Mudu is located in the southwest of Suzhou City, 12 kilometers away from the center of Suzhou. The origin of its name is very legendary. During the Spring and Autumn Period, King Gou Jian of Yue first used the "beauty trick" to offer beautiful women to Fu Chai, King of Wu, based on the strategy proposed by his minister Wen Zhong. Fu Chai doted on Xi Shi and had no political concerns. He specially built the Guanwa Palace for her on the top of the beautiful Lingyan Mountain, and also built the Gusu Terrace on Zishi Mountain. Gou Jian paid tribute to a large amount of high-quality wood as building materials and supported Fu Chai in building a large palace, thereby consuming Wu's national power. Guanwa Palace and Gusu Terrace "gathered materials in three years, and completed them in five years." During the three years, the wood from a steady stream filled the rivers and harbor branches at the foot of the mountain, "wood was blocked in Du", and this area was later called Mudu. The entrance to Mudu Ancient Town is at its west end, which is a four-column and three-door archway. Wandering on Shantang Street, the main street of the ancient town, you can learn anecdotes about celebrities in the town from past to present. On one side of Shantang Street is Xiangxi. Xiangxi comes from a stream in Lingyan Mountain. After the Guanwa Palace was completed, the palace maidens bathed and washed their makeup by the stream, and the powdered water flowed into the stream and created a fragrance that persisted. As soon as you enter the ancient town, you can see a large mansion. On the door is a plaque inscribed "Yan Family Garden" by Weng Tong, the teacher of Emperor Guangxu. In the twenty-eighth year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu (1902), Yan Guoxin, the richest man in Mudu, bought the old garden of his predecessors, which had a history of more than 100 years at that time, renovated it and renamed it "Xianyuan". People usually call it "Yan Family Garden" . This is a residential garden. The residence faces north and south, and the buildings are arranged along the central axis. There are three five-room residences facing south in the middle, with gardens on three sides. There is a Yan family history museum in the Yan family garden, which introduces Yan Guoxin's descendants. His grandson Yan Jiagan grew up here. Mr. Yan’s niece is Yan Junqi, the current vice chairman of the National People’s Congress. During the Anti-Japanese War, Xianyuan was destroyed by Japanese bombs and was rebuilt exactly as it was in 2000. In 2002, Mr. Yan's son Yan Juntai returned to his hometown for the first time to celebrate the New Year. After seeing it, he said with emotion: "Rebuilding the Yan Family Garden is my father's long-cherished wish and my mother's will." Located 200 meters east of the Yan Family Garden, it was a famous garden in the suburbs of Suzhou during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. Garden rainbow drink mountain house. Hongyin Shanfang is composed of two Ming Dynasty gardens, Xiuye ??Garden in the east and Xiaoyin Garden in the west. The middle road is the foyer, flower hall and stage. The building is large and spacious, with both the elegance of literati gardens in the south of the Yangtze River and the grandeur of the royal gardens in the north. Between the opening and closing, it fully displays the magnanimity and secluded charm. It is unique from the exquisite tradition of Suzhou gardens and is a model of the ingenious integration of different cultural styles of northern and southern gardens. Because the door faces the Xiangxi River and is backed by Lingyan Rock, "the beauty of the wind and moon in the streams and mountains, and the beauty of the flowers and trees in the ponds and pavilions" are far superior to other gardens. Therefore, Emperor Qianlong visited Suzhou every time he visited the south of the Yangtze River. He stayed at the Lingyan Mountain Palace and often took a boat to Hong Kong. _Start driving from the Royal Pier in front of the mountain house, and then visit the garden, watch theater, drink tea and recite poetry here. At that time, Liu Yong, Ji Xiaolan, He _ and other accompanying ministers stayed at Hongyin Shanfang. Liu Yong, who was good at calligraphy, even presented a calligraphy treasure to the owner and inscribed a plaque on the door of Hongyin Shanfang, leaving a good story. Xu Shiyuan, the owner of Hongyin Shanfang, was a man who was indifferent to fame and fortune. He only liked studying at home and never sought an official position for himself by interacting with the emperor and prime ministers. He spent his whole life in vain. He has a habit of drinking, and he drinks a lot, so he is known as "Rainbow Drinker". In addition, there is a Hongqiao more than 200 meters east of the house. "Those who drink from the rainbow will also drink the fragrant stream under the bridge." Hongyin Shanfang This is where the name comes from. Xiuye ??Thatched Cottage in Xiuye ??Garden is now Mudu's "Imperial Edict Collection Hall", which contains 20 imperial edicts from all ten emperors of the Qing Dynasty, plus an imperial edict from the Empress Dowager Cixi. Xiaoyin Garden is the former residence of Shen Shou, the "Embroidery Queen" of the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China. Today, there are many Su embroidery masters in Mudu, and there are specialized embroidery workshops on Shantang Street. Xiangxi is very small, and the inclined bridge where it finally flows into Xujiang River is only about 20 meters wide. Counting from Wangjiaqiao on the west side of Yanjia Garden, there are Yongan Bridge, Jinjia Bridge and Yongan Bridge from west to east in a short span of more than one mile. Lingqiao, Xishi Bridge, Hongqiao and Inclined Bridge. Facing the Xujiang River across the inclined bridge is Feng Guifen's former residence. Feng Guifen, Lin Zexu's favorite disciple and a native of Mudu, was the second-ranked residence of Emperor Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty for 20 years, so people in the city called his house "the second-ranked residence". He advocated the adoption of Western learning and the production of foreign utensils, and was the pioneer of the Westernization Movement. There is a Shijia Restaurant on Zhongshi Street, which is famous for its Fei Tang. It was founded during the Qianlong period and was originally named Xushunlou. In 1929, General Li Genyuan, the veteran of the Kuomintang, renamed the restaurant Shijia Restaurant. During the Mid-Autumn Festival of that year, Mr. Yu Youren, another Kuomintang veteran and contemporary grass sage, went to Guangfu near Mudu to enjoy the laurels. On his way back, he dined at Shijia Restaurant. The store specially made Banfei soup as a treat. Unexpectedly, Mr. Yu had a special liking for this soup. He praised it so much that he impromptuly wrote a poem: "The old osmanthus blossoms are fragrant all over the world. I walked around Taihu Lake to see the flowers. I can still remember it when I return to Zhoumudu. Thank you Shijia_Fei Tang". .
Source: Mudu Ancient Town