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Nature

Kaiping Garden

Guangdong · China

8 story sections

Known as the “Small View Garden”, the Li Garden focuses on the conception of “bridge, brook, and household”. Divided into grand garden, small garden, and villa clusters, the garden layout forms a style of its own: separation with the artificial river or walls, connection with pavilions and bridges or corridors, contributing to the pattern of gardens within gardens and landscapes within landscapes. With profound culture represented by the couplets by famous calligraphers and substantial romantic and legendary sculptures and murals, it will turn back the clock to make you feel like being in the early 20th century.

History & cultureBY TELLBY

Contents

8 sections · tap a section for its opening lines
  1. 1Kaiping Garden (Li Garden)

    Welcome to Li Garden, or Liyuan, a place where the landscape itself tells a story of ambition, success, and the cultural fusion of the early twentieth century. This garden is a 'Hidden Gem' of Kaiping, commissioned by Xie Wei Li,…

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  2. 2The Great Garden: Classical Aesthetics and Modern Echoes

    As we begin our tour in the Great Garden area, you will immediately notice the influence of traditional Chinese garden design. The layout is centered around a series of interconnected ponds and rockeries, designed to create a…

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  3. 3The Mansions: Five Houses for Five Sons

    We now move toward the heart of the estate, the Mansion area, which features some of the most striking examples of Western-style architecture in Kaiping. The centerpiece of this section is a row of five identical villas, known as…

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  4. 4Modern Innovation: The Self-Sustaining Estate

    One of the most remarkable aspects of Li Garden is the level of modern innovation incorporated into its design. Xie Wei Li was a man of the modern world, and he brought the technologies he had encountered abroad to his ancestral…

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  5. 5The Birdcage Gazebo: A Place of Elegance and Sorrow

    Tucked away in a corner of the garden is one of its most unique and poignant features: the Birdcage Gazebo. This beautiful structure, made of fine stone and delicate ironwork, was designed as a place where the ladies of the house…

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  6. 6The Pharmaceutical Fortune: From Chicago to Kaiping

    The story of Li Garden is fundamentally the story of Xie Wei Li's success in the pharmaceutical trade. Born in the United States to parents from the Tonko Township of Kaiping, Xie achieved significant prosperity abroad, primarily…

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  7. 7The Small Garden: Intimate Reflections and Faded Glory

    Our final stop in Li Garden is the Small Garden area, which offers a more intimate and personal perspective on the estate. This section features smaller pavilions and more delicate landscaping, designed for quiet contemplation…

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  8. 8Closing

    As we conclude our tour of Li Garden, I hope you have been captivated by the 'harmonious blend of East and West' that defines this extraordinary place. This garden is more than just a beautiful tourist spot; it is a profound…

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What is Kaiping Garden?

Kaiping Garden is a place in Guangdong · China with 8 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.

Key facts
LocationGuangdong · China
TypeNature
Story sections8
Text languageEnglish
Coordinates22.3496, 112.5644
Last updated
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