First Exploration of Jiangsu Garden Expo Park – Suyun Huigu (1)

Getting around: by car

Time: June 2021

Attraction: Jiangsu Garden Expo Park

Address: near the intersection of Husheng Road and Hufa Road, Jiangning District, Nanjing

Route: West Gate (Xipingmen) – Yangzhou Garden – Suzhou Garden – Zhenjiang Garden – Nanjing Garden – Suqian Garden – Xuzhou Garden – Taizhou Garden – Huai'an Garden – Xipingmen

My first visit to the garden expo was cut short by the heat, so this time I planned to arrive around 4 p.m. – late enough to avoid the scorching sun and maybe catch the evening lights. I took half a day off to bring my parents along. As luck would have it, a moderate rain fell at noon and tapered off after three, cooling the June heat to a perfectly comfortable temperature for elderly outings. Today’s target was the garden cluster inside the park: Suyun Huigu. Both parents are in their seventies, so admission was free. We again entered through Xipingmen.

After ticket check, a large plaza unfolds. From here, you can look up and see the quarry cliffs blended with water and greenery – a grand landscape design.

A lift took us to the hilltop, where a wide scenic road follows the natural contour of the mountain. Existing old buildings and native vegetation were preserved, creating a meandering mountain silhouette with irregular edges.

Pines on stone walls and bamboo clusters seem to speak a quiet language.

Well-tended terraced gardens and the hilltop Indigo Hotel grace the slopes.

We reached the main east–west avenue of the park and turned east.

A garden vignette starring four-season begonias

Rain-freshened, dewy begonias

I had left in a rush and forgotten my park map. This claw-shaped junction left me a bit disoriented.

I asked a staff member and chose the path paved with stone slabs, which led through a grove ahead – straight to Suyun Huigu.

The paving gave a slight springy feel underfoot. Lush greenery on both sides was a treat for the eyes.

The path curved gracefully, with flowers and plants arranged in artful compositions that formed one little scene after another.

This cute, fuzzy, chartreuse groundcover is called sedum.

We emerged into a vast, open square enclosed by hills. Pavilions and towers rising and falling at different heights left me directionless again.

1. Yangzhou Garden: Nine Peaks in Mist

Without a map, I was like a headless fly – the moment I spotted a gate, I rushed over. Thankfully, it was the right one: Yangzhou Garden, one of the thirteen city gardens.

Stumbling upon Yangzhou Garden first somehow felt like fate! Yangzhou’s gardens blend the styles of northern and southern Chinese gardens into something uniquely their own. A few years back, work took me to Yangzhou for over a month, and I wandered every nook and cranny – I hold a deep affection for its gardens.

Yangzhou Garden takes inspiration from the lost Jiufeng Garden (Nine Peaks Garden) of Yangzhou.

Based on historical records and images, the garden recreates the rockery features and architectural essence of Jiu Feng Garden.

The original Jiufeng Garden once earned a name and poems from Emperor Qianlong. The recreated version here restores its distinctive rock formations, highlighting the Yangzhou tradition of excelling at rockery arrangements.

The winding corridors act as both dividers and connectors.

Every structure in Yangzhou Garden is exquisitely designed, like fine works of art. Mountains, water, flowers, grass, and trees are arranged with subtle artistry, their colors complementing each other perfectly. Rockeries and architectural carvings display remarkable craftsmanship.

Pavilions, terraces, and towers are scattered in beautiful disorder; white walls and grey tiles set each other off, composing one lovely ink-wash painting after another.

Looking through a window, I realized the “Study Hall” is actually a restaurant.

Beyond its architecture, Yangzhou Garden is also noted for its flower-and-tree landscaping. Planted scenery interweaves with built scenery – you’re in a world within each flower, a vista around every corner, delicate and enchanting.

Deep inside the garden, I was surprised to find a Yechun Tea House. For a moment, it felt like being transported to Yangzhou in springtime. Here you can enjoy the views, sample Yangzhou snacks, and savor leisurely bliss.

After a full tour of Yangzhou Garden and a taste of Jiu Feng’s rockery art, we left content to seek out the next discovery.

Exiting Yangzhou Garden, we returned to the open square with its stone-and-water feature.

The ore rocks are still those rocks, but combined with water and plantings, they take on a different charm.

Grey and brown stone exudes rugged grandeur, while the sparkling water and soft green create a balance of strength and gentleness.

The bamboo grove here is also designed differently from elsewhere.

This cluster of buildings is clearly a resort hotel.

Finally, a signpost! It felt like hope, and we hurried in the direction of Suzhou Garden.

2. Suzhou Garden: Canglang Pavilion and Water’s Edge

Cross a small bridge and you’re in Suzhou Garden.

Both gardens, but the flavor of Suzhou Garden differs from Yangzhou’s. Right inside, the ground is paved with patterned pebble bricks, with rockeries piled from stone. The rocks aren’t high, simple and natural. Vegetation is dotted among the stacks, forming an intricate, rustic charm.

Stone openings create natural windows, framing views that turn the garden into a series of living paintings.

