Introducing the guide words for the Humble Administrator’s Garden attractions
The Humble Administrator’s Garden is one of the “Four Famous Gardens” in my country. Among the first list of national key cultural relics protection units promulgated by the State Council on March 4, 1961, there were four gardens: the Humble Administrator's Garden, the Summer Palace, the Summer Resort, and the Liuyuan Garden. Two of them are in the north and are representative works of our country's royal gardens; two are in Suzhou and are representative works of our country's private gardens.
There are two main reasons why the Humble Administrator’s Garden is so well-known. One reason is that the Humble Administrator's Garden is a treasure in my country's national cultural heritage and a masterpiece among classical gardens in the south of the Yangtze River. It is unique in layout design, architectural modeling, calligraphy and painting sculptures, flowers and trees, and gardening, and is known as "the world's garden." mother". Another reason is that the Humble Administrator's Garden has provided a venue for many powerful figures on the historical stage. Among them are Qian Muzhai, a literary giant from the south of the Yangtze River, and his concubine Liu Rushi; Wang Xinyi, the imperial censor and minister of the Ministry of Justice in the late Ming Dynasty; Chen Zhilin, a bachelor of Hongwen Academy from Haining in the early Qing Dynasty and minister of the Ministry of Rites; and the daughter and son-in-law of Wu Sangui, the king of Pingxi; There was Li Xiucheng, the loyal king of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom; there were Li Hongzhang and Zhang Zhiwan, the governors of Jiangsu. After the Revolution of 1911, Jiangsu Governor Cheng Dequan announced to the whole province that the Jiangsu Provisional Provincial Congress was held in the park; after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the patriotic poet Liu Yazi set up a "Social Education College" in the park. According to legend, during the Kangxi period, Cao Yin, the grandfather of Cao Xueqin, the author of "A Dream of Red Mansions", was in charge of weaving in Suzhou. The weaving office was located in Fengmen, and his family members lived in the Humble Administrator's Garden. When Cao Yin was promoted to Jiangning Weaving, he recommended his brother-in-law Li Xu to take over, and his family lived in the garden for 20 or 30 years.
Now, we can see that above the main entrance, which is made of high plain brick walls, there are three words "Humble Administrator's Garden" carved in brick and gilded on the forehead. The Humble Administrator's Garden was built in the fourth year of Zhengde in the Ming Dynasty (15XX). The imperial censor Wang Xianchen (named Jingzhi, nicknamed Huaiyu) returned to his hometown after being frustrated in officialdom. He expanded the site of Dahong Temple into a garden with pavilions, small bridges, flowing water, and towering ancient trees. The name of the Humble Administrator's Garden is abbreviated from the sentence "This is also the way to govern for those who are clumsy" in "Xianju Fu" written by Pan Yue of the Western Jin Dynasty. According to information provided by the Suzhou Garden Management Bureau, Wang Xianchen was promoted to Jinshi in the sixth year of Hongzhi (1493) in the Ming Dynasty and was promoted to censor. However, his official career was not smooth. He was framed twice by the Dongchang police and was sentenced to imprisonment. , was demoted to the post of Guangdong Yicheng, and later served as the magistrate of Yongjia County. After he was dismissed from office, he returned home. The pain in his heart was beyond words. He told Wen Zhengming: "In the past, the Panyue family was not good at officialdom, so they built houses, planted trees, and irrigated the country with vegetables. They said: 'This is also a clumsy way to govern.'... I only take one county and retreat to the forest. It means that the reason why I named it "Humble Administrator's Garden" is to retreat under the forest springs like Pan Yue, and to guard it like Tao Yuanming. Return to the countryside. The name of the garden reflects Wang Xianchen's complex mentality of being helpless and wanting to laugh at himself.
