Humble Administrator's Garden
Lan Xuetang:
Lan Xuetang is the main hall in the east. The name of the hall is taken from Li Bai's "Independence between heaven and earth, the breeze scatters orchids." Snow" poem. It was first built in the eighth year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty (1635). According to the record in "Returning to the Garden and Living in the Fields" by the owner of the garden, Wang Xinyi, Lanxue Hall is a five-coupled thatched cottage. Plum blossoms. There are bamboos outside the plum blossoms, and the bamboos are near the monk's house. At dawn and dusk, the sound of Sanskrit comes from the bamboos." The environment is secluded. In front of the hall, there are two vigorous and ancient white pine trees, green bamboos beside the wall, exquisite lake stones, paths with green grass, and the east and west courtyard walls are connected. The hall has three bays facing north and south, with a high-hanging plaque of "Lan Xuetang" and floor-to-ceiling long windows. There is a screen door in the middle of the hall. To the south of the screen door is a lacquer carving "Panorama of the Humble Administrator's Garden", and to the north of the screen door is a "Green Bamboo Picture". 》, all adopt Suzhou's traditional lacquer carving technology, and the partition skirts on both sides of the screen door are engraved with figures and landscapes.
Zhuyun Peak
Zhuyun Peak is located in the north of Lanxuetang. The peak towers in the shade of green trees and bamboos. The two peaks in the northwest of the mountain stand side by side, named "Lianbi". Zhuyun Peak and Lianbi Peak are the scenic spots in the garden for Guiyuan Tianju. According to Wang Xinyi's "Residence in the Garden and Fields", there is a pond in front of the Lanxue Hall. "There is a peak rising in the south of the pond, with clouds dotting the branches of the trees. It is called Zhuyun Peak. The two peaks on the left side of the pond stand side by side, like palms and sails, so it is called Zhuyun Peak." "Lianbi Peak." The two peaks are the work of Chen Siyun, a famous stone stacker in the late Ming Dynasty. The lake stones used are exquisite and smooth, and they are based on Zhao Songxue's landscape paintings in the late Yuan Dynasty. The shape of Zhuyun Peak gradually grows from bottom to top, and its top is particularly majestic, like a cloud, independent and unsupported. On the summer night of 1943, Zhuiyun Peak suddenly collapsed. Later, under the guidance of garden expert Wang Xingbo, this two-foot-tall, exquisite and graceful peak was rebuilt. Today, the peak is mossed and covered with vines, giving it an ancient feel.
秫香馆
秫香馆 means the fragrance of rice. In the past, all the fields outside the wall were farmland. During the harvest season, the autumn wind brought bursts of rice fragrance, which was intoxicating. The museum also Hence the name. The Xiangxiang Pavilion is the main building in the east, facing the water and separated by mountains. It has a single-eave mountain structure. The interior is spacious and bright. There are 48 boxwood carvings on the long window skirt board. According to expert research, one of them is "The Romance of the West Chamber" ", and the other one is "Golden and Jade Ruyi". Among them, in the play "The Romance of the West Chamber", there are scenes such as "Zhang Sheng jumps over the wall to meet the mandarin ducks", "Copying the Red", "Farewell in the Long Pavilion" and other scenes, which are exquisitely carved, rich in layers and lifelike. As the sun sets in the west, a ray of afterglow falls on the long floor-to-ceiling windows of the Xiangxiang Pavilion. Coupled with the exquisite wood carvings on the skirt boards, the Xiangxiang Pavilion is decorated with simplicity, elegance and unique interest.
Hanqing Pavilion
Garden architecture has many variations of pavilions. A pavilion is a small house with only a roof but no walls. It is exquisite and lightweight and generally consists of three parts: a roof, a column and a platform. In the garden, you can spot and observe the scenery, and also provide a place for people to take a rest, enjoy the cool air, and take shelter from the rain.
The Humble Administrator’s Garden not only has many pavilions, but also has different forms. Hanqing Pavilion is located in a corner, and the space is relatively cramped. But the gardener used a tall white wall as the base and built a combined half-pavilion with one master and two slaves. The main pavilion has a flat seat protruding above the water, like a waterside pavilion. The auxiliary pavilions on both sides are slightly set back, facing left and right. It unfolds like a corridor but not a corridor. The main pavilion has two branches and the auxiliary pavilion has one branch. The whole pavilion is like a phoenix spreading its wings and about to fly, adding a flying momentum to the originally straight and monotonous wall. The beauty is leaning against the pavilion and sitting on her back. The sky is bright, the clouds are shadowing the water, the koi are swimming, and the lotus is swaying lightly.
