World Cultural Heritage: The Classical Gardens of Suzhou (3)

Located in the south of Suzhou, the Surging Waves Pavilion is one of the oldest gardens in the city. It was originally constructed during the reign of Emperor Qingli (1041-1048) in the Northern Song Dynasty. During the Southern Song Dynasty, the site was taken over by the famous general Han Shizhong as his residence. The design of the Surging Waves Pavilion is different from others. A pool is found outside the garden. Rock hills form the major sceneries in the garden and the Pavilion of Surging Waves is made of stones and built on a rock hill. A pool was created under the rock hill and a double corridor was built connecting the hill and the pool. The Mingdao Hall in the southeast of the rock hill is the major building in the garden. Other buildings include the Temple of 500 Sages, the Mountain-in-view Tower, Elegant Bamboo house, the Reverence Pavilion and the Imperial Stele Pavilion.

Located in the northeast of Suzhou, the Lion Grove Garden was built in the second year of the Zhizheng reign period in the Yuan Dynasty (1342 A.D.). The name of the garden derives from the shape of the rocks which are said to resemble lions. The Lion Grove Garden covers a rectangular area of 15 mu. Inside the garden there are many delicate lakes, stones and rockeries, and all the buildings are arranged in an orderly manner. The main buildings include the Yanyu Hall, Mountain View Tower, Flying Waterfall Pavilion, and the Plum Blossoms. With a clear theme, the Lion Grove Garden shows beautiful sceneries and reflects profound meaning. The rockeries, and even the grass and trees look extremely charming.