The rocks pile up in layers, and the path weaves through the rockery garden.

Passing through the stones, we headed south toward the signposted Jinli Lake.

By the lake, Canglang Pavilion stands over the water’s edge, reachable only via a connecting bridge.

This is the Suzhou garden’s replica of the real Canglang Pavilion.

Perched on a small hillock, Canglang Pavilion is a stone structure, small and exquisite.

From the pavilion, you gaze out at green water encircling the mountain cliffs. Suzhou Garden has mountains to the north, faces the lake to the east, and across the water to the south rises a high terrace.

Here, the terrain opens wide, facing steep cliffs and a pool of jade-green water. The halls in the distance each assume their own posture, as if waiting for elegant scholars and fair ladies.

Shift your angle: on one side, towering hilltop pavilions; on the other, a waterside corridor leading to a pavilion at its end. The picture rises and falls with the natural terrain.

Winter scenery vs. the summer view above – which season do you prefer?

Zoom in, and the shapes of the towers and pavilions become crisper.

Suzhou Garden’s doubling corridor rises and twists alongside the water, and within a relatively short length, it creates two different architectural forms – a sign of the designer’s thoughtful craft.

Standing on Canglang Pavilion, we circled it, eager to capture its beauty from every angle.

Leaving the pavilion, we turned right to walk under the covered gallery and headed toward the towers on the ridge that were beckoning us.

From this angle, looking back at Canglang Pavilion, with the cliff, misty lake, and the “asking the water at Canglang” mood, it all came alive.

Amid hills and water gardens are scattered rockeries, clear springs, and half-pavilions. The rockery meanders along the enclosure wall, giving a feeling of an endless mountain range.

Covered walkways are a hallmark of Suzhou gardens.

Every few meters, there’s a latticed window.

The windows unite the views inside and out – looking through them offers yet another kind of scenery.

Suzhou Garden’s pavilions and towers come in a thousand postures.

You can stroll the corridors, gaze from towers, wander the paths, or thread through the hills... Suzhou Garden is like an ink-wash scroll – softly colored, delicately detailed, and endlessly evocative.

Looking up from inside the garden, without a map, I couldn’t tell which city’s garden those lofty grand buildings belonged to. Keeping a bit of mystery on the journey is part of the fun. I was curious, itching to get closer and see.

But you still have to go step by step.

The pebble-paved paths alone reveal the refinement of Suzhou Garden.

Every viewpoint, every pause, the foreground, midground, and background are masterfully composed.

We exited Suzhou Garden via Pingjiang Residence and headed for the high terrace.

Looking straight up, the structures seemed even taller. The flying eaves and upturned corners of the towers were dynamic and spirited.

High stone retaining walls formed a spectacular fortress-like enclosure.

3. Zhenjiang Garden: Wuguan Triumphs

On the hilltop, a spacious platform opens up, with a garden vignette at its center. Around it, various pavilions and towers are laid out in artful disorder.

Some pavilions stand alone.

Some stand side by side, connected by an arched bridge: the twin towers. West of Duojing Tower, a rainbow-like bridge spans across, linking to the towers of Nanjing Garden. From this angle, the bridge also resembles a mountain gate.

There are also rows of houses in typical Jiangnan architectural style.

This two-story tower with painted beams and flying eaves – check its plaque: Duojing Tower. So this is Zhenjiang Garden. The real Duojing Tower in Zhenjiang sits behind Ganlu Temple on Beigu Hill; it was one of the “Three Great Towers of the Yangtze” in ancient times, alongside Yueyang Tower by Dongting Lake and Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan. Built in the Tang Dynasty, its name comes from a line by chancellor Li Deyu: “multiple vistas open through the windowed balustrade.” The two-story tower has open corridors on all sides – every direction a view. Here in the garden, a replica of Duojing Tower lets us glimpse its form without traveling to Zhenjiang.

Inside Duojing Tower there’s an exhibition of Zhenjiang vinegar. A single tower conveys both the history and the specialty of Zhenjiang.

A dignified, square courtyard

Dusk was falling, and the warm glow of the early lanterns brought a cozy feeling.

Stepping inside, the circular doorway framed a landscape within a square.

The pavilions surround a courtyard where a pond and rockery create a classic Jiangnan vignette.

At one side of the platform, a small pavilion slightly higher than the rest is Linjiang Pavilion. An unassuming flight of steps lifts our sightline even higher, letting us see farther.

In fact, the whole hilltop is a huge viewing platform. Gazing down at Suzhou Garden, which we had just wandered, I could see it with fresh eyes: different shapes of halls, pavilions, and towers linked by corridors that curve gracefully around ponds and rockeries, embracing them. Suzhou Garden’s corridor-ringed waters and trailing vines create an ancient, serene, mountain-wild beauty.

The same scene in winter

From this high vantage, overlooking the various garden landscapes below

Looking down from on high, the Jiangnan cluster of Suyun Huigu is scattered among forested hills and green waters. Connected by streams, each city’s exhibit garden follows the terrain, their towers and halls rising at different levels.