After passing the wall gate and the "Tongyou" and "Entering" waist gates of the Humble Administrator's Garden, we came to the eastern part of the Humble Administrator's Garden. There is a three-bay main hall in the south of the eastern garden called "Lan Xuetang". The word "Lan Xue" comes from Li Bai's sentence "spring breeze scatters orchid snow", which symbolizes the noble sentiment of the owner who is as free and unrestrained as the spring breeze and as clean as the orchid snow. There is a lacquer carving on the middle screen door, which is a panoramic view of the Humble Administrator's Garden. From the picture, the Humble Administrator's Garden is divided into three parts: the eastern part, once named "Guitian Yuan Ju", is dominated by pastoral scenery; the middle part, also called "Fuyuan", is dominated by Chidao rockery and is the home of the Humble Administrator's Garden. The essence of the garden lies in the western part, also known as the "Buyuan". Most of the buildings in the park were built in the Qing Dynasty, and their architectural styles are obviously different from those in the eastern and central parts. From the picture, the Humble Administrator's Garden has no obvious central axis and no traditional symmetrical layout. Most of the gardens are adapted to local conditions, well-proportioned, sparse and open, and almost natural. It is the most successful example of layout among many gardens in Suzhou.
Walking out of "Lan Xuetang", you will see a rockery, green bamboo groves and ancient trees, surrounded by a huge stone peak, shaped like clouds, standing upright, and there are two strange-shaped peaks on the west side. lake rocks, with a narrow path sandwiched between the two rocks.
The stone peak in the middle is called "Zuiyun Peak", which is like a huge screen, blocking the guests' sight. This "straight to the point" gardening technique is called "obstruction" and plays a fascinating role. Many people have a feeling of "déjà vu" when they come here. This is because many guests have read the masterpiece of Chinese classical literature "A Dream of Red Mansions". The rockery at the entrance of the Grand View Garden described in the book is very similar to this rockery. There is a story in Chapter 17 of "Dream of Red Mansions" "The Grand View Garden Examination Questions Are Correct, Rongguo Mansion Returns to the Province to Celebrate the Lantern Festival": Jia Zheng and his son entered the Grand View Garden to write about the scenery. When they opened the door and went in, they saw a green building blocking their way. All the Qing guests said: "What a mountain, what a mountain!" Jia Zheng said: "If it's not this mountain, as soon as you enter the garden and see all the scenery, what's the fun?"... Looking forward, I saw Bai Shiling. He looks like a ghost or a beast, standing vertically and horizontally. The moss on the top is mottled, or covered with wisteria, and the intestine path is slightly exposed. This description is very appropriate here, and it may be a coincidence. However, there are many similar situations in the two parks.
After passing the rockery, what the guests saw was the main scenery in the east of the Humble Administrator's Garden. During the Chongzhen period of the Ming Dynasty, Wang Xinyi, the minister of punishment, bought the eastern part and built "Guitianju". There are mountain islands, lotus ponds, pine hills, and bamboo docks in the park, which give it an idyllic scenery. In addition to the "Lan Xuetang", the main buildings in this part also include the "Xiangxiang Pavilion", "Tianquan Pavilion", "Furong Pavilion", etc.
"Furong Pavilion" is a water pavilion built next to the lotus pond. Pavilion is a type of garden architecture in Suzhou. It is light in shape and built on the waterside or on a high slope, with an elevated or semi-elevated structure below. Hibiscus, including wood hibiscus and water hibiscus. Hibiscus is a color-changing flower. It is light red when the morning glow first appears, turns purple when the sun shines directly at noon, and turns pink again when the sun sets in the evening. It is very precious. Water lotus refers to lotus or lotus. In Chairman Mao Zedong's poem, "The land of hibiscus is full of sunshine", which refers to water hibiscus. "Furong Pavilion" has a pond of lotus in the front, and a high wall behind it. The strong contrast between open on one side and closed on the other perfectly enhances the tranquil atmosphere. The water pavilion in "Yiyuan" in Vancouver, Canada, is based on this design. There is a pool of water in the front and a high wall in the back. It has the flavor of Suzhou classical gardens. If you walk to the door of Furong Pavilion and look to the west, you can see a carved circular light cover installed on the door frame of the water pavilion. Through this circular light cover, you can see the small bridge and flowing water in front, just like a picture inlaid in the circle. Oil painting in a frame. If you walk over and take a closer look, you can find a carved rectangular floor-to-ceiling cover installed on the door frame of this waterside pavilion. The river in front is winding and graceful, with pink and willow green on both sides, which introduces people to a peaceful, simple and natural atmosphere. into the realm. This is a relatively common landscaping technique in Suzhou gardens, called "framed view". The garden owner wants to use this technique to focus the guests' sights to the best angle to achieve a satisfactory effect.
