Tao's Residential Garden

Tao's Residential Garden

Tao's Residential Garden is a cultural heritage site protected at the municipal level in Suzhou.

Tao's Residential Garden is located at Nos. 4, 6, and 8 Shengjiabang. Shengjiabang runs eastward to Youmapo Lane and westward to Jianjinqiao Lane, with a southern branch lane in the middle section called Xiaofen Lane, which is 158 meters long. Historically known as Chengjiabang Lane, it originally had a dead-end branch that connected westward to the First Straight River, with Chengjia Bridge spanning its western end. In the early years of the Republic of China, the “Dao Yang Citizens' Commune” oversaw the renovation of the riverbanks and added stone railings. In the late 1920s, the creek was filled in, the bridge was removed, and the lane was widened. No. 4 was originally the residence of Wang Zhenbai, chairman of the Shanghai Postal Workers' Union during the Republic of China era. Wang Zhenbai participated in the negotiations for postal communication between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party in 1949. The residence covered an area of 1.07 mu, with a construction area of 358 square meters. The courtyard contains a 200-year-old magnolia tree and a yellow-leaved poplar. No. 6 was the residence of a lawyer surnamed Zhang. No. 8 was the residential garden of Tao Boyuan, owner of the Dongwu Silk Factory. In the 8th year of the Republic of China (1919), the Dongwu Silk Factory, invested in and established by two silk and satin shops—Shangjiukan and Dachengheng—was founded in Lüqiufang Lane. Its founders were Tao Gengsun and Guan Shouzhi, and its main products included Dongwu Ge, taffeta, and Dongwu Xiao, making it the factory with the most varieties of woven silk fabrics in Suzhou’s silk industry. In 1937, on the eve of the Japanese bombing of Suzhou, Tao Gengsun fled with his family to Dongshan on Dongting Lake. Later, a false rumor spread that his home had been bombed—it was actually the neighboring house to the west that was destroyed. Overcome with distress, he suddenly passed away. His eldest son, Tao Boyuan, inherited and took over the family business. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the Dongwu Silk Factory transitioned to machine-woven silk production. Soon after, the Tao family chose a site at No. 8 Shengjiabang to build this residence, naming it “Tao Garden.”