Huiyin Garden

Huiyin Garden

Huiyin Garden is a cultural relic protection unit of Suzhou.

Huiyin Garden is located in Nanxianzi Lane and was listed as a cultural relic protection unit of Suzhou in 1963. Opposite the garden’s main gate is a screen wall bearing four one-meter-square characters that read “Huiyin Shuyuan” (Huiyin Literary Garden). The west side porch wall has a brick carving of the “Original Complete Map of Ancient Huiyin Garden.” The remaining area is approximately 7 mu. Initially built during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, it was the residence garden of Gui Zhanchu. It later belonged to...

In the sixth year of the Shunzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1649), Han Xin acquired this abandoned garden and transformed it into a secluded retreat named “Qiaoyin Garden.” With its deep valleys and serene bamboo groves, and the “Little Forest House” cave appearing as if naturally formed. In the 46th year of the Kangxi reign (1707), the garden was destroyed by fire, leaving only the water rockery. It was restored in the 16th year of the Qianlong reign (1751), and Jiang Pan Yi inscribed the cave name “Little Forest House” in seal script. Han Shisheng wrote in “A Record of the Little Forest House”: “The cave was originally modeled after the Dongshan Linwu Cave on Taihu Lake’s West Hill. Stone beds, divine chimes, jade pillars, and golden halls were all complete. After two hundred years, moss covered it like a seal, while clouds and mist emerged naturally.” The garden later passed to Ni Lianfang from Anhui, who renamed it “Wanshan Villa.”

During the Taiping Rebellion, Chen Bingwen, the Prince of Ting, resided here, and the garden scenery suffered some damage. In the Tongzhi era, Li Hongzhang, Governor-General of Liangjiang, established the Anhui Guild Hall and Cheng Gong Ancestral Hall here as gathering places for fellow Anhui natives, and renovated the garden, renaming it “Huiyin Garden.” Kuai Zifan, Prefect of Suzhou, further expanded it, resulting in eight scenic spots: Willow Shade Moored Boat, Willow Shade Sleep on Zither, Screen Mountain Listening to Waterfall, Forest House Exploring Wonders, Vine Cliff Moon Gazing, Lotus Bank Fish Viewing, Stone Cavern Gathering Clouds, and Palm Pavilion Snow Clearing. From the fourth to the sixth year of the Guangxu reign (1878–1880), the guild hall added the Moon Gazing Tower and a stage, along with dozens of workshops. In the 20th year, Zhang Zhenxuan built the Anhui Sages Ancestral Hall, and Li Hongzhang allocated substantial funds to have Zhao Zongdao renovate the garden. Stone carvings of the “Eight Scenic Spots of Huiyin Garden” were embedded in the walls of the north hall and corridors, featuring Wu Baoshan’s overall map of the garden, Hong Lipu’s individual maps of the eight scenes, as well as an inscription by Wang Kaitai, a record by Kan Fenglou, and commentary by Zhao Zongdao. Visiting the garden, enjoying opera, composing poetry, painting, conducting business, learning crafts, worshipping ancestors, and conducting official business all took place here, marking the heyday of Huiyin Garden.

After the Republic of China was founded, the garden gradually declined. It once housed a newspaper reading room and amusement park open to the public, attracting many visitors. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the western part was briefly used by Shi Jianqiao to establish Congyun Primary School, while the eastern part was divided into residential homes.

In the early 1950s, Korean dignitaries visited the site. Later, the guild hall and garden were used by the First Junior High School (later renamed Tenth Middle School). After 1966, to build teaching buildings and a sports field, the school filled in the pond, demolished parts of the Qing-era architecture, and due to the digging of air-raid shelters, the rockery collapsed and the “Little Forest House” cave became silted up. Today, the surviving structures include the guild hall gate tower, Cheng Gong Ancestral Hall, Anhui Sages Ancestral Hall, and the water rockery. On March 31, 2002, the restoration of the late Qing-era ancient building “Anhui Guild Hall” within the campus was completed.

On June 5, 2006, Huiyin Garden was announced as part of the sixth batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units