Suzhou Yingu

Suzhou Yingu

Suzhou Yingu is a Suzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Yingu is located at No. 303 Jingde Road and was designated as a Suzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit in 1991.

Yingu is a garden villa that blends Western architecture with a traditional Chinese classical garden. During the Qing Dynasty’s Kangxi era, the site was the private garden of provincial governor Mu Tianyan, commonly referred to as the Mu Family Garden. After multiple ownership changes, during the Daoguang era, regional official Dong Guohua acquired the western section (the eastern part had gone to Minister Bi Yuan during the Qianlong era), made minor renovations, and after the Taiping Rebellion, it was turned into a teahouse. During the Xuantong era, it came under Liu Shuren (also said to be Liu Yongtai), was refurbished, and renamed Suigarden. The estate featured a clear and spacious pond, winding bridges, uniquely shaped rocks, and scenic spots such as Rongxian Hall, Lvtian Shenshen, Yangyue Pavilion, Yanqiu Terrace, Yinghong Pavilion, Tingyu Mountain House, and Qin Fang. The front entrance was on Mujia Garden Lane, and the back entrance on Jingde Road. In the early years of the Republic of China, it was opened as a public amusement park. In 1931, Liu’s descendants sold it for 21,000 yuan to Shanghai businessman Wu Dichen. In 1934, it came under the ownership of the Ye family from Dongshan, Dongting. The garden was renovated, with a Western-style building constructed in the northern part, turning it into the most modern private residence in Suzhou at the time, and was renamed Yingu. During the August 13th Battle of Shanghai in 1937, it was temporarily requisitioned by authorities. From 1938 to 1945, it was successively occupied by the puppet puppet regime’s maintenance association, the Japanese Consulate, and later the garden was used by the Japanese military police as a secret prison for torturing and executing Chinese anti-Japanese soldiers and civilians. After the victory in the War of Resistance, it was occupied by troops for over a year before being taken over by the Central Trust Bureau.

After the liberation of Suzhou in 1949, it was used by various institutions including military units, the Jiangsu Southern Administrative Office, the Public Security Bureau, the Rehabilitation Hospital, the Tongcao Flower Piling Society, and the Light Industry Bureau. From the second half of 1958, it was repurposed as a children’s hospital.

The main building has three floors and features an exterior in the style of European Roman architecture. The main entrance faces east, with a front porch lined by four tall and sturdy columns that span the first and second floors and support the third-floor balcony. The interior halls are spacious and bright, decorated with finely crafted spiral staircases in the shape of fan blades and niches. The building is adjacent to the garden to the south. The garden currently covers an area of 1,400 square meters, centered around a pool and surrounded by rockeries, winding bridges, stone boats, pavilions, fountains, and an artesian well.

The main building is relatively well-preserved, but the garden is somewhat dilapidated and in need of renovation.