Yuezhong Celebrities' Garden

Yuezhong Celebrities' Garden

Nestled against green mountains to the north, bordering Jianhu Lake to the south, and adjacent to Jingshui Bay to the east, the scenic area leverages the unique stone culture of Keyan Scenic Area. Amidst peculiar rocks, steep cliffs, lush shades, and clear streams, it showcases the elegance of historical figures from Shaoxing through stone sculptures. The entrance to the Celebrities' Garden features a V-shaped pathway, where five sharply-lined stone pillars support three equilateral triangles, with the middle one carved with a pattern originating from ancient Yue people walking on waves, unearthed at Hemudu.

Directly beneath, on a square stone pillar with rounded corners, sits a connected pillar and an archaic curved stone arch, symbolizing the harmonious unity of mountain, water, and people, and representing the exceptional talent and spirit of Shaoxing. The garden gate is inscribed with Mao Zedong’s quatrain: “Jianhu and Yue Terrace, land of celebrated scholars, / Their hearts heavy with worry for the nation, torn apart. / The songs of Jianan echo with autumn wind verses, / All infused with poetic essence.” The name of the garden draws inspiration from this poem, placing stone sculptures of celebrities throughout the garden. The handwritten inscription “I am from Shaoxing” on a massive rock stands as the best testament to the Celebrities' Garden.

The central area of Yuezhong Celebrities' Garden features the Sun-Moon Harmony Platform, with its five-meter-tall main structure being a statue of Yu the Great, the founding father of the Chinese nation and a hero of flood control. Dressed in plain clothes and holding a large spade, he stands atop a giant turtle, exuding extraordinary presence. The crescent-shaped pattern in the pool and the stone pillar of the Nine Tripods cast in the Xia Dynasty symbolize the everlasting brilliance of Yu’s spirit, shining eternally with the sun and moon. The ancient area displays a group sculpture of King Goujian and his ministers, depicting the story of Goujian, Fan Li, and Wen Zhong leading troops with shared determination, reviving Yue, defeating Wu, and contending for supremacy in the Central Plains.

Inside and outside the lawn are sculptures of six renowned calligraphers and painters from Shaoxing’s history, including the father-and-son duo Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi, who studied calligraphy together, as well as eminent figures in the art world such as Chen Hongshou, Zhao Zhiqian, and Ren Bonian. The most eye-catching is the child prodigy and master of plum blossom painting, Wang Mian, who is seen washing his brush by the pond while occasionally tilting his head to observe the movements of a water buffalo—his childlike wonder fully on display. In the valley, the statues of two Ming Dynasty philosophers, Wang Yangming and Liu Zongzhou, stand facing each other.

Beneath the western stone wall of the Celebrities' Garden, in the pool, float the statues of three “flood-control sages” in Shaoxing’s water management history: Ma Zhen, Tang Shaoyong, and Dai Hu. Near the Bat Cave are Xu Wei, who howls to the sky; He Zhizhang, who composes poetry with wine in hand; and the elderly Lu You, leaning on a cane and gazing into the distance. The statues of Yao Changzi and Ge Yunfei’s mother are also uniquely expressive. All of these not only highlight certain facets of history but also reveal the threads and spiritual legacy of history.

The modern area features a group sculpture of the “Three Heroes of Jianhu” from the Xinhai Revolution: Qiu Jin stands at the front, with Xu Xilin and Tao Chengzhang standing side by side—one tall, one short, one slim, one stout. This set of carvings portrays the fearless revolutionary spirit of these martyrs, who stood together through storm and stress, ready to die for their cause. The relief of Cai Yuanpei, a titan in academia, is uniquely designed, with a pair of large glasses prominently placed in front of the statue, reflecting extraordinary wisdom and talent. These are not exaggerated glasses, but rather deeply meaningful, symbolizing Cai Yuanpei’s far-reaching vision and keen sensitivity to new developments.

Lu Xun fought all his life with essays as his weapon, and went down in history as a “great revolutionary, thinker, and writer.” The relief of this literary giant features a distinct profile and a left hand holding a cigarette, with the following inscription on the stone tablet: “Fierce-browed, I coolly defy a thousand pointing fingers; Head bowed, like a willing ox I serve the children.” The couplet captures the demeanor of this cultural giant, who possessed no trace of servility or flattery, as well as Lu Xun’s incisive insight and his hatred of evil.

The modern area showcases the brilliance of modern scientific masters: geographer Zhu Kezhen, mathematician Chen Jiangong, historian Fan Wenlan, economist Ma Yinchu, physicist Qian Sanqiang, and others. Such outstanding talents and remarkable contributions leave one in awe of the talented and spiritually rich land of Shaoxing. With its sacred mountains and beautiful waters, Shaoxing is a city of exceptional people and spirit, a place where nature’s finest treasures abound. In the long river of history, the virtuous and the famous are the stars that never fade.