One of the 'Eight Beauties of Qinhuai', Dong Xiaowan, once lived here

Shuihui Garden, located in the northeast corner of Rucheng Town, Rugao City, Jiangsu Province, was originally built during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. It was initially the industry of a local man named Mao Yiguan, and it reached perfection during the time of Mao Bijing, four generations later. Mao Bijing renovated the old garden, imbued it with thought, and carefully embellished it. The existing Shuihui Garden architectural complex faces south with a rectangular plan, divided into left, middle, and right axes. The right axis consists of the Hidden Jade Studio, which forms a courtyard with the Guanhui Hall, the Listening Pine Studio, and the Peony Pavilion. The middle axis is the Rain Fragrance Hermitage, which includes a front hall, an open hall, the Boxwood Hall, and the Flowing Light Hall, built during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, preserving some structures from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. The left axis is the Shuiming Tower, built on the former site of the Hanbi Tower, where Mao and Dong once lived. Shuihui Garden is exquisitely constructed, with towers leading into the garden, and courtyards arranged in a way that encloses without isolating. It creates a broad imagery within a limited space. The construction skills of Shuihui Garden and the creation of its environment integrate the architectural techniques of Huizhou with the architectural art of Yangzhou.

Shuihuiyuan, a land of longevity, is a private garden with a zoo

One of the six longevity areas in the world, Shuihuiyuan is the secluded retreat of Dong Xiaowan and Mao Pijiang. Apart from the difficulty in parking, the crowds, and a 45-minute queue for sesame cakes, everything else is fine

The Water Painting Garden at sunset makes one feel as if they are immersed in a poetic and picturesque setting

As of January 1, 2019, Rugao has 440 centenarians, ranking first in total number in the nation. The world-famous longevity towns are not located in cold regions or remote mountain areas. Rugao, situated on the Jianghai Plain, is not only the only longevity town along China's coast but also in an industrially developed area, which is unique internationally and of obvious research value. The renowned Water Painting Garden was the retreat for Dong Xiaowan, one of the 'Eight Beauties of Qinhuai,' and Mao Pijiang, one of the 'Four Talents of the Late Ming Dynasty.' The Water Painting Garden has a history of over 400 years and is known as the premier garden of the late Ming Dynasty in China, covering an area of about 270,000 square meters. It is a cultural garden that embodies natural landscapes, human landscapes, and historical and cultural achievements, with a profound cultural heritage and local characteristics. 📍Detailed address: No. 299, Bixia Road, Rugao City, Nantong, Jiangsu 🚗Transportation guide: Public bus🚌: No. 299, Bixia Road, Rugao City, Nantong Rugao Route 102, 335, etc. 🕙Opening hours: ⌚️08:00-⌚️17:00 ⌚️17:00 stop admitting visitors 💰🎫Ticket price: Free 🌟Highlights: ❤️Water Painting Garden scenic area, a national AAAA-level tourist attraction. Located in the northeast corner of the ancient city of Rugao, it covers an area of about 270,000 square meters, consisting of the Water Painting Garden and the Water Ming Tower ancient architectural complex, China Rugao Longevity Museum (Nifenglu), China Ru-style Bonsai Garden (Gudanyuan), Yiyuan, and Dongda Street historical and cultural district, among other attractions. ❤️The Water Painting Garden was once the secluded place of Mao Pijiang, a talented man from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, and Dong Xiaowan, a beautiful lady from Qinhuai. The garden is a shining pearl on the plain of northern Jiangsu. The garden values water and reflections, being both elegant and refined; it expresses the owner's aspirations and memories through the garden, integrating poetry, writing, music, chess, calligraphy, painting, antiquities, and performing arts into one garden, which also demonstrates its original character as a 'scholar's garden' with a scholarly atmosphere. The garden is centered around the Washing Bowl Pool, with water flowing in four directions, dividing the garden into several parts. In addition, there are islets in the water, and on the winding waterways, there are sparsely built halls, rooms, studios, huts, two pavilions, and three pavilions, with the rest being water scenery, which highlights the garden-making characteristics of the Yangtze River Delta plain. 📌Little Tips: After leaving the scenic area, there are many shops and alleys where you can buy snacks. Rugao's baked cakes are very famous, and you should try them if you have the chance! You must try the crab buns at the nearby Sihai Building, but it's best to go in the morning, as the buns sold in the morning are freshly steamed and tastier! There are many small shops to visit in the alleys along the river in the scenic area, including shops for calligraphy, painting, and antiques!

