Taicang Nanyuan Garden

I've heard that Taicang Nanyuan Garden is a great place to visit, and today I finally got to see it for myself. It really lives up to its reputation. First, Nanyuan Garden is an ancient garden. It was built during the Ming Dynasty's Wanli era, around the same time as Suzhou's Lingering Garden. It is several hundred years older than Suzhou's Yiyuan Garden and has a rich historical and cultural background. Second, Nanyuan Garden is a new bottle of old wine. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, Nanyuan Garden was destroyed by Japanese bombs and abandoned. It wasn't until 1998 that the government decided to rebuild Nanyuan Garden in its original form. More than ten ancient buildings with historical value were relocated to Nanyuan Garden during the renovation of the old city. This created the 18 scenic spots we see today, including the "Gate Tower", "Xiuxue Hall", "Xiangtao Pavilion", "Dahuan Pavilion", "Hemei Immortal Pavilion", "Hanbi Boat", "Tanying Pavilion", and "Long Corridor". The garden is now more diverse and exciting than ever. Third, Taicang's most famous restaurant is "Nanyuan Restaurant", which is located just outside the east gate of the garden. This is very convenient for tourists. The dishes are exquisite, and diners can enjoy Suzhou Pingtan performances while they eat. Delicious food, beautiful music, and stunning scenery make for a perfect combination! After leaving Nanyuan Garden, I also visited Shaxi Ancient Town. The east and west streets are built along the river and have the charm of an ancient water town in Jiangnan. The local delicacies include Taicang pork floss, Taicang white garlic, pork floss bones, and Shaxi rice cakes. They are made and sold on the street, and most of the people there are locals. The town has a strong ancient town atmosphere.