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Scenic spot overview
Yan Garden
Yan Garden is located in Xinfeng Lane, the ancient city of Changshu. It is one of the longest-standing and best-preserved private gardens in the classical gardens of Changshu, with a history of over 240 years. In 2013, it was designated as a national key cultural relics protection unit.
Yan Garden was originally built in the 45th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1780 AD). It was initially constructed by Jiang Yuankun, who was then the prefect of Taiwan, as his private garden, known as "Jiang Garden" at that time. In the ninth year of the Daoguang reign, Jiang Yuankun's cousin, Jiang Yinpei, who was then the magistrate of Tai'an County in Shandong, purchased the garden. He invited Ge Yuliang, a renowned rock-stacking master from Jinling, to build a yellow stone artificial hill in the garden, named "Yan Valley." The garden was then renamed "Yan Garden," and since then, it has been renowned in the region.
Covering an area of only about four acres, Yan Garden's scenery is ingeniously arranged within the limited and regular terrain and space. The main structures include the "Three Charming Ladies Hall," "Five Lingzhi Hall," "Ten Wishes Building," and "Boat Returning from the Horizon." The entire garden is surrounded by rocks, flowers, and trees, creating a bright, elegant, and refined atmosphere. There are two artificial hills in the garden, one made of lake stones and the other of yellow stones, with the "Yan Valley" yellow stone hill being particularly famous.
The "Yan Valley" yellow stone hill was created by the famous rock-stacking master Ge Yuliang, based on the actual scenery of Yushan in Changshu. He pioneered the "hook and belt method," which elevated the art of Chinese garden rock stacking to a new level. The "Yan Valley" hill is also the only surviving yellow stone hill in Ge Yuliang's works, making it extremely precious. In 2000, it was included in the 18 Scenic Spots of Yushan under the beautiful name of "Yan Valley Cave Heaven."
During the Ming Dynasty, private gardens in the Jiangnan region were popular for stacking solitary peaks for ornamental purposes. By the Qing Dynasty, the trend shifted to creating a corner of a real mountain. The "Yan Valley" hill is an outstanding representative of this style, perfectly demonstrating the artistic effect of seeing the big in the small. It holds an extremely important position in the history of Chinese garden art.
Introduction of scenic spot
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