Old Pine Garden in Mudu (Former Residence of Cai Shaoyu)

Old Pine Garden in Mudu (Former Residence of Cai Shaoyu)

Old Pine Garden in Mudu (Former Residence of Cai Shaoyu) is a Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Located fifty steps east of Lufei Bridge on Shantang Street, Old Pine Garden features a traditional layout with the residence in front and the garden at the back, exemplifying the classic Qing Dynasty residential garden style. The buildings within the residence are simple yet elegant, adorned with exquisitely fine carvings that hold considerable artistic and cultural value, and it is recognized as a Suzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit. The rear garden contains a Ming Dynasty podocarpus tree, lush, gnarled, and gracefully shaped—the garden derives its name from this very tree.

Old Pine Garden was built by Cai Shaoyu, a wealthy man from late Qing Dynasty Mudu. Originally from West Dongting Mountain, Cai made his fortune trading foreign goods in Shanghai before returning to his hometown to build houses and acquire land, owning vast fertile fields. Together with Yan Guoxin (grandfather of Yan Jiagan), Zheng Lingjiu, and Xu Fenglou, Cai was known as one of Mudu’s “Four Great Wealthy Families,” dominating the local economy.

Passing through the entrance hall and entering the courtyard, you’ll find a brick-carved gate tower behind you. Its upper and lower beams are carved with historical figures depicting scenes such as “Laozi Traveling West Through the Pass,” “The Mad Monk Sweeping Qin,” “Generals and Ministers in Harmony,” “Seizing the Boat on the River,” “Zhang Yu Delivering a Letter,” and “Ning Qi Feeding the Ox.” The central horizontal beam inscription reads “Virtue Is Fragrant,” while the side panels depict “Zhang Liang Picking Up His Shoe” and “High Mountains and Flowing Water.” The entire gate tower is richly carved, vividly expressive, especially the arched bridge in “Zhang Liang Picking Up His Shoe” and the rippling water patterns in “High Mountains and Flowing Water,” both strikingly lifelike with strong texture—showcasing exceptional carving craftsmanship.

The main hall, named Old Pine Hall, is built in imitation of Ming Dynasty architecture. On the beam frames of the step veranda and inner four spans are four pairs of rafter capitals resembling the winged tips of ancient official hats—hence the nickname “Gauze Hat Hall.” The four pairs on the step veranda are smaller, carved respectively with Lu Dongbin’s sword, Iron-Crutch Li’s gourd, Cao Guojiu’s clappers, Han Xiangzi’s flute, and Lan Caihe’s flower basket—collectively known among the people as the “Eight Immortals in Hidden Form.” The mountain mist clouds and beam-hugging clouds at the beam ends are carved with “A Crane Cries in the Marsh,” vibrant and exquisitely rendered. Most interestingly, eight pipas are carved on a square rafter at the center of the beam frame, known as the “Eight Tones of Harmony,” symbolizing joy and celebration. Originating from the Book of Yao’s “Eight Tones in Harmony,” and also appearing in the opening tune “Eight Tones of Harmony” in Suzhou Pingtan storytelling, where eight pipas are played together. Carving eight pipa shapes onto rafters is a unique feature not seen elsewhere in Suzhou garden architecture.

