He Garden
| He Garden | |
|---|---|
| 何园 (Hé Yuán) | |
|
He Garden | |
| Location | Yangzhou, Jiangsu |
| Coordinates | 32°23′08″N 119°26′55″E / 32.385615°N 119.448504°ECoordinates: 32°23′08″N 119°26′55″E / 32.385615°N 119.448504°E |
| Created | 1883 |
| Website | http://www.he-garden.net |
He Garden (simplified Chinese: 何园; traditional Chinese: 何園; pinyin: Hé Yuán) is a park in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, China. Located on Xuningmen Street, it is a heritage site under state protection and a national AAAA-rated tourist attraction. It is the best-known private garden of the late Qing dynasty, and is one of 20 first-class key parks in China.
Name
The name "He Garden" is from a poem by Tao Yuanming. The original owner's first name was also "He".
History
The He Garden is a typical residential garden, built in 1883 during the reign of the Guangxu Emperor in the Qing dynasty. Its original name is translated "Mountain Villa for Ease of Singing". The owner was He Weijian, (also known as He Zhidao). He Zhidao was born in Wangjiang, Anhui. With his father's approval, he moved to Yangzhou, bought the site of the former Sliced Stone Mountain Villa, rebuilt and expanded it. When it was finished, the owner named the garden "Ease of singing" (borrowed from two lines of a poem, "On Returning Home", written by Tao Yuanming). Since the owner was named "He", the garden was called "He Yuan".[1]
Features
He Garden is recognized as one of the most remarkable private gardens recently created in Yangzhou. In 2005, Luo Zhewen (a leading academic on classical Chinese gardens) commended He Garden as "the best classic Chinese garden in Qing Dynasty" for its combination of western architecture and the brilliant features of a private garden in Jiangnan.[2]
The He Garden is a large private garden with a residence. The garden covers an area of 14,000 square metres (17,000 sq yd), of which 7,000 square metres (8,400 sq yd) are cultivated. The garden is highly cultivated; however, a visitor does not feel cramped because of the garden's layout. Around the garden there are only buildings, without mountains or running water. Absorbing the essence of traditional Chinese gardening, He Garden introduced western landscape architecture and has established its own style. Chinese experts on ancient gardens have long praised the art employed in building He Garden, calling it "a single case of gardens in South of the Yangtze River area".
The garden comprises three parts (the west and east gardens, the residential area and courtyard and the mountain villa) which are arranged in a chain. With both Chinese and Western features, the garden can be used as both a residence and a scenic spot. Its designer endeavored to create an ideal residence; their efforts are included in the book, The Wonders of Yangzhou City. He Garden is recognized as "the first celebrated garden in the city after the Xianfeng and Tongzhi emperors".[3]
Photos
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See also
References
- ↑ From History of Garden page 172-174.
- ↑ As a typical historical geographical concept, Jiangnan refers to the area south of the Yangtse River in China. In ancient times, Jiangnan often represented the people's pursuit of the prosperous culture and abundant water life in agricultural civilization.
- ↑ The last two paragraphs are from History of Garden page 172-174.