Jichang Garden

Jichang Garden, Wuxi, Jiangsu

Brief Introduction
Jichang Garden is located inside Xihui Park, east side of Huishan Mountain, east side of western suburban of Wuxi. Jichang Garden is a famed Chinese classical garden in South China, and it was claimed as a national protected location of historical and cultural relics in 1988. Jichang garden is a masterpiece of classic Chinese gardens and has been duplicated by the Emperor Qianlong in order to enjoy it daily. The duplicated copy of the garden is located in Beijing and named Huishanyuan Garden (Hui Hill Garden or Huishan Garden) or Xiaquyuan Garden (Xiaqu Garden). This Garden covers an area of 2.5 acre, formed a long and narrow body, it not only has an ingenious layout but also a uniquely simple, spacious and peaceful style. 

The garden features a rockery and a pond surrounded by the Yupan Pavilion, Zhiyu Pavilion, Qixing Bridge, Hanbi Pavilion, and Qingyu Corridor. Together they bring the water of Huishan Spring into the garden, and are part of the Bayin Ravine, so named because of its gently flowing water and beautiful sounds. It was Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong's favorite place, and tourists can still find plaques bearing their inscriptions. 

History of Jichang Garden
Jichang Garden, first built in the Ming dynasty with a history of around 500 years. It was also called "Qin Yuan", the site used to be two monasteries, called "Nan Yin" and "Ou Yu". It was a private residence located at the Huishan Mountain, western Wuxi. Jichang literally means "resort to the supremacy of mountains and waters to attain the pleasure.” Then in the Northern Song dynasty, this area was expanded it on the basis of old monastery (Huishan Temple), upraising hills, excavating ponds, planting flowers and trees, building houses, and transforming it to a garden and renamed "Feng Gu Xing Wo" or means "Peripatetic Nest of Phoenix Valley". A lot of ancient plants grew in the garden, and there lied a hummock in hind part. 

This garden was named Jichang Garden since the Ming dynasty. Then Qin family invited the famed garden designer Zhang Lian and his nephew Zhang Shi to devotedly plan the reconstruction, rearrange hills and waters and dredge springs and pile rockeries. As a result, the sceneries became even more arresting. The Kangxi and Qianlong emperors each came to South China six times in their lifetime, and Jichang Garden was the sine qua non site to stop by every time. This is the heyday of the garden.

The Kangxi and Qianlong emperors of the prime time of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911 A.D.) each toured the Yangtze Delta six times where Jichang was the sine qua non site to stop by every time. The emperors envied and loved the prosperity of residential life in the Yangtze Delta, so they asked to build their replicas in Beijing and that's why gardens of this style are many in the capital city today.

Actully the gardens in the south China loved by people all over the country. They usually have a pond that is small and peaceful; a winding corridor, composed of over one hundred sections, connects the towers, pavilions, halls, chambers, bridges and terraces along the waterside. These ingeniously interconnected structures form a diverse landscape and become "garden within a garden". The backdrop Huishan Mountain adds color to Jichang Garden, as it is a traditional residential spot embodying a sense of life and settings of the ancient China. 

What to See in Jichang Garden
Jichang Garden not only has an ingenious layout but also a uniquely simple, spacious and peaceful style. Thanks to the simple and serene mountainous atmosphere created with ingenious gardening techniques of rockery and water layout and the superb design of view borrowing, it is regarded as one of representative classical Chinese gardens in the southern China. It was skilled at drawing the spring and replaced the scene with a clever method going its own away in the south of the river. As a villa's garden at the foot of the mountain,the garden gets the benefit from the circumstance to be able to take the sights of Xi and Hui mountains into the garden. And at the same time,it is addition to use embellish the circumstances.It is reflecting the interest of "the garden within the mountain and the mountain within garden approaching to such a sublimate state" as if it made by human being, howerver, it looks as by nature."

The various image reflecting from the pond water make a fancy picture. Owing to the pavilions and bridges are communicated with each other,so scenes of Jaishu Tang,Hanbi Ting and Zhiyu Jian can borrow to exhibit. Inhui Rippling Pool is at the heart area of the Jichang Garden, surrounded by all the beautiful scenic spots of the garden. Reflections of hills and pagodas can be clearly seen in the pool with glistening light of waves. It is a classic example of view-borrowing gardening design. The carved railings of winding pavilion in Bingli Tang and the orange-blue waves fo pond before are typical horticulture's style in the south of the yangtze river. The arrangement red-wood furniture in the front court--"Fenggu Hangwo"facing the gate of Jichang Yuan is to be in a good order

Travel Guide
Admission Fee: CNY 40
      Night Tour: CNY 20 (May--Oct)
Opening Time: 08:00-17:30
      Night Time: 18:00-22:00
Address: No. 2 Huihe Road, Liangxi District, Wuxi 
Time for Visit: 2 hours

Transportation
How to get to Jichang Garden
Bus Routes
Take Bus No. 2, 4, 10, 15, 16, 56, 81, 83, 88, 91, 208, 216, 801 and get off Xihui gongyuan (Xihui Park) or Bashi Jiujia (Bus Hostel).