Taying Garden

‌The history of Suzhou's Taying Garden can be traced back to the Ming and Qing dynasties, when the "Wen Family Taying Garden" and "Jiang Family Taying Garden" were built by Wen Zhaozhi and Jiang Chongguang, respectively.‌‌Wen Family Taying Garden was built by Wen Zhaozhi in the mid-Ming dynasty and was originally called "Haiyong Villa." Wen Zhaozhi was the grandson of Wen Zhengming, an important representative of the Wu School of Painting. He built this garden south of Bianshan Bridge (now called Wangshan Bridge) in Tiger Hill. The garden is famous for its water features, and the reflection of the Tiger Hill Pagoda can be seen in the water, hence the name "Taying Garden." Jiang Family Taying Garden was built by Jiang Chongguang during the Qianlong period of the Qing dynasty, and is located in the southeast corner of Tiger Hill. The garden has scenic spots such as Baoyue Corridor, Xiangcao Hut, Fucang Pavilion, and Suio Pavilion, and is named for the view of the Yunyan Temple Pagoda in Tiger Hill. Jiang Chongguang was a disciple of Shen Deqian, a court scholar of the Qianlong Emperor. The garden is planted with parasol trees, willows, and various flowers, and became a famous library at the time, attracting many celebrities. Although there are no specific myths or folk tales about Taying Garden, the construction of the garden is closely related to the cultural activities of literati and scholars. Wen Zhaozhi wrote in his poem "Taying Garden, Next to Huangfu Xun's Rhyme": "Dig a pond to make a pagoda shadow, build a house by the mountain." This poem shows the beauty of the garden's water features. Jiang Chongguang lived in seclusion in the garden, living a poetic life, and his collection of books and poetry made Taying Garden famous.