Canglang Pavillion

During the Grain Rain season, Canglang Pavilion is brimming with greenery. Although I missed the orchid exhibition, I can still enjoy one or two blossoms at the entrance and the main hall. The colorful azaleas add a lot of vitality to the ancient garden, while the wisteria outside the window perfectly blends with the ancient architecture. There are also sweet-scented osmanthus flowers complementing the rockeries, pavilions, and riverside. Despite the cloudy and rainy days, walking in the misty Canglang Pavilion has its own poetic charm!

The beauty of Canglang Pavilion lies not in its grandeur, but in its restraint and elegance. Stepping into the garden, one feels as if they are in a landscape painting. Stone bridges, winding paths, pavilions, and towers, every detail is meticulously designed, and every scene has its unique charm. The fish in the pond swim freely, either in groups or alone, seemingly attracted by the garden's tranquility and harmony. ⛰【Travel Tips】 📍Detailed Address: No. 3 Canglangting Street, Gusu District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province 🚗Transportation Tips: Walk 380 meters from the southeast exit of Sanyuanfang Subway Station No. 2 🕙Opening Hours: April 21st - October 20th 07:30-17:30 October 21st - the following year April 20th 07:30-17:00 (Ticket sales stop at 16:30, last entry at 16:30) 💰Ticket Price: Peak season 20 yuan, off-season 15 yuan. 🌟Highlights: 1. The pavilion stands on the mountain, lofty and spacious, with stone columns and flying eaves, ancient and magnificent. The old trees on the mountain are lush and dripping with greenery. The stone paths and slanting corridors on both sides emerge from among the bamboo, banana trees, and shade, with the curved corridor beside the mountain following the waves, offering places to lean and rest. Ascending to the heart of the pavilion, one can overlook the entire garden, and in the past, one could gaze at the fields and villages of the South Garden, with a view that extends for miles. The ripples outside the garden reflect the mountain pavilion, and the stone carvings on the pavilion pillars are uniquely exquisite, with the stone chessboard inside said to be a relic of the poet Su Shi. 2. Mianshui Xuan, originally called 'Guanyu Chu' (Place for Watching Fish), was renamed 'Mianshui Xuan' after the renovation by Governor Zhang Shusheng in the twelfth year of the Tongzhi era, drawing from the Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu's verse 'All the layered pavilions face the water, the old trees have endured frost' hence the name. This pavilion faces north to the flowing water, with ancient trees in front of the courtyard intermingling. To the left of the pavilion, a winding corridor extends eastward, accessible from both sides, borrowing scenery from inside and outside, welcoming visitors across the water. It is said that there used to be exquisite lake stones along the river, resembling the images of five hundred Arhats. 3. Qingshang Pavilion, also known as 'Osmanthus Pavilion,' was named by Han Shizhong during the early Shaoxing period of the Southern Song Dynasty. It follows the Tang Dynasty poet Li Shangyin's verse 'Do not let the fragrance escape in earnest care, tightly lock the golden fish among the osmanthus bushes,' hence the name. In front of the pavilion, a leaky window in a whitewashed wall forms a courtyard, with several osmanthus trees planted within.

The landscape at this part of Canglang Pavilion, does not require entry into the garden to appreciate the beauty akin to that of the wilds, standing afar, one discovers a small cluster of Wisteria high above Canglang Pavilion, when viewed from a distance, it blends seamlessly with the overall scenery of Canglang Pavilion, truly a sight to be admired from afar. · tips: The Wisteria at Canglang Pavilion can be admired from a distance along the river street · 🏠Address: Canglang Pavilion Street, Gusu District, Suzhou City ⏰Hours: 7:30—17:30 ·

The wisteria flowers at the Canglang Pavilion hide in a corner, unassuming, yet like a lady of a reputable family, quietly within the garden... Through the flower window, it turns out that the wisteria in front of the flower window will stack a Chinese-style buff! · tips: The wisteria is located in the corner of the courtyard behind the Wenmiaoxiang Room. · 🏠Address: Canglang Pavilion Street, Gusu District, Suzhou City ⏰Hours: 7:30—17:30 ·