"Tianquan Pavilion" stands on a green lawn, with sharp corners and double eaves on eight sides, which is particularly eye-catching under the blue sky and white clouds. According to legend, this place was originally the site of Dahong Temple in the Yuan Dynasty. When the garden was built, "Tianquan Pavilion" was built on the temple well. This building seems to have two floors from the outside, but it only has one floor from the inside. When appreciating the buildings in Suzhou gardens, look up at the tall pavilions. If you stand at the corner of "Tianquan Pavilion" and stare at the floating clouds, you seem to feel that the pavilion is soaring in the blue sky. This is the secret why most Suzhou garden buildings have corners. These corners, in addition to being beneficial to lighting and ventilation, mainly add dynamics and beauty, and have become one of the local characteristics of Suzhou architecture.
"Xiangxiang Pavilion", as the name suggests, is a place to watch the fragrance of rice and wheat. The owner of "Guitianju" in the Ming Dynasty built a Xiangxiang Pavilion in the garden. "You can look around from the tower. At the turn of summer and autumn, you can always see the fields growing rice." The main body of the "Xiangxiang Pavilion" we see now is The building was moved from Dongshan when the Humble Administrator's Garden was renovated in the 1960s. It is relatively large and slightly different from the original scenery.
It is worth mentioning that there is a Chidao rockery sketch next to the camphor tree in the southwest corner. There is a big stone on the rockery of this lake, which looks like a small wooden boat that has been turned upside down and needs to be repaired.
The lake in front is open, surrounded by bushes, and there are a few reeds not far away, just like a small harbor on the edge of Taihu Lake. The owners of ancient Suzhou gardens, some were court ministers, some were feudal officials, and some were sent to other prefectures and counties. They had worked hard for a while, but due to various reasons, they resigned and returned to their hometowns. In Suzhou, far away from Kyoto, they found A quiet "harbour". The customs here are elegant and the products are rich. You can not only enjoy peace and happiness, but also avoid political enemies. It has become the best place for dignitaries to choose after retreating. It is for this reason that they particularly appreciate the "doctrine of nothingness" of Buddhism, the "transcendence thought" of Taoism, and the "advocacy of seclusion" of Confucianism. They use "escaping from the world and indifference" as the theme to create wild scenery in the mountains and forests, and want to live in an independent place. Realize your own personality ideals in a small world. As the saying goes, "A small boat travels all over the world, rarely visited by people, and this is my home."
The eastern and central parts of the Humble Administrator's Garden are separated by a long corridor. There are 25 leaky windows on the wall of the corridor, like carefully carved paper-cut patterns, inlaid on the long scroll. People are strolling on the verandah, and as the patterns on the windows are changed, the scenery in the garden is constantly changing. This phenomenon is called "changing scenery while moving". If you take a closer look, you will see that the different patterns on the leaky window all show water ripples and ice ribs. The cheerful ripples in the pool are superimposed on the solidified ripples on the window, which further exaggerates the atmosphere of Suzhou's water culture. When we opened the black door in the corridor, we came to the central garden. When the guests stood next to Yihongxuan and looked to the west, their first impression should be that the pool here is wide and the scenery is beautiful. Careful friends can also find that next to the pavilions, above the small bridges and flowing water, and among the ancient trees and flowers, there is a pagoda, giving people the feeling of "a somewhat deep courtyard". This technique of borrowing scenery was used very successfully, and the owner of the garden really put a lot of thought into it. Because the central garden is long from east to west and narrow from north to south, it has a sense of oppression, so the owner took advantage of the low-lying terrain to carve out pools and mountains. Rockeries are used to cover the walls on both sides, while a large amount of space is left on the pool surface, making people feel open and far-reaching. The buildings in the central garden are of different sizes and shapes, scattered in height and density. Every building is an excellent viewing point, and every building is an important part of the attraction.