The multi-story hall of Old Pine Garden is particularly distinctive. With sixteen upside-down flower baskets carved under the lower eaves and sixteen phoenixes carved on the upper beam, some call this building the “Flower Basket Hall” or “Phoenix Hall.” The carving master of Phoenix Hall was Zhao Zikang, a renowned Suzhou artisan from the late Qing and early Republican period. A native of Fenghuang Village in Mudu, Zhao’s most famous work is the Dongshan Carved Tower, while Mudu’s Phoenix Hall is one of his earlier pieces—thus these two buildings are referred to as the “Sister Carved Towers of North and South.” All carvings in Phoenix Hall are auspicious motifs, commonly called “lucky phrases” among locals. For example, the main hall’s eave beam from west to east is carved with a painting, book, letter, and gold ingot, symbolizing “In books lie hidden houses of gold.” The side hall’s eave beam features the “Eight Immortals in Hidden Form”: flower basket, box, sword, gourd, etc. The wing-room eave beam shows eight treasures: conch, fiery wheel, coral, bronze drum, etc. The eave brackets are adorned with entwined floral patterns featuring plum, lotus, chrysanthemum, and camellia flowers arranged in vases, symbolizing “Peace for All Seasons.” The windows of the lower wing rooms are carved with the “Four Gentlemen”—plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum—representing noble character. Below the windows, the railings feature lions and elephants, the former symbolizing authority, the latter renewal. Each purse beam in the lower veranda is carved with a pair of elephants, signifying “good fortune.” The upper-floor railings have circular patterns with three halberds in a vase, phonetically suggesting “promotion in three ranks.” The eave brackets are adorned with bat motifs, as the word for bat (“fu”) sounds like “fortune.”

Upon entering the garden, you’ll see a towering podocarpus tree over ten meters high, a relic from the Ming Dynasty. According to the Wu County Annals, this tree is over 500 years old. Despite its age, it remains lush, verdant, and vigorous, showing no signs of aging. Not far to the north stands a ginkgo tree, thick as a person’s embrace, with upright branches. In autumn, its branches are laden with fruit, and by early winter, the tree turns golden yellow, bringing a festive atmosphere to the front residence and rear garden.

Winding around the tree is a double-layered corridor with twists and turns. Standing inside, you can closely admire the greenery of the ancient pine and gaze into the distance at the scenic Lion Rock Mountain, evoking a sense of transcending worldly concerns. The garden also features a half-acre pond surrounded by Taihu rockeries, pavilions, and corridors. The reflections of the architecture merge with the light and clouds on the water, enhancing the charm of the scenery. The entire garden feels more open and enchantingly graceful. Such water scenery perfectly captures the poetic imagery from Du Fu’s verse: “Famous gardens lie beside clear waters.”

To the north of the pond is the Embroidery Art Museum of Yao Jianping, the third-generation master of Su embroidery. The traditional pavilion-style building harmonizes well with Old Pine Garden. The museum displays over a hundred exquisite embroidery pieces by Yao, offering visitors a glimpse into the “exquisite, refined, and elegant” artistic essence of Su embroidery and inspiring genuine admiration for the young artist’s remarkable skill. Few small gardens offer the chance to appreciate the beauty of landscape, nature, and culture as richly as Old Pine Garden does.

Address: East of Lufei Bridge, Mudu Ancient Town, Wuzhong District, Suzhou

Type: Garden

Recommended Visit Duration: About 1 hour

Opening Hours:

April–October: 8:30–17:00; November–March: 8:30–16:30

Ticket Information:

Gate Price: 20.0 RMB

Old Pine Garden: 20 RMB. Included in the Mudu Ancient Town Joint Ticket (78 RMB).

Mudu Town: Located by Taihu Lake and at the foot of Lingyan and Tianping Mountains, Mudu Town is a garden town with over 2,500 years of history and profound Wu culture heritage, surrounded by beautiful famous mountains. Covering an area of 62.28 square kilometers, it has a local population of 86,000 and over 200,000 migrants. Historically a key town in Wuzhong, it is known as the “Hometown of Stone Carving,” “Hometown of Calligraphy,” and “Hometown of Gardens,” earning the title “No. 1 Town in Wuzhong.” It has been honored as a “National Model for Creating Civilized Small Towns,” “National Advanced Town for Creating Civilized Towns,” “China’s Famous Historical and Cultural Town,” and “National Sanitary Town.” … More details about Mudu Town ++

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

Mudu Ancient Town

Lingyan Mountain Temple

Yan Family Garden in Mudu

Mingyue Temple in Mudu

Wu Xiang Ancestral Hall

Shantang Ancient Street in Mudu

Fengguan Mansion in Mudu (Former Residence of Feng Guifen)

Mudu Lingyan Peony Garden