Dongdu Garden

Dongdu Garden

Dongdu Garden is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Dongdu Garden is located at the intersection of National Highway 204 and Provincial Highway 338 in Tangqiao Town. It was the historic departure point, known as Huangsipu, from which the eminent Tang Dynasty monk Jianzhen successfully embarked on his sixth voyage to Japan in 753 AD.

The garden consists of the Dongdu Memorial Hall, Dongdu Bridge, a stele pavilion, and a sutra pillar. The entire area emphasizes water features and showcases the pastoral landscape of the Jiangnan water town.

The main structure in the garden, the “Jianzhen Dongdu Memorial Hall,” covers an area of 2,400 square meters. Its plaque was inscribed by Zhao Puchu, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and then President of the Buddhist Association of China.

In the main hall, there is a 2.06-meter-tall, 380-kilogram bronze statue of Master Jianzhen. The hall also houses seven murals depicting the arduous journey of Jianzhen’s successful sixth voyage to Japan, along with an introduction to his life and the route of the voyage.

On the wall behind the main hall, there are six wooden engraved screens displaying excerpts from the "Eastern Expedition Biography," totaling 1,342 characters, which recount Jianzhen's experiences during his sixth voyage to Japan.

On both sides of the main hall, there are exhibits featuring stone tools, pottery, red-fired earth, and other artifacts unearthed from the Neolithic sites of Xujia Bay and Xuzhuang in Luyuan, as well as materials, books, photos related to Jianzhen, and souvenirs gifted by Japanese friends.

Background: According to the *Shazhou County Annals*, “After five failed attempts, the eminent Tang Dynasty monk Jianzhen finally succeeded in embarking from Huangsipu for his sixth voyage to Japan.” In 1963, the Jianzhen Death Anniversary Commemoration Committee (marking 1200 years since his passing) erected a stone sutra pillar at Huangsipu as a memorial. It has often been visited by Japanese friends. In 1994, the municipal government decided to expand Dongdu Garden and the Jianzhen Dongdu Memorial Hall.

Transportation

Take bus routes 201 or 211.

Tangqiao Town: Located at the intersection of China’s coastal and Yangtze River economic development zones, Tangqiao Town in Zhangjiagang City, Jiangsu Province, lies in the southeastern part of Zhangjiagang, an emerging port city in the Yangtze River Delta. It is surrounded by major cities such as Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou, and Nantong. To the east is the under-construction Sutong Yangtze River Bridge, to the south is the Riverside Expressway, to the west are the Su-Yu-Zhang First-Class Highway and the Jiangyin Yangtze River Bridge, and to the north is the golden waterway of the Yangtze River. National Highway 204 runs directly from north to south, while Provincial Highway 338 spans from east to west. The town covers a total area of 94.4 square kilometers, with a population of nearly 200,000, including approximately 89,000 registered residents... More details about Tangqiao Town++