Yizhou Pavilion

　　Introduction      Coming down from the Wenbi Pagoda, exit through the south gate of Hongmei Park. After a short walk, you’ll arrive at “Dongpo Park,” a classical Jiangnan-style garden that combines historical relics with natural scenery. During the Southern Song Dynasty, the people of Changzhou built "Yizhou Pavilion" to commemorate the great Northern Song Dynasty literary master Su Dongpo, who once moored his boat here during his visit to the city. Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty constructed the Wanshou Pavilion temporary palace here during their southern tours and also renovated Yizhou Pavilion. The original site of Yizhou Pavilion was called Wencheng Dam. Legend has it that because Changzhou has always been a place of cultural richness, a dam was built on the ancient canal to make the river bend eastward in a large arc, preventing the region’s intellectual energy from flowing away. Su Dongpo visited Changzhou 11 times and spent his final years here. However, he actually moored his boat here only twice. Once was in 1073, when he passed through Changzhou on his way from Hangzhou to Zhenjiang. He spent New Year’s Eve alone in a boat camped outside the eastern suburbs of the city and wrote the poem “Spending New Year’s Eve Camping Outside the City of Changzhou.” The other time was in 1101, after returning from Hainan to Changzhou. He stayed at the Sun Family Residence near Gutang Bridge. One hot and stifling day during his illness, seeking “fresh wind and flowing water” to relieve his melancholy, he took a boat eastward along the canal at midnight and moored here. Crowds gathered on both banks to watch, causing a sensation throughout the city.

　　　    Transportation        Take bus 11 or 30 from the train station to Tianning Temple, then transfer to bus 3 and get off after one stop.

　　 Changzhou, Jiangsu