Wuzhu Youju
Wuzhu Youju is a square pavilion with unique architectural style and ingenious conception. It is the main view to the east of the central pool. The pavilion is surrounded by a corridor, with red columns and white walls, cornices and raised corners. It is backed by a long corridor and faces a wide pond. It is shaded by sycamores and green bamboos. The wonderful thing about the pavilion is that there are four circular openings in the white walls around it. The holes are inside holes, and the holes are inside holes. From different angles, you can see the strange landscape of overlapping and interlaced circles, circles, and continuous circles. The four round doors are not only transparent, illuminated and elegant, but also form a beautiful framed scene of four flower windows, small bridges, flowing water, lakes and mountains, and the clear charm of bamboos, which means timelessness. The plaque "Wuzhu Residence" is in Wen Zheng Ming style. The couplet "Borrowing the refreshing breeze and bright moonlight, watching the moving water and calmly watching the mountains" was written by Zhao Zhiqian, a famous calligrapher in the late Qing Dynasty. The first couplet uses two words "borrowing" in succession to point out the intimacy of human beings living in harmony with the wind and moon, and nature; the second couplet is Use movement and stillness, virtuality and reality to set off and contrast each other, making each other interesting.
Tingyu Pavilion
Tingyu Pavilion is located to the east of Jiashi Pavilion and is connected to the surrounding buildings with curved corridors. There is a pool of clear water in front of the pavilion, with lotus planted there; there are plantains and green bamboos beside the pool, and a clump of plantains is also planted behind the pavilion, which complements the front and rear. Li Zhongyou, a poet of the Southern Tang Dynasty during the Five Dynasties, wrote in a poem: "Listening to the rain falling into the autumn bamboos, leaving the monks to restore the old chess pieces"; Yang Wanli, a poet in the Song Dynasty, wrote in his poem "Autumn Rain Sigh": "The banana leaves are half yellow and the lotus leaves are green, and the sound of autumn rain comes from two families and one family"; Modern Suzhou horticulturist Zhou Shojuan's poem "Panana" says: "The rain is falling on the banana leaves, and the sound of broken jade can still be heard in the dream." There are bananas, green bamboos, and lotus leaves here. No matter in spring, summer, autumn, or winter, as long as it is a rainy night, due to the falling rain, On different plants, and with the different mentality of people listening to the rain, you can hear the sound of rain with different tastes, which is wonderful and has a unique charm.
Yuanxiang Hall
Yuanxiang Hall is a four-sided hall and the main building in the middle of the Humble Administrator's Garden. It was built during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty on the site of the original Ruoshu Hall of Zhengde in the Ming Dynasty. The bluestone roof foundation is original from that time. It is built facing the water, with a single eave resting on the top of the mountain and a width of three rooms. The platform in the north of the hall is spacious and the water in the pool is bright and clear. The lotus pond is wide, covered with red clothes and green cover, and has a pleasant fragrance. The name of the hall is taken from the famous sentence "The fragrance is far away and the purity is clear" in Zhou Dunyi's "Love of Lotus". Lotus flowers are planted all over the water, so it got its name from the lotus.
In summer, there are lots of lotus leaves in the pond. The wind blows against your face and the fragrance is sent far away. It is a good place to appreciate the lotus. The owner of the garden used flowers to describe himself, expressing his noble sentiments. The hall is decorated with transparent and exquisite floor-to-ceiling glass windows with neat specifications. Because the long windows are transparent, you can have a panoramic view of the interesting scenery, mountains, water and shadows all around, just like watching a long scroll of mountains and rivers. The interior furnishings are elegant and refined.
Little Feihong
Suzhou is a water town, and the Humble Administrator’s Garden is a water garden. Where there is water, there must be a bridge. There are stone slab bridges, stone arch bridges, etc. in the Humble Administrator's Garden. The shape of the little flying rainbow is very special. It is the only covered bridge in Suzhou gardens. It is named after the poem "White Clouds" by Bao Zhao from the Song Dynasty in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, "The flying rainbow overlooks the Qin River, and the mist plays the light strings." The vermilion bridge railings reflect in the water, and the water sparkles like a flying rainbow, hence the name. A rainbow is a gorgeous colorful bridge that spans the earth after the rain has passed and the sky has cleared. The ancients used the rainbow as a metaphor for a bridge, with a wonderful intention. It is not only a passage connecting water and land, but also constitutes a unique landscape with the bridge as the center. The Xiaofeihong Bridge is a three-span stone beam, slightly arched, in a figure-eight shape. There are 10,000-word guardrails on both sides of the bridge deck, three bays with eight columns, covering the gallery house. The eaves are decorated with upside-down lintels. The two ends of the bridge are connected to the winding gallery. It is an exquisite covered bridge.
