Xu Garden, Yangzhou
| Xu Garden | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 The entrance to Xu Garden, its name written right to left in the archaic style and guarded by a foo dog | |||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 徐園 | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 徐园 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | Xu Garden | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Xu Garden, also known by its Chinese name of Xuyuan, Xu Yuan,[1] or Xuyuan Garden,[2] is a Chinese garden in Slender West Lake National Park in Hanjiang District, Yangzhou, China. It is particularly noted for its views and for the interior woodwork of its pavilions.
Name[edit]
Xu Garden is named for Xu Baoshan (t 徐寶山, s 徐宝山, Xú Bǎoshān; 1866 – 24 May 1913),[2] a warlord of the late Qing and early Republican eras, who was often based in Yangzhou.
History[edit]
Xu Garden was built in 1915 on the site of the former Peach Blossom Dock (t 桃花塢, s 桃花坞, Táohuā Wù) garden.[2] Designed by Yang Bingyan, the garden was established by locals in appreciation of Xu's protection and patronage.[3] Open to the public, it originally covered about 10 mu (0.6 ha or 1.5 acres) and included lotus ponds, pavilions, terraces, and open halls.[3]
Components[edit]
The park is noted for the attractive woodwork in its traditional pavilions.[4][5] These include the Hall of Listening to Orioles (t 聽鸝館, s 听鹂馆, Tīnglí Guǎn), named for the singing venue in the Old Summer Palace, itself named for various Tang poems by Du Fu.[2] Two iron cauldrons sit before it, each weighing about 3 metric tons (3.3 short tons) and dating to the 6th-century Xiao Liang dynasty.[2] The nearby pond is large by the standards of classical Chinese gardens.[1]
Xu Garden is also the location of the vantage point for Four Bridges in Misty Rain (t 四橋煙雨樓, s 四桥烟雨楼, Sìqiáo Yānyǔ Lóu), one of the 24 views of Yangzhou under the Qing.[6] The four bridges are the Five-Pavilion or Lotus Bridge, the Rainbow Bridge (t 大虹橋, s 大虹桥, Dà Hóng Qiáo), the Spring Wave Bridge (t 春波橋, s 春波桥, Chūnbō Qiáo), and the Long Spring Bridge (t 長春橋, s 长春桥, Chángchūn Qiáo).[6]
-
An ink sketch of the Four Bridges under the Qing -
The designated building for the view
Ye Forest (叶林, Yè Lín) or Ye Garden (t 叶園, s 叶园, Yè Yuán) is also included under the garden's administration.[7] Covering 4.8 hectares (12 acres), it was created by Ye Xiufeng in 1927 as a private garden for his father,[7] the teacher Ye Weishan. It is principally covered in cedar and cypress.[7]
See also[edit]
- Xu Garden (煦园) beside the Presidential Palace in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- List of Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Jiangsu
References[edit]
Citations[edit]
- ^ a b Yang (2022), p. 131.
- ^ a b c d e "Xuyuan Garden", Official site, Yangzhou: Slender West Lake Scenic Spot, 2023, archived from the original on 2024-01-29, retrieved 2024-01-30.
- ^ a b Zhang (2015), p. 419.
- ^ Knowles (1999), p. 197.
- ^ Thompson & al. (2018), p. 226.
- ^ a b "Four Bridges in Mist", Official site, Yangzhou: Slender West Lake Scenic Spot, 2024, archived from the original on 2024-01-29, retrieved 2024-01-30.
- ^ a b c "Ye Forest", Official site, Yangzhou: Slender West Lake Scenic Spot, 2024, archived from the original on 2024-01-29, retrieved 2024-01-30.
Bibliography[edit]
- Knowles, Christopher (1999), Exploring China, New York: Fodor's.
- Thompson, Hugh; et al., eds. (2018), China, Eyewitness Travel, New York: DK Publishing, ISBN 978-1-4654-7861-0, archived from the original on 2024-03-19, retrieved 2024-03-19.
- Yang, Hongxun (2022), A Treatise on the Garden of Jiangnan..., Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore, ISBN 978-981-16-6924-8, archived from the original on 2024-03-19, retrieved 2024-03-19.
- Zhang Xiaohui (2015), "An Analysis of the Gardens Reflecting Democratic Revolution in the Republic of China" (PDF), International Conference on Arts, Design, and Contemporary Education, Amsterdam: Atlantis Press, archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-01-30, retrieved 2024-01-30.