The central garden of the Humble Administrator’s Garden can be roughly divided into three scenic spots. Guests can gradually reach a climax by visiting three unique scenic spots. The first scenic spot is mainly composed of Chidao rockery, including the "Wuzhu's Residence" on the edge of the rockery, the "Waishuang" Pavilion on the top of the rockery, and the "Snow Fragrant Clouds" and other scenic spots. Chidao rockery, also known as water and land rockery, is the main rockery in the central part. This "one pool and three islands" is basically the traditional pattern of Suzhou's rockery. The key point is: "the bank of the pool is zigzag, and the water turns around the mountain." The design of this rockery is excellent, it is indeed a "generous work", and it is completely in line with the traditional techniques of Chinese landscape painting. Viewed from the east, one mountain is higher than the other; viewed from the south, one mountain is connected to the other; viewed from the west, one mountain is overwhelming the other mountains. In terms of painting terms, they are "far-reaching landscapes", "pingyuan landscapes" and "high-distance landscapes", which express the artistic conception of "a ridge when viewed from the side and a peak on the side, with different heights near and far" in Su Dongpo's poems in the Song Dynasty.
Next, let’s take a look at “Wuzhu Residence” first. "Wuzhu Youju", commonly known as "Yue Zhi Feng Lai Pavilion", is located in the easternmost part of the central garden, adjacent to "Yihong Pavilion". "Yihong Pavilion" is named after it leans on a complex corridor shaped like a rainbow. "Wuzhu Residence" has a very unique shape. The four large round doors immediately remind people of the moon on the night of August 15th. If you stand in the pavilion and look out, these four round doors are like four huge picture frames, inlaid with the scenery of Suzhou gardens throughout the year. The peach blossoms are red and willows are green in the south, the tender lotus sticks out in the west, the parasol trees are in autumn rain in the north, and the plum blossoms are in full bloom in the east. There is a couplet in the pavilion that reads "Wuzhu lives in seclusion". Wutong is a holy and high tree; green bamboo is a strong, soft and loyal thing. As the saying goes: "If there are plane trees at home, why worry about the phoenix not coming?" There is a couplet on both sides: "It is cool to borrow the cool breeze and the bright moon, to watch the moving water and quietly watch the mountains." Savor slowly and chew carefully, and two landscape paintings seem to appear in front of you. : One is the bright moon in the sky, the night is hazy, and the gentle breeze is blowing, refreshing; the other is the sun is shining brightly, the birds are singing and the flowers are fragrant, the heart is beating and the water is moving, and the heart is calm and the mountains are quiet.
If you think carefully about the mood of the owner of the garden at this moment, it may be similar to what Zhang Daqian said: "The mind seems to be idle and has nothing to do, and it takes a long time to look carefully at the bay leaves." If some guests have read Confucius' "The Analects" and read this couplet, they may have another feeling. Confucius said: "The wise enjoy the water, the benevolent enjoy the mountains. The wise are active, the benevolent are still. The wise are happy, the benevolent live long." So, can we say that the first couplet of this couplet uses the breeze and the bright moon to describe the infinite beauty of the natural scenery, and the second couplet It uses Leshan and Leshui to reveal the role of tourism in cultivating sentiment. Only at this time will the guests gradually realize that Suzhou classical gardens should not only simulate the beauty of natural mountains and rivers to achieve an artistic effect that is "pleasant to the ears and eyes", but more importantly, create a poetic and picturesque charm in order to pursue "delightful to the heart and mind" "The psychological feeling is then sublimated to the spiritual enjoyment of "joyful mind and happy spirit". If you can understand this charm, then you are ready to get started.
