![Jichang Royal Garden](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Jichang_Royal_Garden.jpg)
Jichang Garden () is located inside Xihui Park, east side of Huishan, east side of western suburban of
Wuxi
Wuxi (, ) is a city in southern Jiangsu province, eastern China, by car to the northwest of downtown Shanghai, between Changzhou and Suzhou. In 2017 it had a population of 3,542,319, with 6,553,000 living in the entire prefecture-level city ar ...
,
Jiangsu
Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, Postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an Eastern China, eastern coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China. It is o ...
Province,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
. It is close to Huishan Temple. 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 on 13 January 1988. Xiequ Garden ()
inside the
Summer Palace
The Summer Palace () is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing. It was an imperial garden in the Qing dynasty. Inside includes Longevity Hill () Kunming Lake and Seventeen Hole Bridge. It covers an expanse of , three-quarter ...
and Guo Ran Da Gong () (or, Double-Crane House 双鹤斋) in
Yuanming Yuan in
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
both imitated Jichang Garden.
History
Jichang Yuan is also called "Qin Yuan" (秦园). The site used to be two monasteries, called "Nan Yin" (南隐) and "Ou Yu" (沤寓). During the
Zhengde era (1506–1521) of the
Ming dynasty
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
, former director of Nanjing military department, Qin Jin (秦金), purchased monastery "Ou Yu" of Huishan Temple. Qin was a metropolitan graduate in 1493 and also the descendant of
Qin Guan
Qin Guan (; 1049 – c. 1100) was a Chinese poet of the Song Dynasty. His courtesy name was Shaoyou (). Taixu was also his courtesy name. His pseudonym was Huaihai Jushi () and Hangou Jushi (). He was honored as one of the "Four Scholars of Sumen ...
, a famous lyricist in the
Northern Song dynasty
Northern may refer to the following:
Geography
* North, a point in direction
* Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe
* Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States
* Northern Province, Sri Lanka
* Northern Range, a ra ...
. He expanded it on the basis of old monastery, upraising hills, excavating ponds, planting flowers and trees, building houses, and transforming it to a garden. He named it "Feng Gu Xing Wo" (凤谷行窝), or literally, "Peripatetic Nest of Phoenix Valley". A lot of ancient plants grew in the garden, and there lied a hummock in hind part. This hummock was uplifted in 1445 by the governor of Jiangnan, Zhou Cheng (周忱), in order to alter the geomancy of Huishan Temple. As the garden was founded, Qin Jin wrote a poem "Move to reside in the famed mountain at late age, build an eccentric nest for myself. Winding creeks run around lonesome stones, colossal pine trees foster greenish vines. Gliding birds were seen on the hilltop, few passengers were spotted in the secluded lane. Have a dream in melodious sounds of springs, what a fortune to listen to the fairy jingle." (名山投老住,卜筑有行窝。曲涧盘幽石,长松育碧萝。峰高看鸟渡,径僻少人过。清梦泉声里,何缘听玉珂。)
After the death of Qin Jin, the garden was inherited by his family nephew Qin Han and his son, the treasurer of Jiangxi, Qin Liang. In the summer of 1560, Qin Han himself built another garden at the hillside of Huishan, also called "Feng Gu Shan Zhuang" (凤谷山庄), or "Villa of Phoenix Valley".
After the death of Qin Liang, the garden was owned by his nephew, right vice director of court of censors and governor of Huguang, Qin Yao. Qin Yao was a member of Donglin party. In 1591, Qin Yao was deprived of positions because his master,
Zhang Juzheng
Zhang Juzheng (; 26 May 1525 – 9 July 1582), courtesy name Shuda (), pseudonym Taiyue (), was a Chinese politician who served as Senior Grand Secretary () in the late Ming dynasty during the reigns of the Longqing and Wanli emperors. He rep ...
was indicted. He returned to
Wuxi
Wuxi (, ) is a city in southern Jiangsu province, eastern China, by car to the northwest of downtown Shanghai, between Changzhou and Suzhou. In 2017 it had a population of 3,542,319, with 6,553,000 living in the entire prefecture-level city ar ...
in a gloomy mood thus resorted to the picturesque garden to buoy himself up. He borrowed a verse from
Wang Xizhi
Wang Xizhi (; ; 303 AD361 AD) was a Chinese calligrapher, politician, general and writer during the Jin Dynasty (266–420), Jin dynasty. He was best known for his mastery of Chinese calligraphy. Wang is sometimes regarded as the greatest Chinese ...