That view was the very Suzhou Garden we had just been in. Nestled against hills and waters, it recreated the breathtaking grandeur of Canglang Pavilion.

The softness of Jinli Lake’s waters and the weather-beaten cliffs create a dramatic contrast. Beyond, distant hills roll away. Where does the aerial rail line lead? Both foreground and background, left and right, express the depth, distance, and loftiness of a landscape painting. Zhenjiang Garden doesn’t have many pavilions, but its elevation and position offer superb views and extraordinary scenery. I was puzzled why Zhenjiang Garden would occupy such a prime spot. After leaving, on the road we saw a minibus waiting for staff. The driver was enthusiastic, telling us how to tour the park, and I asked him my question. He replied, “Nanjing-Zhenjiang cultural ties – Nanjing and Zhenjiang are like one family.” But that didn’t entirely settle my curiosity. Following his advice, we next visited Nanjing Garden. And after I toured it, I found my answer.

4. Nanjing Garden: Seeking Fragrance in Hualin

One end of the rainbow bridge is Duojing Tower in Zhenjiang Garden.

The other end is Huatu Que on the eastern side of Nanjing Garden. Huatu Que has covered corridors on both sides. Northwest of it stands the tallest structure in the entire park, Jingyang Tower – creating a scene of interwoven towers and enveloping buildings.

The solid wooden gate of the courtyard has a rich texture. Once inside, it felt like stepping back through history into the grandeur of the ancient Six Dynasties capital. The three-story Jingyang Tower comes into view. Nanjing Garden is based on the long-lost Jiankang Hualin Garden, recreating the golden age of the imperial gardens of the Six Dynasties. Records say that Jiankang Hualin Garden’s predecessor was the palace garden of the Wu Kingdom. Hualin Garden lasted more than 300 years, accompanying the entire Six Dynasties era – truly the number one imperial garden of that period. Now, this famous tower, buried in history for over 1,400 years, has been resurrected at Jiangsu Garden Expo Park, stirring deep emotions.

Jingyang Tower, the tallest building in Nanjing Garden, extensively uses natural teak wood. The plaque “Seeking Fragrance in Hualin” was written by Sun Xiaoyun, chairwoman of the China Calligraphers Association. The tower embodies the architectural style of the Six Dynasties, with carved beams and painted rafters. I badly wanted to climb up for a higher, wider view, but a staff member stopped me. They also said the people walking around on the upper floors were fire safety inspectors – staff here work diligently, still on duty well past six o’clock.

In front of Jingyang Tower lies Tianyuan Pond, with fine trees beside it, simple, ancient, and elegant – together recreating the splendor of the Six Dynasties imperial garden.

Centered on Jingyang Tower and Tianyuan Pond, with forested hills and beautiful trees as the backdrop, the rustic, airy buildings bring to life the graceful, carefree Six Dynasties culture.

Lianyu Pavilion is an architecturally complex tower rich in artistry, displaying Nanjing’s intangible cultural heritage, the exquisite velvet flower, in a wide array of delicate, lifelike forms.

From here in Nanjing Garden, you can see the twin towers and long corridor against the mountain rim.

On the southern side of Nanjing Garden, by the mountain slope, lie Xuzhou Garden and Suqian Garden, representing the culture of Xuzhou and Han.

5. Suqian Garden: Singing on Pine Terrace

On the western ridge of Xuzhou Garden perches Suqian Garden.

A short climb up the mountain path brings you into Suqian Garden.

The garden’s theme is the “wine capital” culture, representing Suqian.

It has the natural, rustic style of a northern Jiangsu garden. It uses the elevation difference to mound up the earth into a hill; the buildings and courtyards are well arranged, forming a compound where “the wine intoxicates even without drinking.”

Plain grey brick walls, rigorously symmetrical structure, with flying eaves winging up from the gable roofs on both sides, as if ready to lift the whole house into flight.

6. Xuzhou Garden: Seeking Jade on Lion Mountain

Xuzhou Garden sits high on the hillside, backdropped by the southern cliff of the exhibition area – quite imposing.

The entire garden draws inspiration from the large Han-dynasty quarry site at Yunlong Mountain in Xuzhou. On the hillside, it uses quarry culture as its theme, combining stone courtyards, water courtyards, and corridor courtyards to merge the power and boldness of Han art with the simplicity and romance of early Chinese gardens, creating a profound, ancient, and majestic Xuzhou garden.

Walking through it, each step reveals a different view, as if traveling through a thousand-year corridor of history.

Xuzhou Garden represents Xuzhou-Han culture. Dressed in Hanfu, you might feel the chivalrous spirit of wandering through a desert palace.

Xuzhou Garden is distinctly different from the Jiangnan gardens we previously visited – it’s simpler and grander, and with the mountain as companion, even more commanding.

Leaving Xuzhou Garden, we descended the hill, taking in the scenery all the way. Every step a new view, each view different.

The Garden Expo Park is laid out along the mountain terrain. The city exhibition gardens in Suyun Huigu are artfully staggered, each with its own distinctive charm.

To be continued. Feeling a bit tired, I’ll break the journey here. More garden vistas to share next time.