When we crossed the nine-curved stone bridge and slowly climbed the mountain along the winding mountain trails, we came face to face with the "Waishuang" Pavilion. "Waiting for frost" comes from the poem by Wei Yingwu, the governor of Suzhou in the Tang Dynasty, "If you want to write three hundred poems at the end of the book, the Dongting must wait for the forest to be full of frost." The lines of the words reveal a frosty, orange-red mountain atmosphere and earthy fragrance. We walked through the jungle, crossed the stream, climbed the stone steps, and came to the "Xue Xiang Yun Wei Pavilion". It is located at the central high point of the island. Looking around here, we feel that the central garden is like a vigorous and simple picture, unfolding in front of us. In this scroll, there are high and low, near and far, big and small, wide and narrow, sparse and dense, noisy and quiet. "Snow Fragrant Cloud Pavilion" also has the couplet "Between Mountain Flowers and Wild Birds" and the couplet "The noisy forest becomes quieter; the singing bird mountain becomes more secluded". If you sit here to rest, look at the scenery, and calm down, you will feel a bit otherworldly. Your body and mind have been completely integrated with nature. There is a line in the lyrics of "Small Town Story" that "looks like a painting but sounds like a song", which is very appropriate to use in the Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou. Can it be said that "Among Mountain Flowers and Wild Birds" is the most popular and most wonderful interpretation of Suzhou classical gardens' philosophical ideas of "harmony between man and nature" and "conformity with nature" and the aesthetic concepts of "mountains and forests close at hand" and "seeing the big in the small". annotation.
When the guests visited the first scenic spot and their excitement reached its climax, the owner promptly turned our attention to another angle, from the mountain to the pond. This is the second scenic spot in the central garden. The second scenic spot is centered on the lotus pond, and around the water there are scenic spots such as "Lotus Wind on All Sides", "Xiangzhou", "Jianshan Tower", "Xiao Feihong", "Xiao Canglang", "Yi Yuxuan" and "Yuanxiang Hall".
There is a "Lotus Breeze Pavilion" on the island in the lake. It is surrounded by water and willows are planted on three sides. It is really an excellent scenic spot. There is a couplet hanging on the "Lotus Wind Pavilion on all sides": "Lotus on four walls, willows on three sides, half a pond of autumn water and one room of mountain." Liao Liao's few strokes outline the landscape characteristics of the Humble Administrator's Garden in spring, summer, autumn and winter. The beauty of it is that the couplet contains the ordinal numbers of one, two, three, and four. The first couplet of this couplet is modeled after the couplet written by Tie Bao, a calligrapher from the Qing Dynasty, in Jinan's Daming Lake "Xiao Canglang": "Surrounded by lotus and three by willows, one city is filled with mountains and half is a lake." The second couplet of this couplet is modeled on the poem by Li Dong, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, "Look at the poet as nothing more than half a pond of autumn water and one room of mountain." The content has been slightly modified and used here, just right.
"Xiangzhou" and "Lotus Wind Pavilion" face each other across the water. The word "zhou" in "Xiangzhou" has the same pronunciation as "zhou". It is actually a ship-shaped building, which can be called a stone boat or a land boat. It seems to be an official ship moving slowly among the lotus flowers. It is worth mentioning that the stone boat "Xiangzhou" has five types of buildings: pavilions, platforms, buildings, pavilions and pavilions. The bow of the ship is a lotus terrace, the teahouse is a square pavilion, the cabin is a pavilion facing the water, the ship building is the Chengguan Pavilion, and the stern is the Yehang Pavilion. In fact, almost all gardens in Suzhou have stone boats. From a geographical point of view, Suzhou is a typical water town in the south of the Yangtze River. In ancient times, most people traveled by boat. Every house was close to the river, boats were everywhere, and stone boats were built in the gardens to suit the scene. From an architectural point of view, the types of Suzhou garden buildings include pavilions, halls, pavilions, pavilions and bridges. Together with boats, the buildings can have various shapes and colors. From a political perspective, Shifang can often remind people of the truth that "water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it."
The owner of the garden wanted to use this to express his feelings that "if you are far away from the world, you worry about your king."