Canglang Pavilion is the oldest garden in Suzhou, built during the Qingli period of the Northern Song Dynasty. It is listed as one of Suzhou's four major gardens from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, along with the Lion Grove Garden, Humble Administrator's Garden, and Lingering Garden. Its name comes from the former owner Su Shunqin, who built a pavilion in the garden and was inspired by the saying, 'The clear waters of Canglang are fit to wash my tassel; the murky waters of Canglang are fit to wash my feet,' thus naming it Canglang Pavilion and calling himself the Old Man of Canglang, hence the garden's name. 🧡The garden's main scenery is its rockery, with a soil mountain facing the entrance and the Canglang Stone Pavilion situated on top. Below the mountain, a pond is excavated, and a winding covered corridor connects the landscape of mountains and water. The long corridor's walls are inlaid with various types of lattice windows, totaling 108 patterns, including fan-shaped, pomegranate-shaped, autumn leaf-shaped, peach-shaped, and other assorted designs, as well as rare patterns like tortoise shell and cloud dragon motifs. 💛The Mingdao Hall in the southeast part of the rockery is the main building of the garden. There are also other buildings and landscapes such as the Facing Water Pavilion, Five Hundred Sages Shrine, Mountain Viewing Tower, Cui Linglong Pavilion, Yangzhi Pavilion, Yinxin Stone House, and Imperial Stele Pavilion. It is recommended to choose a sunny afternoon to avoid the crowds, wander through Canglang Pavilion, and seek out the mottled light and shadows and the swaying bamboo groves. 📍No. 3 Canglang Pavilion Street, Gusu District, Suzhou City 🎫15 yuan per person, tickets can be purchased one day in advance on the platform 📆7:30-17:00 🕒Visiting time: 0.5 days (If time allows, you can also visit the nearby Keyuan Garden)

Tested and fun, go check it out! Mark it down! Confucian Temple➡️Canglang Pavilion➡️Wangshi Garden➡️Huan Yu Hui➡️Le Village First stop: Confucian Temple Visiting a city, one can start by exploring its cultural pulse and sipping some 'ink'. A must-visit with kids to pay respects to Confucius. Ticket🎫 Free Second stop: Canglang Pavilion Qu Yuan wrote in 'The Fisherman' from 'Chu Ci': 'The clear waters of the Canglang cleanse my tassel; the murky waters of the Canglang cleanse my feet.' The pond at the entrance is worth a group photo. The leaky windows in the garden, and the bamboo are photo-worthy. Ticket🎫 20 Third stop: Wangshi Garden The wisteria flowers have just bloomed. Definitely a hot spot now. Suggested to visit in the late afternoon or evening, when you can see the sunset dyeing the walls golden. Ticket🎫 40 Fourth stop: Huan Yu Hui A must for a check-in photo on Suzhou's famous wall. Grab a bite when you're tired, and have a coffee to rest your feet. Fifth stop: Le Village Suzhou's big-character check-in wall. Next to it, there are snack bars and pubs. At night, you can see poems hanging from the trees. Absolutely beautiful. Suzhou's gardens usually close by 5 pm, no need to rush like a commando. Departing at ten in the morning is fine. Staying near Shiquan Street, you can also enjoy an 'Old Wang's pancake'. tips📝 If you have a budget, it's recommended to rent Hanfu. Wearing traditional clothes and taking photos in the gardens is really worth it!! If you like taking photos, bring several sets of clothes. One set for each garden🉑 Suzhou is suitable for a leisurely stroll, experiencing the Suzhou-style life. Suzhou-style roaming (slow touring) haha sweet.

| Canglang Pavilion (1587). Canglang Pavilion, located in the south of Suzhou city, is the oldest garden in Suzhou, originally built during the Qingli period of the Northern Song Dynasty (1041-1048), and in the early Southern Song Dynasty (early 12th century) it was the residence of the famous general Han Shizhong. The garden art of Canglang Pavilion is unique, with a pool of green water set outside the garden gate before one enters. The main landscape inside the garden is rockery, with a man-made hill facing the entrance, and the Canglang Stone Pavilion is situated on top of it. Below the hill, a water pond is excavated, and a winding covered corridor connects the mountains and waters. Mingdao Hall, located in the southeast part of the rockery, is the main building of the garden, and it is complemented by other structures such as the Five Hundred Sages Shrine, Kanshan Tower, Cuilinglong Pavilion, Yangzhi Pavilion, and the Imperial Stele Pavilion. Canglang Pavilion, along with Lion Grove Garden, Humble Administrator's Garden, and Lingering Garden, is listed as one of Suzhou's four major gardens from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. In addition to the Canglang Pavilion itself, the garden also features the Yinxin Stone House, Mingdao Hall, Kanshan Tower, and other buildings and landscapes. In 2000, as part of the 'Suzhou Classical Gardens Supplementary Project' to the 'World Cultural Heritage', it was inscribed on the 'World Heritage List' by UNESCO, and in 2006, it was listed as the sixth batch of national key cultural relics protection units by the State Council.

