Tuisi Garden
Jiangsu · China
After lunch, we will visit Tuisi Garden. This Chinese classical garden, built in 19th-century, delightfully translates as the ‘Withdraw and Reflect Garden’, so named because it was the retirement home of a demoted Qing government official. The 'Tower of Fanning Delight' served as the living quarters, while the garden itself is a meditative portrait of a shimmering pond, rockeries and pavilions.
Contents
8 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Tuisi Garden
Welcome to Tuisi Garden, located in the historic water town of Tongli. As a historian of the Qing Dynasty, I find Tuisi Garden to be one of the most poignant examples of the 'scholar-official' lifestyle. …
Listen in the app2The Western Residential Quarters: Dignity in Exile
Our exploration begins in the western section of the garden, which served as the primary residence for Ren Lansheng and his family. Unlike the playful, fluid architecture of the garden to the east, these residential halls are…
Listen in the app3The Winding Passage to the Inner Sanctum
To transition from the formal residence to the garden, we must navigate a series of winding corridors and narrow gates. This is a deliberate architectural maneuver known as 'suppressing the view.' By restricting the visitor's…
Listen in the app4The Water Garden: Architecture on the Abyss
We now emerge into the eastern section, the true heart of Tuisi Garden. Here, the landscape is dominated by a large central pond that occupies nearly two-thirds of the garden's area. …
Listen in the app5The Celestial Pavilion and the Art of Borrowed Scenery
Overlooking the pond is the 'Celestial Pavilion,' a two-story structure that offers the best panoramic view of the garden. In Chinese landscaping, this is known as 'borrowed scenery' (jiejing)—the pavilion is positioned to…
Listen in the app6The Stone Boat and the Path of Sincerity
On the northern edge of the pond sits a stone boat, or 'Xiangzhou.' Unlike the more famous stone boats in the Summer Palace in Beijing, this one is modest and integrated into the surrounding rockery. In the context of Tuisi…
Listen in the app7Bridges of Connection and Separation
Finally, we must examine the bridges of Tuisi Garden. Bridges in a Chinese garden are more than just functional crossings; they are instruments of experience. …
Listen in the app8Closing
As we conclude our tour of Tuisi Garden, we are left with a profound sense of the resilience of the human spirit. Ren Lansheng did not allow his political failure to define him; instead, he used his 'retreat' to create a space of…
Listen in the app
What is Tuisi Garden?
Tuisi Garden is a place in Jiangsu · China with 8 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | Jiangsu · China |
|---|---|
| Type | Nature |
| Story sections | 8 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | 31.1565, 120.7223 |
| Last updated |