After passing the Jiuqu Stone Bridge and walking along the verandah, you will come to the "Jianshan Tower", which was called "Lotus Champs" in ancient times. "Jianshan Tower" is surrounded by water on three sides, like a blue dragon playing in the water. The "Jianshan Tower" is the dragon's head, the climbing corridor is the dragon's body, the cloud wall is the dragon's tail, the doorway is the dragon's mouth, and the curved bridge is the dragon's whiskers. The upper floor of "Jianshan Building" has lithe shells and closed windows, and the downstairs has long floor-to-ceiling windows, indoor Ming-style tables, chairs and coffee tables, and small square landscape lights hanging on the beams, completely retaining the antique style.
Go south along the veranda from "Jianshan Tower" to "Xiao Canglang". "Jianshan Tower" is located in the north of the second scenic area and is the main scenic area. It has a wide view and can be "sparse". The area of ??"Xiao Canglang", "Xiao Feihong" and "Dezhen Pavilion" is the southern part of the second scenic spot. This second scenic spot has a narrow space and is "airtight". The origin of "Little Canglang" is "Chu Ci. Fisherman". The original saying is "The water in Canglang is clear, and I can wash my tassel; the water in Canglang is turbid, and I can wash my feet." To explain it in modern language, if the court is clear, I will wash my hat and prepare to serve as an official to assist the court; if the court is dull, I will wash my feet and resolve to retire and be at ease. "Little Canglang" is a three-bay water pavilion with south windows and north sills, facing water on both sides. It sits across the water, forming a quiet water courtyard. Standing on "Xiao Canglang" and looking north, the covered bridge "Xiao Feihong" is reflected in the water, and the water ripples like a rainbow. This is the best place to enjoy water views. In front of the Lotus Champs Elysees, various water sources converged into a pool, which seemed to be "a vast and endless pool of water". Arriving in front of Xiangzhou, it suddenly diverts back. One of the tributaries is winding and coming towards you. It passes through "Little Feihong" and "Little Canglang", leaving you with an unfinished feeling. This kind of water management method is in line with the Suzhou classical garden's principle of "the water surface gathers and disperses, the gathering place is known for its vastness, and the dispersed area is known for its twists and turns", which can be called a masterpiece.
Go east from "Xiao Canglang" and you will come to "Yuanxiang Hall". Appreciating the "Yuanxiang Hall" can bring the guests' excitement to the climax of visiting this scenic spot. "Yuanxiang Hall" is located in the center of the central garden. There is a small river with lotus plants in the front, and a pool in the back with lotus plants. In summer, lotus flowers are in full bloom, and the fragrance floats into the hall. Therefore, the name of the hall is based on the sentence "the fragrance is far away and the clearness is clear" in Zhou Dunyi's "Love of Lotus" in the Song Dynasty. "Yuanxiang Hall" has glass windows on all sides. You can sit in the hall and drink tea, chat and watch the scenery. To the south of the hall is a steep yellow stone rockery, to the north is the Chidao rockery, to the east is the "Xiuqi Pavilion" on the hillside, and to the west is the "Yiyu Pavilion" by the pond, giving people the feeling of mountains near and far away, with high mountains and low waters. The couplets of "Yuanxiangtang" were originally written by the famous scholar Shen Deqian during the Qianlong period. Since they were lost, they were added by the modern calligrapher Zhang Xinjia. There is a couplet on both sides, with 80 characters in it. It is the longest couplet among many gardens in Suzhou. It records the grand gathering of dignitaries at the Eight Banners Fengzhi Hall. Suzhou's classical garden buildings attach great importance to the design of artistic conception. The main scenic spots in the garden are often decorated with words and phrases from ancient poems and ancient prose, and are decorated with a large number of plaques and couplets. These plaques and couplets have far-reaching ideas, implicit artistic conceptions, elegant sentiments, meaningful words, and beautiful calligraphy. They not only record the history of the famous garden, highlight the essence of the scenic spots, but also express the feelings of the owner of the garden.
