Dongpo Garden

Dongpo Garden

Dongpo Garden serves as a patriotic education base.

Dongpo Garden is located on Gushan Island in West Lake, Huizhou, encompassing the "Gushan Su Traces" scenic area within West Lake and its surrounding lands, with a total area of approximately 32,000 square meters. Blending cultural landscapes with natural scenery, Dongpo Garden employs traditional Chinese garden design techniques to create ever-changing views as you stroll through, achieving a sense of vastness within a limited space.

Su Dongpo was an extraordinary figure in Chinese history, whose achievements in public service, literary brilliance, virtuous conduct, and anecdotes have left behind many legendary tales.

During his three-year stay in Huizhou, Su Dongpo left behind a wealth of historical relics, poems, and touching stories of how he alleviated the hardships of the local people. The phrase “Ever since Scholar Su was banished to the South Sea, no one dares to underestimate Huizhou” aptly reflects his significant place in the city’s history.

Xiang Yijū Scenic Area is a typical Lingnan-style residential courtyard. Its theme centers around the display of tea and wine culture from Su Dongpo's era, Huizhou folk customs, as well as the sale of tourist souvenirs and calligraphy-paintings. The name “Xiang Yijū” is derived from the famous line, “If West Lake is compared to Lady Xi Shi, she looks enchanting whether heavily or lightly made up.”

In its design and construction, Dongpo Garden fully embodies the bold and unrestrained spirit of Su Dongpo, as well as the lofty and transcendent artistic conception. Blending cultural landscapes with natural scenery, the garden seamlessly integrates historical relics related to Su Dongpo with the beauty of West Lake, creating a perfect mutual reflection and establishing itself as a radiant jewel within the larger West Lake scenic area.

Su Shi (1037–1101), courtesy name Zizhan, art name Dongpo Jushi, was a native of Meishan in Meizhou (now part of Sichuan). His family had a strong literary tradition—his grandfather Su Xu loved reading and was skilled in poetry. His father, Su Xun, was a master of classical prose who personally mentored Su Shi and his younger brother Su Zhe. Their mother, Lady Cheng, was well-educated and principled, and once told the young Su Shi the story of Fan Pang from the Book of the Later Han • Biographies of Exemplary Officials, using the deeds of ancient noble-minded individuals to inspire him to uphold integrity. By the time Su Shi turned 21 and left Sichuan for the capital, he had already developed remarkable knowledge and maturity.

Su Shi was highly erudite and open-minded... Full details about Su Shi++