Nantong Shuihui Garden | The ceiling of Nantong tourist attractions in my mind is seriously underestimated

| The ceiling of Nantong tourist attractions in my mind is seriously underestimated. After the brilliant restoration by Chen Congzhou in the 1990s, Rugao's Shuihui Garden has risen to become a representative garden in the central Jiangsu region. The moat water of Rugao converges in the garden, nourishing the ancient city and making it the best scenic spot in the city. The main peak of the core area, Xuanlei Peak, is stacked with yellow stones, with a steep and far-reaching mountain range, laying the foundation for the garden's landscape; the surrounding soil is piled up as a mound, winning with a flat and distant momentum, echoing the main peak, with a continuous and uninterrupted feeling. On the soil mountain, bamboo and trees are lush, and a side of the water is stacked with rocks to form cliffs, with green plants covering it, giving a sense of seclusion in the gully. The foot of the mountain is bordered by a rough slope to the stream, pierced by flowing water, as if it were a scene of a winding stream. The charm of a landscape garden lies in the meaning of mountains and rivers. If the mountain has veins, it is spiritual; if the water is deep and flowing, it is alive. Shuihui Garden is a mountain with a water character, with scattered buildings in the middle, which enlivens the Ming-style landscape garden. In addition, Shuihui Garden integrates the characteristics of Yangzhou and Suzhou gardens in its architecture, reflecting the integration characteristics of the Jiangnan inland area. Shuihui Garden, built in the late Ming Dynasty, became famous because it was once the hideaway of Dong Xiaowan, one of the 'Eight Beauties of Qinhuai', and Mao Pijiang, one of the 'Four Gentlemen of the Late Ming'. The garden covers an area of about 270,000 square meters, integrating poetry, literature, piano, chess, calligraphy, painting, antiquities, and quyi into one garden. It is composed of national key cultural relics protection units such as Shuihui Garden, Shuiminglou ancient architectural complex, ancient Danyuan, Nifenglou, Yiyuan, China Rugao Longevity Museum, Lingweiguan, zoo, amusement park and other scenic spots and attractions. Not only can you appreciate the architecture and reflections in the water in Shuihui Garden, but you can also play and visit the museum in the park, which is worth a visit. In recent years, Shuihui Garden has been continuously expanding and renovating, and the design of the scenic area is also worth appreciating. The water area surrounds the pavilions, and you can also take a boat tour to watch the lotus in the water. There is even a plant area in the scenic area, where the flowers, plants, bonsai, etc., make this Shuihui Garden vibrant. Not only does it retain the artistic atmosphere, but it also creates a garden-like scenic area, which is definitely one of the must-visit attractions in Rugao, the hometown of longevity. Location: No. 299, Bixia Road, Rugao City, Jiangsu Province Ticket price: Adult ticket 45 yuan, elderly, children, student ticket 22 yuan, parent-child ticket 66 yuan, double ticket 89 yuan Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 8 am to 6 pm

'Shuihui Garden'

Located in the east of Rugao city, it was originally built in the late Ming Dynasty and was later destroyed. In the 1990s, it was rebuilt under the supervision of Mr. Chen Congzhou. In the garden, there is an ancient building 'Shuiming Building' built by the salt merchant Wang Zhiheng during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. Shuihui Garden is a key national cultural relics protection unit

The Water Painting Park is the representative of the Jiangnan garden architecture in China. This is not an exaggeration. It is the masterpiece of the late Ming Dynasty and the Qinhuai famous character Dong Xiaowan. Classical garden expert, Professor Chen Congzhou from Tongji University in the book "Rebuilding the Water Painting Garden" is "such as the water painting park, the world famous garden." The Water Painting Park, it is no less than the literary garden, and it is no less than the Shenyuan Garden. It is no less natural than the Garden and the Yu Garden. The singer of the singer of the singer, who has always been treated as a lover, until she has become a disease, and she is only twenty-eight years old. After Xiaowans death, he made a grief and anomalies. He built this small pavilion in the pool to show his nostalgia. Mirror Court is a distinctive antique building, with tiles and white urns, surrounded by moon-shaped cave doors, surrounded by Zhu Lu, standing in the open water of Pingchi. I thought that in the same year, Dong Xiaowan once sang in this singer: I saw the flowers and thoughts deep, and the window was sitting alone. Huang Wei also seems to know the meaning, Liu Wai always makes good sounds, and now I am thinking about people, so I am not feeling. Evangelism loves its scenery, and it is like a pile of it. "The rockery hangs a heavy weight, and the Nanxun has no more hands." This is the praise of the predecessors of the mountain cultivator Zhang Nanxun. The water painting garden once fell, and the pool was drained. However, the garden has a literary thought, and the garden has been preserved. After the renovation, the water painting garden after the reconstruction has reappeared in the same year. It is only regrettable that there is not much time. After a simple tour, we have to return.