Chang Family Apricot Garden

Chang Family Apricot Garden

Exiting through the west side gate of the Chang Family Ancestral Hall and following a flower-covered arbor draped in vines, you will enter the second scenic area of the Jing Garden — the Apricot Garden. This is the earliest landscaped section built by the Chang family, where ten acres of blooming apricot trees create an elegant and picturesque scene.

The Chang family had three reasons for cultivating this apricot grove: First, they revered Confucius as their spiritual patriarch. Confucius once gave lectures at the Apricot Altar, which naturally fostered the family’s special fondness for apricot trees. They built an Apricot Altar deep within the grove, atop which stands a towering statue of Confucius delivering his teachings — a testament to their original intention in creating the Apricot Garden. Second, apricot blossoms are the first to bloom in February, heralding the arrival of spring. As this period coincides with the imperial examinations held in the capital, the flowers are also known as “Success Flowers” (及第花), a propitious nickname that the Chang family particularly cherished. Third, during the late Han dynasty, the renowned physician Dong Feng of the Wu Kingdom treated patients free of charge, asking only that their families plant an apricot tree in front of his house as payment. Over time, these trees formed a dense forest. Dong Feng came to be regarded as an immortal, and the term “apricot grove” (杏林) has since become synonymous with skilled physicians and the medical profession.

Generations of the Chang family produced distinguished figures in the field of medicine. For instance, Chang Ling, known locally as “Mr. One Incense Stick” (一位香先生), gained fame for treating emergencies simply by lighting a single incense stick on a water pipe. He is a representative of such esteemed individuals. By building this garden, the Chang family also sought to honor and respect those with noble character and exceptional medical skill. A carved stone in the middle of the wisteria-covered arbor path in the garden bears a quote from Laozi’s “Tao Te Ching”: “The wise speak little; those who speak much are not wise.” This reflects the refined literary sentiment and moral aspirations of the garden’s owners.