Xiao Canglang
Xiao Canglang takes the name of the pavilion from Su Shunqin's "Canglang Pavilion" in the Northern Song Dynasty, which means escaping from the world and returning to seclusion. The small pavilion is three rooms wide, with south windows and north sills, facing the water on both sides. It has a very unique shape. It looks like a house but not a house, like a boat but not a boat, and like a bridge but not a bridge. It is completely a water pavilion on the water. The water pavilion spans the pool and divides the water surface again, making the water end of the middle garden that ends here seem to be endless, with superb artistic techniques. Surrounded by pavilions and corridors, it forms an open and quiet water courtyard. In the past, there were many literati and officials in the ancient city of Suzhou. Whether it was a large mansion or an ordinary house, special attention was paid to the decoration of small spaces. This small space is the courtyard, and the water courtyard is this unique small Canglang. On the one hand, it It embodies the Jiangnan water town style. On the other hand, due to the water landscaping, the interior and exterior of the courtyard borrow views from each other to create a particularly cool environment.
Xiangzhou
Xiangzhou is a "boat" structure with two floors of cabins. The whole body is elegant and free and easy. Its figure is reflected in the water, making it even more slender and elegant. Xiangzhou entrusts the ideals and sentiments of literati. Xiangzhou is an allusion to Qu Yuan's "Fangzhou". There is a sentence in "Chu Ci" that "If you pick up Fangzhou and visit Du Ruo, you will leave it to your daughter." In ancient times, vanilla was often used to describe noble people. Here, the lotus landscape is used as a metaphor for vanilla, which is also very appropriate. Among the many stone boats in Chinese classical gardens, Xiangzhou in the Humble Administrator's Garden is probably the most beautiful one. The bow is a platform, the front cabin is a pavilion, the middle cabin is a pavilion, the stern is a pavilion, and there are stairs above the pavilion. The lines are soft and undulating, and the proportions are appropriate. It reminds people of the warm mountains and soft water in Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Yangzhou in ancient times, and the painted boats were like Cloud scene. Xiangzhou is located on the water's edge, right at the intersection of the east and west currents and the north-south river. It is surrounded by water on three sides and relies on the bank on one side. Board the "boat" on a springboard composed of three stone strips. Standing on the bow of the boat, you can see the ripples surrounding it. It is open and bright, full of beautiful scenery, and refreshing. The sun is scorching hot, but the wind blows here, making it cool and refreshing. There is an inscription written by Wen Zhengming hanging on the bow of Xiangzhou ship, and later generations also specially wrote a postscript for it. This dry boat in Xiangzhou has elegant and exquisite architectural techniques and is fascinating. It makes people feel a pursuit of noble personality.
Lotus Wind Pavilion on Four Sides
Lotus Wind Pavilion on Four Sides, named after the lotus, is located on a small island in the pond in the middle of the garden, with water on all sides, and lotus pavilions in the lake. The willow branches on the lakeshore are whirling, and the pavilion has a single eaves and six corners, which is transparent on all sides. There is a couplet holding pillars in the pavilion: "Lotus flowers on four walls, willows on three sides, half a pond of autumn water and one room of mountain." It is very appropriate to use it here. In particular, the word "bi" in the couplet is used well. The pavilion is the most open building. There is no wall between the columns, so the line of sight is not blocked and it feels empty and bright. Although there are no walls, the weeping willows on the three river banks are lush. There are hibiscus snuggling all around, don't they form a green and fragrant wall? Touching exaggeration and rich imagination make the small pavilions on this island more colorful and charming. The wind blows on the wall, the green waves roll, the fragrance overflows, and the color, fragrance and shape are all beautiful. The willows are light in spring, the lotus is bright in summer, the water is bright in autumn, the mountains are quiet in winter, and the lotus breeze surrounds the pavilion. It is not only suitable for summer and heat, but also suitable for all seasons. If you look down at the Hefeng Pavilion from a high place, you will see that the pavilion rises out of the water, has overhanging eaves, tall red pillars, and a white jade base. It is clearly a shining pearl embraced by a pond full of lotus flowers.
