Qu Garden (Yu Yue’s Former Residence)

Qu Garden (Yu Yue’s Former Residence)

Qu Garden (Yu Yue’s Former Residence) is a Major National Historical and Cultural Site.

Qu Garden was designated as a Suzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit in 1963 and a Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit in 1995.

Yu Yue’s former residence, known as Qu Garden, is located at No. 43, Mayike Lane, Renmin Road, Suzhou. It was listed as a Major National Historical and Cultural Site in 2006. In the 13th year of the Tongzhi reign (1874), Yu Yue, with the financial help of friends, purchased a vacant lot west of the former residence of Grand Secretary Pan Shien on Mayike Lane. He personally planned the construction of over 30 rooms to serve as his living quarters and study. To the northwest of the residential area was an irregularly shaped vacant space resembling a carpenter’s square. Inspired by Laozi’s saying “bending ensures completeness,” he built a small garden named “Qu Garden.” The entrance gate bore a horizontal plaque inscribed by Li Hongzhang that read “Study Retreat of Yu Yue, Historian from Deqing.”

Yu Yue’s former residence is situated at No. 43, Mayike Lane, Renmin Road, Suzhou, covering a total area of 2,800 square meters. The main house is centrally located, consisting of five successive sections from south to north. To its east are several auxiliary rooms separated from the main building by a service corridor but interconnected. The west and north sections house the garden area, forming a carpenter’s square shape that semi-encloses the main house. The entrance hall and sedan hall of the main residence each have three bays. The third section is the principal hall of the entire residence, named “Lerzhitang (Hall of Joyful Knowledge),” with three bays in width and five bays in depth. It is the only structure in the whole residence that uses the traditional dougong beam-frame construction with flat brackets, featuring relatively sturdy materials and a simple, unadorned style. This hall served as the venue where Yu Yue received distinguished guests and held celebratory events such as birthday banquets. The fourth and fifth sections are the inner residential quarters, separated from the main hall by fireproof walls, with stone gateways linking the two; both sections consist of five bays and are interconnected by side rooms to the east and west, forming a courtyard. To the west of Lerzhitang is “Chunzaitang (Hall of Spring’s Presence),” with three bays in width and four bays in depth. In front of the hall are planted lake stones and phoenix trees, serving as a place where Yu Yue engaged in literary gatherings and lectures.

To the south is the “Xiaozhuliuguan (Small Bamboo Cottage),” where Yu Yue used to read, with a small courtyard planted with bamboos to its south. Protruding north from Chunzaitang is a small hip-and-gable roofed pavilion named “Renchunting (Spring Recognition Pavilion).” To the north of the pavilion are scattered flower plants and a small artificial hill made of lake stones serving as a screen, with a winding cave inside. Passing through the cave and making a turn, you’ll reach the “Gen’gan (Northwest Corner Chamber)” in the northeast corner, a two-bay room that once served as a music room. Following the corridor westward, there is a three-bay study named “Datang.” Exiting Datang and walking south along the corridor, you’ll find a small pavilion surrounded by water on three sides. The pond is named “Quchi (Curved Pond),” and the pavilion “Qushui (Curved Water).” On the east side of the pond stands the “Huifengge (Returning Peak Pavilion),” facing the pavilion, with a small gate in the rockery that once connected to the inner residence. A winding corridor to the south of the pavilion leads to Chunzaitang. The small garden covers only 200 square meters, with corridors and pavilions arranged in a twisting and varied layout, demonstrating the charm of conveying a sense of spaciousness within a small area.

Yu Yue (1821–1906), styled Yinpu, also known by his pseudonym “Master of Qu Garden,” was a native of Deqing, Zhejiang. He became a Jinshi (advanced scholar) in the 30th year of the Daoguang reign (1850) during the Qing Dynasty and once served as an editor in the Hanlin Academy. Later, favored by Emperor Xianfeng, he was appointed as the educational commissioner of Henan. However, he was impeached by the censor Cao Dengyong for “dividing the meaning of classics in exam questions” and thus dismissed from office. He then relocated to Suzhou, where he devoted himself to scholarship for over 40 years. Scholars from across China, as well as from Japan and Korea, sought his teachings, and he was highly respected as a master of philology.

In the 13th year of the Tongzhi reign (1874), Yu Yue, with the support of friends, purchased a vacant plot of the former residence of Grand Secretary Pan Shien on the west side of Mayike Lane. He personally planned and constructed over 30 rooms for his living and writing activities. To the northwest of the residential area was an irregularly shaped vacant space resembling a carpenter’s square. Inspired by Laozi’s saying “bending ensures completeness,” he built a small garden named “Qu Garden.” The entrance gate displayed a horizontal plaque inscribed by Li Hongzhang that read “Study Retreat of Yu Yue, Historian from Deqing.” The residence covers a total of 2,800 square meters. In 1954, Yu Yue’s great-grandson, the renowned scholar Yu Pingbo, donated the former residence to the public. The property was subsequently used by the municipal Federation of Literary and Art Circles, the Opera Research Institute, the Pingtan Troupe, and the Science Home. In 1986, the Municipal Cultural Relics Management Office arranged and furnished the site as a memorial residence of a notable figure, and it was opened to the public for visits in October of that year. Currently, the halls and the small garden of Yu Yue’s former residence are fully open to the public. The remaining two sections of the inner residence and the auxiliary rooms on the east side are still occupied by residents and are scheduled for renovation in the next phase.

Ticket: 1.5 RMB Address: No. 43, Mayike Lane, Renmin Road

Phone: 65221406

Transportation: Accessible via Bus Routes 1 and 101

Yu Yue (1821–1907), styled Yinpu, also known by his later pseudonym “Master of Qu Garden,” was a native of Nandaiwei at the foot of Wuniu Mountain, outside the eastern gate of Deqing (now Jinxing Village, Chengguan Town). He obtained the title of Juren (recommended man) in the 24th year of the Daoguang reign (1844) and became a Jinshi in the 30th year (1850), being appointed as a Shujishi (presented scholar) in the Hanlin Academy. In the 2nd year of the Xianfeng reign (1852), he was appointed as an editor. In the 5th year (1855), he served as an assistant editor in the National History Office and was sent in August of the same year as the educational commissioner of Henan. In the 7th year (1857), in July, the censor Cao Ze impeached Yu Yue for “dividing the meaning of exam questions,” nearly costing him his life. After appeals, he was dismissed from office. The following spring, he returned south and stayed in Yinmaqiao, Suzhou. He later returned to Deqing, and subsequently traveled through Shaoxing, Shangyu, Ning... [More details about Yu Yue]

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Sixth Batch of Major National Historical and Cultural Sites