Wang's Little Garden

"Wang's Little Garden" is located at No. 14 Dongquanmen Historical District, Yangzhou City. It was built by the salt merchant Wang Boping. It is one of the most completely preserved large-scale salt merchant residences from the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China in Yangzhou, with a regular layout, exquisite decoration and carving, delicate and intricate courtyards, and rich cultural heritage. Since the owner's surname is Wang, the residence is the main focus, with the garden playing a supporting role. The garden is not large, hence it is also known as Wang's Little Garden. There are nearly a hundred old houses here, with the residential buildings distributed in a nine-palace grid, presenting a unique pattern of one house with four courtyards. The front, middle, and rear axes run through, with symmetrical wings on the left and right. The houses have three sections and three clusters, and there is a narrow, long brick and stone fire alley running north to south, which was used for fire and theft prevention. As time passes, the scenery changes, and today's Wang's Little Courtyard has long since changed. The laughter and joy that once filled this place have vanished with the wind. Wang's ancestors were originally from Jingde, Anhui, and were engaged in the ancestral business of manufacturing and selling fur goods. During the Jiaqing era, they were quite prestigious in the Jingde area. During the Xiantong rebellion, the Wang family's properties were destroyed by fire. The Wang ancestors came to Yangzhou to invest in the salt business, and by the second generation, Wang Zhuming, they had achieved great success in the salt industry.

Wang's Xiaoyuan in Yangzhou, Jiangsu | A large salt merchant residence from the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China

Wang's Xiaoyuan is a national cultural heritage site, built by the late Qing salt merchant Wang Boping. It is one of the most completely preserved large salt merchant residences from the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China in Yangzhou. The most recent major renovation of the garden took place in 2017. Yangzhou has long been a land of wealth, and with the advantages of the canal, merchants gathered here, leaving behind many famous residences. The scale of the family courtyard is not small, and what is rare is that the overall layout and functions are relatively complete, providing an intuitive display of the lifestyle of salt merchants at that time. The carvings in the courtyard are also worth appreciating, with the 'three carvings' (stone, brick, and wood) being particularly fine. The garden within the courtyard is also a highlight. The small garden has a lot of sophistication, with a well-organized layout of various elements, and crossing the partition brings a feeling of sudden openness. 📍Address: No. 14 Dongquanmen Dianguandi, Yangzhou 🕐Opening Hours: Summer 7:15-18:00, Winter 7:15-17:15 🎫Ticket Price: 35 RMB per person 🚗Transportation: Take bus routes 18, 26, 32, 86, 88, 89, or 99 and get off at 'Qionghua Guan'.

Wang's Xiaoyuan is really not too small. It is much larger than a garden. It is not far from Dongguan Street. It is a walking distance. But it is much cleaner than a garden. It is a large house of salt merchants in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. The owner used to be an Huizhou merchant, so you can see the architectural style of the combination of the Huizhou three carvings and the Jiangnan Garden. There is a hundred-year-old Qionghua tree in the middle of the garden. Qionghua is the city flower of Yangzhou. The fireworks are in Yangzhou in March. The best flower viewing time is in March and April. Xiaoyuan has stop and go, there are beautiful wood carving moments everywhere, and there are many ingenious ideas of Chinese and Western combination. The garden is set in one, and the bathroom is boldly placed in the courtyard. The owner is an interesting person.