The Canglang Pavilion is the oldest garden in Suzhou, built during the Qingli period of the Northern Song Dynasty (1041-1048). Unlike other gardens where water is within the garden, this one is a garden within water, requiring crossing a stone bridge to enter. 👌🏻Tour Route Main Gate (facing north)—Yubei Pavilion—Qingxiang Pavilion—Five Hundred Sages Shrine—Cuilinglong—Kanshan Tower—Yaohua Boundary—Mingdao Hall—Canglang Pavilion—Mianshui Pavilion—Exit (same as entrance) to visit Keyuan across the street. ❶Cuilinglong: The 'elegant bamboo' and 'secluded orchids' of the Canglang Pavilion are very famous. This is a building themed around bamboo, named for the idea 'Autumn hues enter the forest, dimming the red; sunlight pierces through the bamboo, creating a delicate and clear effect.' Here, thousands of bamboo stalks sway in the air, forming a forest of bamboo. With the white walls and bamboo shadows, the green drips evenly and is a place for elegant wandering and quiet contemplation. There are more than 20 varieties of bamboo in the garden. ❷Kanshan Tower: Named for the phrase 'Guests return to seek wine, silently lying down to gaze at the mountains,' it was once possible to see the Qizi and Lingyan mountains and Tianping from here. Now it is surrounded by tall buildings, but one can still see into the distance from a height. ❸Canglang Pavilion: The couplet 'The breeze and the moon are priceless, the nearby water and distant mountains all have affection' perfectly captures the essence of the Canglang Pavilion. The pavilion stands on a mountain ridge, with stone pillars and flying eaves, ancient and magnificent. The old trees on the mountain are lush and dripping with green. ❹Mingdao Hall: The main hall of the garden, formerly used for lectures, is named for the idea 'Observing and listening without malice, thus the path becomes clear.' The main structure of the hall is made of brick and wood, open on all sides, grand and solemn. The most noteworthy aspect of this garden is its landscaping techniques. ✔Covered Corridor: The corridor surrounds the garden, with water on three sides, historically known as Fengxi. The covered corridor organically connects the landscapes inside and outside the garden, creating an effect where the mountains and water borrow scenery from each other. It also compensates for the lack of water in the garden, expands the visual space for visitors, enriches the content of the scenery, and forms a unique open layout. The covered corridor of Canglang Pavilion is also known as one of the three famous corridors of classical gardens in Suzhou. ✔Leak Windows: There are 108 kinds of various leak windows in the garden, each with a different shape. Most are square or polygonal, but there are also shapes like vases, pomegranates, ruyi, and more. Their main purpose is to create an effect of 'a different view with each step,' 'changing scenery with every move.' Through the leak windows, the scenery seems separated yet not, hidden yet visible. ✔Borrowed Scenery: The scenery outside the Canglang Pavilion arises from the water, with the garden gate opening to the north, a stone bridge in front, and a pool of water stretching from west to east. The layout inside the garden is centered around a mountain, with yellow rocks at the entrance and ancient trees planted on the artificial mountain. Most buildings are arranged around the mountain and connected by long corridors. The pavilions built by the pond are connected by the corridor, and the more than 100 different patterned leak windows on the corridor allow for viewing on both sides, naturally blending the water outside the garden with the mountains inside. It is a model of borrowed scenery. 📍Address: 768 Renmin Road, Gusu District, Suzhou 🎫 Ticket Price: 15 yuan per person ⏰Opening Hours: 7:30 - 17:00 🚘Self-driving: Navigate to Suzhou Canglang Pavilion 🚇Subway: Take Suzhou Metro Line 4 or 5 to Nanmen Station, Exit 3, and walk about 800m.

Canglang Pavilion is a World Cultural Heritage site, located at No. 3 Canglang Pavilion Street, Sanyuanfang, south of Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province. It is a classical Chinese garden architecture of the Han nationality that was first built during the Qingli period of the Northern Song Dynasty. Originally a private garden of the literati Su Shunqin, it covers an area of 1.08 hectares and is the most ancient garden among the existing gardens in Suzhou. After Su Shunqin acquired the garden, he built the Canglang Pavilion by the water in 1045 and wrote 'Record of the Canglang Pavilion,' which made the garden's name well-known. In the early years of the Southern Song Dynasty's Shaoxing period, the Canglang Pavilion was acquired by Han Shizhong, a famous general who resisted the Jin Dynasty, and was renamed 'Han Garden.' In the tenth year of the Xianfeng era (1860), the Canglang Pavilion was destroyed in a military fire. After the fire, Zhang Shusheng rebuilt the Canglang Pavilion with the help of Wu You. Located within Sanyuanfang in the south of Suzhou City, it is the oldest famous garden in Suzhou, built by the Song Dynasty poet Su Zimei. The art of garden-making at Canglang Pavilion is extraordinary. Before entering the garden, there is already a green water encircling and willows swaying in the wind. Leaning on the railing by the bank, the rugged rocks and winding covered corridors integrate the inside and outside of the garden through the windows. The garden is dominated by a mountain with ancient trees reaching the sky, and the famous Canglang Pavilion is hidden on the top of the mountain. The Mingdao Hall to the south is the largest building in the garden, with three Song Dynasty stone inscriptions hanging on the wall, which are the Astronomical Chart, Song Territory Map, and Song Pingjiang Map (Suzhou City Map); the Five Hundred Sages Shrine has more than five hundred stone reliefs of figures related to the history of Suzhou embedded within. In the southwest of the garden, there is an artificial mountain cave named Yinxin Stone House; on the mountain, there is a small building called Kanshan Tower, from which one can enjoy the scenery of Suzhou from afar.

