: “Gucang Garden was once a temple. In the Song Dynasty, it enshrined Guanyin; in the Qing Dynasty, the City God. Over time it fell into ruin and was rebuilt in the Year of Jiaxu. The Hall of Mercy is situated at a key location. The Studio of Wishes stands nearby as an attraction. The Pavilion of Orchid Boats shines by the water. The Pavilion of Solitary Enlightenment perches on rocks above flowing streams. The Gate of Welcoming Splendor opens onto a thoroughfare. The grand archway stands tall, and the painted pleasure boat lies hidden within. The thousand-year-old camphor trees rise tall and reach for the sky, their thick foliage covering the ground in majestic splendor. Mountain pools sculpt the clouds, deep as abysses, with clear waters that sparkle like mirrors. Green mountains act as barriers, green waters as screens, while rosy clouds and radiant sunlight drape over branches that shade the paths. A collection of marvels and scenic wonders leaves nothing hidden, with morning sun and moonlit nights creating ever-changing vistas. This stele is erected to record it all. Written by Li Zhoufang in the spring of the Year of Yihai, inscribed by Yang Zaihou.”

In 1999, the Xishan National Modern Agricultural Demonstration Zone collaborated with institutions such as the Nanjing Zhongshan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to expand Gucang Garden into a 120-acre botanical garden based on the original site. Now home to nearly a thousand varieties of rare and exotic ornamental plants, it has become a renowned destination for tourism and botanical research.