Suzhou Tourism - Delicate and Quiet Yipu

For hundreds of years, Yipu, hidden in the deep alleys and shabby houses of the ancient city of Suzhou, has been listed on the 'World Heritage List' by UNESCO, but it is still somewhat deserted. Yipu was originally the Zuiying Hall built by Yuan Zugeng in the Ming Dynasty. The second owner, Wen Zhenmeng, slightly repaired the already ruined Yipu and renamed it 'Yaopu'. In the 17th year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty, the garden belonged to Jiang Cai, a scholar of Chongzhen, and was later called 'Zhipu', which means the same as 'Yaopu'. Later, Yipu changed its owner several times. In the early Republic of China, it was a private house. It began to be repaired in the late 1970s. Although it was repeatedly repaired in modern times, it still retains the style, layout and gardening techniques of the Ming Dynasty gardens. The garden is delicate and quiet, and can be described as a masterpiece of Ming Dynasty gardens. The entrance to Yipu is a winding, narrow alley. Old vines and green maples are planted against the wall, and stone bamboo and green bamboo stand in the corner. Following this alley like an ink painting, slowly entering the garden, the courtyard is deep, and the first thing you see is the water that occupies one-fifth of the area. The garden is not big, and you can see the whole garden from the edge of the pool. The method of seeing water at the entrance is a unique case in Suzhou gardens. The overall layout of Yipu is 'south mountain and north water, half mountain and half water'. The layout of the whole garden is simple and open, the style is natural and simple, without complicated stacking and artificiality. From the layout of mountains and waters, the opening of pavilions to the detailed treatment of every flower and tree, it exudes the style characteristics of ancient elegance. The main building in the garden is Boya Hall, also known as Nianzu Hall, with a width of five rooms, a hard mountain structure, and the wooden structure is a relic of the Ming Dynasty. The South Courtyard has a rockery flower bed and plants flowers and trees. The garden is full of scenery and few people, and it is quite enjoyable to visit the garden. Although it is not as famous as the Humble Administrator's Garden and the Lingering Garden, I like its natural simplicity and delicate quietness. Especially the 'Reflection Building', built in the lake, the reflection is clear as a mirror, and it is beautiful. If you wear a Hanfu and walk on the bluestone road of Yipu, it seems that you can travel through time and enter an ancient Chinese painting. 📍Detailed address: No. 5, Wenya Alley, Tiankuqian, Changmen, Suzhou City 🚉Traffic strategy: Take public transportation 31/501/54 to Changmen Hengjie Station Yipu ticket 💰: 10 yuan