Duanben Garden

Duanben Garden

Duanben Garden is a Suzhou Municipal Cultural Heritage Protection Unit.

Duanben Garden is located at the end of Daguan Lane in Lili Town, Wujiang District, Suzhou. It was built during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty and rebuilt during the Tongzhi era. On May 3, 1980, Duanben Garden was listed as one of the first batch of Wujin City Cultural Heritage Protection Units. It is now designated as a Suzhou Municipal Cultural Heritage Protection Unit due to administrative division adjustments.

“Pear blossoms white, willows hazy, green waters wind through crimson railings.” The Continued Annals of Lili provides a vivid description of the beautiful scenery of Duanben Garden.

Stepping into Duanben Garden, you’ll find pavilions, waterside structures, and lush flowers and trees, gradually unfolding a serene and poetic scroll of a classic Jiangnan garden. Nestled at the end of Daguan Lane in Lili, this garden is one of the renowned gardens in Wujiang. Covering an area of approximately 900 square meters, it features a winding bridge over a lotus pond, rockeries, halls, and is adorned with landmarks such as Shuanggui Tower, Pingbo Pavilion, and Banyue Corridor, all showcasing the Jiangsu-style garden artistry of creating vastness within a small space.

According to records, the garden was built during the Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong era by official Chen Heming, who was also respectfully referred to by locals as the “Prefectural Son-in-Law’s Residence.” In September 2012, Duanben Garden became one of the first group of sites to undergo protective development in the ancient town. Following the principle of restoring the old as it was, Shuanggui Tower and the hexagonal pavilion were renovated, the filled-in lotus pond was excavated, and structures such as Pingbo Pavilion, the Reception Hall, and waterside pavilions were restored, resulting in its present new look.