I used to think that the life of an ancient lady must have been quite boring, unable to go out and play all day, nor watch TV, and without the ability to use mobile phones or play games. Where did their pleasure come from, could it just be from looking at flowers? It is indeed from looking at flowers and plants, this kind of ultimate romance. The enjoyment of the ancients is something we can't fully comprehend. Pushing open the door, there is a plum tree in full bloom; the garden has flowers in all four seasons. Camellias also have the 'Eighteen Scholars,' and plum blossoms are even more elegantly beautiful. The pink plum of the Canglang Pavilion, you can see it as soon as you open the door. It's simply too beautiful; previously it was the winter plum, and now it's this one. If I were an ancient person, I wouldn't want to go out either. I would just stroll and walk around in the courtyard, and that would be enough. This light and shadow, every blade of grass and tree, is a beautiful scene. The gentle breeze and the bright moon are priceless, and the proximity to water and the distance of mountains are all filled with affection. Gracefully standing by the shore of Taihu Lake, calmly gazing at the Dongting Mountain, where fish and dragons hide, and the mist deeply locks the vast expanse in between. Looking at such beautiful scenery, how can one not compose a line of poetry or verse?

Jade plum trees quietly bloom, with endless subtle fragrance rolling in. Auspicious snow flutters and dances in the southern garden, as a pot of aged wine intoxicates the terrace. Photos were taken in early January at Canglang Pavilion, a very niche garden in Suzhou, where the wintersweet flowers bloom, filling the garden with a floating, hidden fragrance, anticipating the arrival of spring. - 📍Canglang Pavilion (7:00-17:30) 🎫Peak season 20 yuan/person, off-season 15 yuan/person, garden pass accepted. - Canglang Pavilion is the oldest garden in Suzhou, originally built during the Qingli era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1041-1048 AD), and in the early Southern Song Dynasty (early 12th century AD), it was the residence of the famous general Han Shizhong. The garden art of Canglang Pavilion is unique; before entering the garden, a pool of green water is set to encircle the outside. The main scenery inside the garden is rocky mountains, with a soil mountain facing the entrance, on which the Canglang Stone Pavilion is situated. Below the mountain, a water pond is excavated, and a winding covered corridor connects the mountains and waters. The Mingdao Hall in the southeast part of the rockery is the main building of the garden, which is complemented by other structures such as the Five Hundred Sages Shrine, Kanshan Tower, Cuilinglong Pavilion, Yangzhi Pavilion, and the Imperial Stele Pavilion. Canglang Pavilion, along with Lion Grove Garden, Humble Administrator's Garden, and Lingering Garden, is listed as one of the four great gardens of the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties in Suzhou. In addition to the Canglang Pavilion itself, there are other buildings and landscapes such as the Yinxin Stone House, Mingdao Hall, and Kanshan Tower.

Scenery not to be missed at Canglang Pavilion The surrounding cloister It connects the inner and outer landscapes with water outside and mountains inside, offering a broad view, which is very unique. 2108 styles of lattice windows There are so many lattice window designs, including flowers, animals, geometric shapes, seasonal themes, etc., which make one admire the ancient aesthetics. The bamboo grove inside the Canglang Pavilion covers a large area and includes various species such as golden bamboo, purple bamboo, and Arhat bamboo. It's really beautiful when it's lit up! It's also my favorite part. Canglang Pavilion and its rockery Named after the pavilion, the rockery is right in front of the entrance. The pavilion stands on the rockery, surrounded by green plants, exuding a leisurely and elegant charm. - About Canglang Pavilion The oldest garden in Suzhou, dating back to the Northern Song Dynasty Together with the Lion Grove Garden, Humble Administrator's Garden, and Lingering Garden, it is known as one of the four great gardens of Suzhou from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties Although it has changed owners and been damaged, the rockery and the surroundings have mostly maintained their original appearance~ 💰Ticket price: 15 Opening hours: 07:30-17:00 Little tips: Recently, the beauty tea and wintersweet are blooming at the same time, and you can also enjoy the camellias on the rockery