Tongli Pearl Tower Garden

Tongli Pearl Tower Garden

The Pearl Tower Garden is located in Tongli Town, Wujiang, originally the residence of Chen Wangdao, an imperial censor of the Henan Circuit in Nanjing during the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty. The Chen family became widely known across the Jiangnan region because of the "Pearl Tower" story. The newly restored Pearl Tower Garden consists of structures such as the ceremonial gate, sedan chair hall, Honglue Hall, main building (the embroidery tower of Miss Chen Cui'e), library, flower hall (Magnolia Hall), Rugu Studio, as well as connecting corridors, kitchens, and other architectural complexes, along with a boat dock.

The main gate hall of the imperial censor’s residence, traditionally called the ceremonial gate, features a stone carving of the “Three Steps to Promotion” motif on its façade. Legend says that stepping on it brings career advancement and good fortune. Passing through the ceremonial gate leads to the sedan chair hall, where guests would alight from their carriages; the official plaques on both sides signify the status and prestige of the household. Opposite the courtyard is a water-milled brick screen wall with a central brick-carved peony design, symbolizing prosperity and wealth; the four corners feature bats and double peaches representing blessings and happiness. The Sumeru stone pedestal is adorned with reliefs of ten deer, eight steeds, and the deities of Harmony and Union.

Honglue Hall is the main reception hall of the Chen residence, used for hosting distinguished guests or celebrating weddings and funerals. The name Honglue means “grand vision and strategy.” The couplets inside the hall—“A virtuous family tradition lies in uprightness; navigating life requires no trickery but sincerity”—along with the inscriptions “Chanting Benevolence” and “Practicing Virtue” on the side doors, reflect the owner’s pursuit of Confucian ideals and the aspiration to pass down a family culture rooted in literature and etiquette.

Yunlan Hall is the main setting of the Pearl Tower story. The central area downstairs served as the living quarters of the master and his wife, with the master bedroom on the east side and the maid’s room on the west. Ascending the eighteen steps leads to the embroidery room of Miss Chen Cui'e, furnished with a painting desk, bookshelf, embroidery frame, chess table, zither table, and Xiangfei couch.

The backyard garden centers around the Qingyuan Hall, built along the water and designed as a four-sided pavilion. The Little Orchid Pavilion stands delicately atop the hill, resting alone in the clouds. The Jingming Pavilion and the Flowing Water and Clouds Pavilion stand facing each other across the water. A painted pleasure boat rests quietly on the willow-lined bank, waiting to ferry visitors. The Green Bamboo Study is surrounded by lush bamboo, serving as a tranquil spot for the owner to read poetry and converse with ancient sages. The old theater stage, with its carved beams and painted rafters, was where the household enjoyed music and opera in leisure time. The garden features murmuring mountain streams, artificial hills, winding corridors leading to secluded spots, stone bridges spanning the water, rainbow-like covered bridges over the waves, shimmering pools of water, lush trees, and flowers blooming all year round.

Adjacent to the garden is the ancestral hall. Exiting the hall, at the end of a small river, stands a majestic memorial archway, originally built in 1580. Locals in Tongli call it the Chen Family Archway, a landmark structure of the ancient town. The central plaque bears the four characters “Qingchao Siyu” (“Imperial Censor of the Qing Dynasty”), bestowed by Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty, in recognition of Chen Wangdao’s integrity as an imperial inspector. The story of the Pearl Tower will continue to live on with this tower garden, progressing into the future together with Tongli.

Address: No. 16 Shipi Lane, Tongli Ancient Town, Wujiang District, Suzhou City

Type: Historical Architecture

Recommended Visit Duration: 1–2 hours

Opening Hours:

8:00–16:00

Ticket Information:

No separate ticket required. Included in the Tongli Ancient Town joint ticket (100 RMB).

Tongli Town: One of China’s Six Ancient Towns of Jiangnan. Originally called “Futu,” it was renamed “Tongli” in the early Tang Dynasty and modified to its current name in the Song Dynasty by splitting the characters of the former name. Established in the Song Dynasty, it has a history of over 1,000 years as of 2015 and is a classic water town in China.

Tongli Town is located in Wujiang District, Suzhou City, 18 kilometers from downtown Suzhou and 80 kilometers from Shanghai. Covering an area of 33 hectares, the town is embraced by five lakes, connected by 49 bridges, and divided into seven islands by a network of canals. Homes in the ancient town are built along the water with boats at every doorstep; bridges from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties remain well-preserved. 1982... More details about Tongli Town++