Jianshan Building
Jianshan Building is surrounded by water on three sides and mountains on two sides. From the west, you can enter the ground floor through a flat corridor bridge, and to go upstairs, you have to pass through a climbing corridor or rockery. Stone steps. It is a Jiangnan-style residential building with double eaves and rolling sheds, a hilltop, a gentle slope, white walls and black tiles, and elegant colors. The bright tile windows upstairs maintain the simplicity. The ground floor is called the "Lotus Champs". There is a King Wu's chair on the outer corridor along the water. When taking a rest, you can watch the fish up close and appreciate the lotus flowers in the middle. From a distance, the scenery in the garden slowly unfolds before your eyes like a painting. The upper floor is the Jianshan Tower. Tao Yuanming famously said: "Pick chrysanthemums under the eastern fence, and leisurely see the Nanshan Mountain." This tower is high and open, allowing you to have a panoramic view of the beautiful scenery of the Central Garden. In spring, the garden is full of fresh greenery and colorful purples and reds; in summer, the breeze blows and the fragrance of lotus bursts; in autumn, the reeds on the poolside are blown by the wind, and the chill is bleak; in winter, the house is full of warm sunshine, and the snow scenery is pleasant. Originally, there were no high-rise buildings in the city of Suzhou. From this building, you can have a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains. According to legend, this building was the office of Li Xiucheng, the loyal king of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom during the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty. The mountain building is tall but not dangerous, towering and stable, forming a balanced picture with the surrounding scenery.
Yiliang Pavilion
Yiliang Pavilion is on the left side of Biyoudongtian, with a rockery stacked on top of it.
Along the stone path on the rockery, there is a hexagonal pavilion located on the top of the mountain. This is the "Yiliang Pavilion". It stands beside the cloud wall that separates the Central Garden and the West Garden. It has a higher pavilion base and windows on six sides with plum blossom patterns on the window panes. Climbing up to Yiliang Pavilion, you can overlook the mountains and waters in the middle. When viewing the scenery from the middle garden, after the scenery unfolds from layer to layer, Yiliang Pavilion protrudes from the corridor ridge, making the scenery of the entire middle garden endless and forming a very far-reaching landscape space. This is a gardening technique. A classic example of "neighbor borrowing". "Yi Liang" comes from an interesting story. In the Tang Dynasty, Bai Juyi and Yuan Zongjian lived together as neighbors. There was a tall willow tree sticking out of the wall in the courtyard, which could be enjoyed by the two families. Bai Juyi wrote a poem to praise: "The bright moon is like a three-path night, and the green poplar trees are like spring for two families." This is a metaphor for the harmonious coexistence between neighbors. At that time, the middle garden and the west garden of the Humble Administrator's Garden were owned by two families. The owner of the west garden did not build high-rise buildings, but instead piled mountains and built pavilions. From the pavilion, Xijia could enjoy the scenery of the middle garden that he admired very much. The owner of the middle garden could also look at the towering pavilions in the middle garden. Wouldn't it be wonderful to use the pavilion to take in the scenery and enrich the landscape? One pavilion is suitable for two families, and adding scenery adds more emotion. In this way, a good poem or a good story creates a wonderful pavilion and a beautiful scenery.
Wave Corridor
The Corrugated Corridor is a water corridor at the junction of the West Garden and the Central Garden. It is a masterpiece rarely seen elsewhere. Viewed from a plan view, the water gallery is an "L" shaped layout around the pool, divided into two sections, built near the water. The southern section starts from the entrance to the cave and ends at the Thirty-Six Mandarin Ducks Pavilion; the northern section ends at the Reflection Tower, which is suspended over the water. This was originally a water wall that separated the Central and Western Gardens. It was there as the boundary between the two gardens, and it took a lot of hesitation to plan it into a scenic spot. Smart craftsmen used the wall as a corridor and built it over the water. They used a superb gardening technique to break the rigid and dull situation of the wall. They elevated the lower part of the corridor like a plank road and made it into undulating shapes according to the water flow. The twists and turns make the landscape space flexible, rhythmic and rhythmic. From south to north, after a series of morphological changes, it suddenly made a sharp turn, pulling it away from the garden wall for a certain distance, making it protrude above the pool, low on the water surface, flying left and right, and the top of the corridor changed like a pavilion cover, facing the water. Two small stone railings are erected, like fishing platforms. At the end of the corrugated corridor near the reflection building, a water hole is set up at the bottom for the corridor to pass over, so that the central and western water systems of the garden are connected. The corridor body Also raised to the highest point. If you look at the water corridor from a distance, it looks like a rainbow lying on the waves, with extraordinary momentum.