The third scenic spot in the central garden of the Humble Administrator's Garden is the "Loquat Garden". "Loquat Garden" is located to the southeast of "Yuanxiang Hall". It is a garden in the middle garden of the Humble Administrator's Garden. It is named after the loquat trees planted there. The gate of "Loquat Garden" is very cleverly designed. When the guests came here, they saw a cloud wall in front of them, with peonies planted on both sides. As the saying goes, "there is no way out until the mountains and rivers are exhausted". I really didn't expect that as long as I walked further, I could find that a rockery piled with yellow stones covered a doorway next to it. As people approach step by step, the doorway expands little by little. When I got to the door, I found that the door hole was like a bright moon, embedded in the white cloud wall. After passing the doorway and walking forward, the bright moon was slowly obscured by the rockery of lakes and rocks here. Looking at the moon cave door and peonies, people can't help but think of the allusion of "the moon is shy of the flowers". This month, the cave door is like a huge treasure mirror, and the scenery in the courtyard seems to be the shadow of the scenery outside the courtyard.
The owner of the garden cleverly chose the best location for the Piyue Cave Gate, so that the three points of "Snow Fragrant Cloud Pavilion", "Moon Cave Gate" and "Jiashi Pavilion" are in the same line of sight, and connected the front and rear scenery through the Moon Cave Gate to form a set of contrasting scenes. It can be seen that when opening doors and windows in Suzhou classical gardens, in addition to considering access and lighting, they also pay special attention to capturing the picture, striving to have scenery everywhere and the scenery moving with each step.
The third scenic spot is mainly composed of courtyard buildings, including "Linglong Pavilion", "Jiashi Pavilion", "Tingyuxuan" and "Begonia Chunwu". These buildings divide the space into three small courtyards. This kind of landscaping technique is called "separating the scenery" in order to enrich the garden scenery and hide the new scenery. The three small courtyards are separated and connected, interspersed with each other, and are full of changes in space processing and scenery setting. The patios in each courtyard look about the same size to the naked eye, but when you measure them with your feet, you find they are quite different. It turns out that the cloud wall in front of the "Linglong Pavilion" was built shorter to make it appear larger due to the wide view. "Haitang Chunwu" is relatively small in size, but has several leaky windows, making the patio appear more spacious. The patio area in front of "Tingyuxuan" is relatively large, and a small pond has been opened to make the patio suitable in size and rich in landscaping. At that time, the owner of the garden liked to stay here with his family, while tasting Suzhou's boat snacks, he listened carefully to the sound of raindrops hitting the corrugated sheets, banana leaves and gravel ground, making "tick-tick", "patter-tick" and "pitter-patter" sounds. , reveling in the music creation of nature. This seems to be the third movement of the Central Garden Symphony. The first movement can be called "the top of the mountain"; the second movement can be called "the shore of the sea"; the third movement can be called "the joy of family relations". There is a couplet in "Jiashi Pavilion", "There are many beautiful days in spring and autumn; there are clear sounds in the mountains and rivers", which is perfectly used here. When the guests passed through the "unique cave" circular door from the central garden, they arrived at the western garden. The main buildings of the Western Garden are the "Thirty-six Mandarin Duck Pavilion" and the "Eighteen Mandala Flower Pavilion". This building is a beautified "Yuanyang Hall" structure; it looks like a roof from the outside and four roofs inside; it looks like a hall from the outside, and it is divided into two living rooms inside; the living room in the north is used for cooling in summer, and the living room in the south is Used for heating in winter. When entering, there are four brick-carved seal script characters "De Shao Jia Qu" above the round door. It means that only by entering the door can you gradually enter a better state and have a little fun. This hall was built in the Qing Dynasty, with exquisite carvings, elegant furnishings and extraordinary style.
