Hanzhong Stone Garden

　　Hanzhong Stone Garden is located in Qinling Garden, Zongying Town, North Suburb, Hantai District, Hanzhong City, Shaanxi Province, adjacent to the Hanbao Highway. Covering an area of 160 acres, it is currently the largest tourist attraction in Shaanxi Province that perfectly combines stone appreciation culture with garden art.

　　Hanzhong is flanked by the Qinling Mountains to the north and the Bashan Mountains to the south, with the Han River and Jialing River water systems flowing through its territory. Surrounded by towering mountains and crisscrossed by rivers and streams, it forms a rich treasure trove of natural stones. Particularly at the mouth of the Baogou Valley, the riverbed features layers upon layers of stones, with tens of thousands of rocks creating a spectacular natural landscape. These stones range from as small as millstones to as large as carts and boats. For hundreds of millions of years, they have been polished smooth and vibrant in color, with elegant and fluid patterns, by the rushing and eroding waters. Located above the Shanhé Weir built by Xiao He of the Han Dynasty, it is known as "Yankou Zhenzhu" (Pearl at the Weir Mouth), ranking first among the "Twenty Scenic Spots of Baogu Valley." Wang Wanxiang, a poet from the Qing Dynasty, once praised it in verse: “Cloud roots and earth veins form a garden of pearls, glittering golden light before the ancient weir. Truly like a stone rhinoceros controlling the waters, bringing calm waves to flower villages for a thousand years.” This vividly depicts the beauty of the stone cluster.

　　In 2004, when the "Yankou Zhenzhu" was facing destruction, Qinling Garden in Hanzhong City relocated some of the finest stones from the Baogu Valley mouth to the garden. Over the following two years, the garden’s creators traveled across Hanzhong, collecting more than 2,000 unique stones from the Baogou River, Lengshui River, Han River, Jialing River, Qinling Mountains, and Bashan Mountains, as well as acquiring many renowned stones from within and outside the province. With the simple philosophy of putting people first and returning to nature, they began constructing Hanzhong Stone Garden. The garden is uniquely designed, with thousands of ornamental stones either standing or lying down—seemingly placed casually by the roadside or by the stream, yet each with deliberate artistry, bringing a sense of strength and stability to the gentle and flowing garden. The stones may be silent, but people are inspired. The diverse and colorful stones transport visitors into a fantastical and magical world. Shape stones: marvels of craftsmanship, each uniquely formed; a meditating little elephant, a proud qilin, the affection of a mother and child—all sparking endless imagination. Pattern stones: whether sketched in simplicity or painted in bold colors, they hover between traditional Chinese ink paintings and oil paintings, between abstraction and realism, inviting interpretation, debate, and personal perspectives. The colorful "Sky-Mending Stone," the vivid "Bamboo Rhythm of Banqiao," the lifelike "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix," and the premium stone hailed as the "Number One Stone of the Han River"—with its smooth lines and numerous patterns—have left countless scholars, stone enthusiasts, and tourists unable to agree on a fitting name, leaving them in awe of the stone’s beauty while feeling somewhat inadequate...

　　While fully appreciating and admiring the charm of the stones, the garden also captivates visitors with its complete integration of garden art and leisure vacation services. Green lakes, green mountains, red pavilions, exotic flowers, unique trees, peculiar stones, small bridges over flowing water, bamboo tea houses, birdsong, floral fragrances, and winding paths leading to serene spots—all combine the delicate elegance of southern Suzhou gardens with the grandeur of northern imperial gardens. They offer visitors tranquility, liberation, inspiration, and lingering memories as they admire the stones and scenery.

　　The completion of Hanzhong Stone Garden fills the gap of a large-scale stone garden in Shaanxi, becoming a new highlight of Hanzhong tourism and enriching the local cultural landscape with profound cultural significance.

　　Bamboo Courtyard: Bamboo on the ground, bamboo on the stones; the bamboo on the ground sways lush and green, while the bamboo on the stones exudes refined charm. The courtyard blends the beauty of nature with artistic elegance.

　　Dragon Pool: The pool is not large, nor is the water deep, but the presence of a dragon makes it spiritual. Gazing at the two peaks in the pool, the dragon’s head seems to rise, as if ready to soar into the sky and bring rain across the mountain forests.

　　Landscape Pavilion: Azure water, weeping willows, and a red pavilion frame the distant thatched cottages, forming a tranquil and picturesque natural scene—only the mountain is missing. The garden designer ingeniously brought in a mountain, a stone shaped like the character "mountain," or a mountain that resembles a stone, filling in this gap. The harmonious and perfect scenery leaves visitors lingering and reluctant to leave.