Wufeng Garden

Wufeng Garden

Wufeng Garden is a cultural heritage conservation unit of Jiangsu Province.

Wufeng Garden is a classical garden architecture originally built during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty. It is one of the more renowned gardens among the many classical gardens of Suzhou. Constructed in the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty by Yang Cheng, a minister from Changzhou, it is commonly known as "Yang’s Garden." Another account claims that the garden was built by Wen Boren, a painter and nephew of Wen Zhengming, who went by the alias "Wufeng Laoren" (the Old Man of Five Peaks). The garden features five Taihu rock peaks, each standing two zhang tall, exquisitely shaped with wrinkled, slender, and delicate forms. They stand together atop a high mound, resembling venerable elders, hence also called the "Five Elders Peaks." These include the "Elder’s Peak," "Guanyin Peak," "Three Elders Peak," "Qingyun Peak," and "Cloud-Lifting Peak." The entire garden is famed for these five peaks, complemented by a pond, and includes features such as steep cliffs, gorges, caves, stone bridges, ancient trees, dry boats, garden pavilions, and rock caves. In the southwest corner of the garden, there is an earthen mound, traditionally believed to be the tomb of Liu Yi from the Tang Dynasty. The garden has changed ownership many times. Unfortunately, around the time of the Anti-Japanese War, it was divided into residential plots, fell into disrepair over the years, and is now overgrown. Buildings have collapsed, the pond has been filled in, ancient trees have died, and two of the stone peaks have fallen. In 1983, protective maintenance and reinforcement were carried out on the rock peaks.

On October 22, 2002, Wufeng Garden was designated as part of the fifth batch of Cultural Heritage Conservation Units of Jiangsu Province.

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Cultural Heritage Conservation Units of Jiangsu Province