, "Resort to the supremacy of mountains and waters to attain the pleasure." (), and changed the name to Jichang Yuan (). In the
Wanli era of the Ming dynasty, there are 20 noted scenic spots in the garden, and Qin Yao bestowed poems on each of them.
Towards the end of the
Shunzhi era and beginning of the
Kangxi era
The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 1654– 20 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, born Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1661 to 1 ...
of the
Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
, Qin Yao's great grandson Qin Dezao () renovated the garden. He 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
The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, born Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1735 t ...
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. In the early
Yongzheng era
, regnal name =
, posthumous name = Emperor Jingtian Changyun Jianzhong Biaozhen Wenwu Yingming Kuanren Xinyi Ruisheng Daxiao Zhicheng Xian()Manchu: Temgetulehe hūwangdi ()
, temple name = Shizong()Manchu: Šidzung ()
, house = Aisin Gioro
...
during the intermitted period, however, Qin Dezao's first grandson, Qin Daoran, was implicated into the conflicts of authorities and imprisoned. Consequently, the garden was confiscated and its southwestern corner area was excised to build women's chastity shrine () of Wuxi County. In 1736, Qin Daoran's 3rd son, Qin Huitian won a third place in the
imperial examination
The imperial examination (; lit. "subject recommendation") refers to a civil-service examination system in Imperial China, administered for the purpose of selecting candidates for the state bureaucracy. The concept of choosing bureaucrats by ...
, and was recruited to the South Study Room () of the emperor. The next year, he made an appeal for his father, and Daoran was released and the garden returned. The richest descendant in Qin's family, Qin Dezao's grandson, offspring of his second wife, Qin Ruixi donated 3,000 silver taels. The aged garden was renovated according to the original plan, and the donor's commitment was applauded.
In 1746, the family gathered and concluded that "rather being maintained primarily for leisure, the garden should erect a family shrine in order for it to last for ever." (惟是园亭究属游观之地,必须建立家祠,始可永垂不朽). Therefore, the "Jiashu Hall" (嘉树堂) in the garden was converted to "Double Filial Affection Shrine" (双孝祠), and Jichang Garden became the property of family shrine, thus also called "Filial Garden" (孝园). In 1751, the Qianlong Emperor visited South China for the first time, and designated Jichang Garden as a resting site. He was very impressed by the beauty of the garden, and brought a painting of it back to Beijing. He ordered to build a "Huishan Garden" on northeast side of
Longevity Hill
The Summer Palace () is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing. It was an imperial garden in the Qing dynasty. Inside includes Longevity Hill () Kunming Lake and Seventeen Hole Bridge. It covers an expanse of , three-quarter ...
in the
Summer Palace
The Summer Palace () is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing. It was an imperial garden in the Qing dynasty. Inside includes Longevity Hill () Kunming Lake and Seventeen Hole Bridge. It covers an expanse of , three-quarter ...
, which is now known as the "Xiequ Yuan". During the
Xianfeng and
Tongzhi eras of the Qing dynasty, most buildings in the garden were ruined in the war, and it was renovated to very little extent later. In 1952, the descendants of Qin's family donated this private garden to the government, and it was protectively refurbished since then. The original chastity shrine was incorporated back into the garden and now became a group of small pavilions called "Bingli Hall" (秉礼堂). Other buildings, such as "Jiu Long Tu Shi", "Jiashu Tang", "Mei Pavilion", and "Ling Fan House", were also rebuilt.
See also
*
Gardens in Jiangsu Province
*
List of Chinese gardens
This is a list of Chinese-style gardens both within China and elsewhere in the world.
Greater China
This list is organized by region within the Greater China region, roughly following the structure laid out by Maggie Keswick in ''The Chinese Gar ...
References
{{reflist
External links
Arts.cultural-china.com: Jichang Garden — ''with images''.
Gardens in Jiangsu
Tourist attractions in Wuxi
Ming dynasty architecture
Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Jiangsu