Yi Garden, constructed during the Guangxu period of the Qing dynasty by the wealthy merchant Gu Wenbin, is a private garden that was built relatively late among Suzhou’s gardens. This allowed it to draw on the strengths of various gardens, forming its own characteristic style of a collection. Due to its compact layout and appropriate techniques, it possesses a high aesthetic value. The garden covers an area of approximately nine acres and is elongated from east to west. The garden’s scenery is divided into two parts according to the local conditions, separated by a corridor with flower windows that connect the eastern and western views, enhancing the depth of the scenery. The eastern part is dominated by courtyard architecture, with winding corridors surrounding pavilions and courtyards, adorned with flowers, trees, and stone peaks, creating rich Chinese paintings visible through the empty windows of the winding corridors. The western part is the main scenic area of the garden, with a central pond surrounded by rockeries, flowers, trees, and buildings. The central part of the water surface is gathered, with narrow ends to the east and west, and curved bridges and water gates are built to symbolize the pond water’s circular flow and endless flow. The rockeries to the north of the pond are entirely stacked with beautiful lake stones, with mountains that are not high but have peaks, ridges, and caves, reflecting the trees, mountain pavilions, and other scenery. The main hall, Ouchuxia, is a four-sided hall in the style of a mandarin duck hall. It faces the pond to the north, the courtyard to the south, with a small bridge and flowing water to the right, and pavilions, caves, and gullies on both sides, leading to various scenic spots in the western part. There are also dozens of stone tablets with calligraphy and paintings by celebrities from various dynasties in both the eastern and western parts, known as the ‘Yi Garden Law Post’, which can be appreciated and studied. Opening hours are from 07:30 to 17:00 all year round. Preferential policies include: Children: Those who are 6 years old (inclusive) or under 1.4 meters (inclusive) in height, with valid identification, enter for free. Minors: Those who are between 6 years old (not inclusive) and 18 years old (inclusive), with valid identification, enter at half price. Elderly: Those who are 70 years old (inclusive) or above, with valid identification, enter for free; those who are between 60 years old (inclusive) and 70 years old (not inclusive), with valid identification, enter at half price. Students: Full-time undergraduate and below students enter at half price. Military personnel: Active military personnel and retired military officers of the People’s Republic of China enter for free with valid identification. Disabled individuals: Disabled individuals and one accompanying person for severely disabled individuals enter for free with valid identification. Preferential objects: Those with the ‘People’s Republic of China Veterans’ Preference Certificate’ and ‘People’s Republic of China Martyrs, Military Personnel Who Died in the Line of Duty, and Deceased Military Personnel’s Dependents Preference Certificate’ enter for free (excluding garden within the garden, garden charges, and night tour projects). Suzhou medical staff: On International Nurses’ Day (May 12th) and Chinese Physicians’ Day (August 19th) each year, Suzhou medical staff can visit the scenic area for free within seven days from the day of the festival (May 12th to 18th, August 19th to 25th). When visiting the scenic area, Suzhou medical staff should show their ‘personal ID card’ + ‘Suzhou Medical Staff Free Garden Card (electronic card)’, and they can enter the garden without reservation, and the first ticket fee is free. Note: The above information is for reference only, and the actual situation should be based on the public notice at the scenic spot.
A must-see tip: within the alleyways to the north of the street, there is a hidden gem known as Qu Yuan, which is easily accessible by foot.