The "Thirty-six Mandarin Ducks Pavilion" on the couplets in the north hall is a calligraphy work by Hong Jun, the number one scholar in the Qing Dynasty. The "Eighteen Mandala Flower Pavilion" in the south hall is a masterpiece by Lu Runxiang, the number one scholar in the Qing Dynasty. The pavilion is a place for guests to gather. It is spacious, quiet and connected in all directions. The mandarin duck is synonymous with a happy marriage, and the mandala flower is a mascot for longevity. According to the "Commentary on the Amitabha Sutra" compiled by Master Yinguang, mandala flowers rain down every day in the Western Paradise. In today's world, only those who have good fortune and longevity can see it. Legend has it that datura flowers are similar to camellias, so eighteen precious camellia trees were planted here to suit the occasion. This hall has a unique shape, with bow-shaped and arc-shaped rafters, and penthouses at the four corners. According to legend, it was the place where the owner listened to Kunqu opera. According to historical records, Zhang Luqian, the owner of Buyuan, was particularly fond of Kunqu opera and often competed with the "sage of music" Mr. Yu Sulu here. Whenever a cappella performance reached its climax, there was always a feeling of "reverberation lingering for three days". The four corner wing rooms are where actors change their makeup and where servants live. The blue and white glass windows here are very elegant. Whenever the sun is hot in midsummer, the sunlight passes through the windows and turns into blue and white beams of light, which sprinkle on the ground, causing waves of chills. If guests are interested, they can look out through the blue glass windows and see that the roof, branches, stones, and lotus leaves all seem to be covered with a layer of white snow.
"Liuting Pavilion" is located to the west of "Thirty-six Yuanyang Pavilion". The couplets were written by Wu Dacheng, the governor of Hunan in the Qing Dynasty. "Liu Ting Pavilion" comes from a line written by Li Shangyin of the Tang Dynasty, "The autumn clouds are not dispersed, the frost flies late, and the remaining lotuses are left to listen to the sound of rain." The south facing cover of "Liu Ting Pavilion" is made of ginkgo wood with three-dimensional carvings of pine, bamboo, sea and sparrow patterns. The composition is well-proportioned and the technique is exquisite. The partition skirt is engraved with the pattern of Pan Chi (Kui Long), which is said to be a relic from Prince Zhong’s palace of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. It has high artistic and historical value.
The "Reflection Tower" is located to the north of the "36 Yuanyang Pavilion".
It is named "Reflection Tower" because the reflection of the pavilion can be clearly seen from the pond in front. The lower floor of the building is called "Bai Wen Yi Shen Zhi Zhai". In fashionable terms, it is the "Memorial Hall of Mr. Wen Zhengming and Mr. Shen Shitian". Wen Zhengming was one of the "Four Great Talents" of the Ming Dynasty. Some information says that he participated in the planning and design of the Humble Administrator's Garden. Some sources also say that he painted 31 pictures based on the garden scenery, each with a poem, and wrote "Wang's Humble Administrator's Garden", which added to the splendor of the famous garden. Mr. Shen Shitian was Mr. Wen Zhengming’s painting instructor. They have made significant contributions to the development of Suzhou culture and art. The middle screen door of the "Reflection Tower" is engraved with a rootless bamboo picture of Zheng Banqiao, one of the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou, accompanied by poems. It is also a rare and precious cultural relic.
There is a winding water corridor in front of the "Reflection Tower", with the ground touching the surface of the pool. The surface of the pool is sparkling and the ground is undulating, making people feel like they are floating on the surface of the pool. There is a group of pavilions on the west side of the water corridor, the nearest one is "Who is sitting with me". Xuan is a building shaped like a carriage. There are door frames at both ends without opening the door, so you can enter and exit at will. There are windows on the walls on both sides for viewing the scenery. "Who are you sitting with? The bright moon, the breeze, and me." This is a poem by Su Dongpo, which expresses the poet's self-admiration. The garden owner used this to express his innocence. If you look carefully, "Who is sitting with me" looks like a fan. The tiles on the top of the pavilion are like the folding fan, and the spire of the "Li Pavilion" behind is like the handle of the folding fan. They are connected perfectly.
Suzhou gardens, represented by the Humble Administrator’s Garden, are full of poetic green mountains and green waters, and are always filled with a warm and affectionate family atmosphere. The whole garden embodies the philosophy of life of indifference and clear ambition, which is what the ancients The "heaven on earth" that we strive for. ;