Changyuan Garden

Changyuan Garden

Changyuan Garden is a Suzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Changyuan Garden, located on Miaotang Lane in Yangyuxiang, was designated as a Suzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit in 1998.

Built during the Qing Dynasty, it features a west residence and an east garden, covering an area of approximately 2,761 square meters. The residence is divided into two sections: the main section has six courtyards, and the west section has three. The third courtyard of the main section serves as the main hall, measuring three bays wide (9 meters) and 7.5 meters deep, with left and right corridors in front. The garden covers about 1,414 square meters and centers around a long, narrow pool. It is surrounded by structures such as Tonghua Study, Liuyun Mountain House, Diji Chenjin (Boat Hall), and five pavilions including Yanhui Chengqu, Qijian, and Daiyue, all connected by winding corridors, curved bridges, and adorned with rockeries and flowerings. Liu Dunzhen praised it as “Although small in area, the garden boasts rich and multi-layered scenery, making it one of the representative small gardens in Suzhou.” The residential part remains relatively intact, but the garden suffered significant damage during the ten-year Cultural Revolution, with pavilions and corridors dismantled and plants withered. Partial restoration was carried out in 1988.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units