Jiaxing, Zhejiang - Nanhu Lake Shaoyuan Garden

📍 Shaoyuan Garden, located on the northwest shore of Nanhu Lake, was built during the late Ming Dynasty by Wu Changshi, a powerful official during the reign of Emperor Chongzhen. The garden, shaped like a spoon extending into the lake, fell into disrepair after Wu's death. Today, the restored Shaoyuan Garden has been relocated to the southern shore of Nanhu Lake, covering an area of about 30 mu. The garden features water pavilions, long corridors, and exquisite rockeries. 📸 🖌️ Shaoyuan Garden was designed by the renowned Chinese garden designer Zhang Nanyuan. Zhang Nanyuan (1587-1671), also known as Lian, was a garden designer during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Many famous gardens in Jiangnan were created by him, including Jichang Garden in Wuxi, Nanyuan and Xiyuan in Taicang, the rockery at Yanyu Tower in Jiaxing, Dongyuan in Suzhou, Ouyuan in Weifang, Shandong, and the rockeries in the imperial gardens of Changchun Garden, Jingming Garden, Qingyi Garden, and Zhongnanhai in Beijing. 👍🏻 🔎 Nanhu Lake is one of the three famous lakes in Zhejiang, known for its unique landscape of "an island in the lake, a lake in the island" and its misty, rainy scenery of "light mist brushing the islets, gentle breeze approaching." It has long been a famous tourist destination in Jiangnan. In July 1921, the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China completed its final agenda on a painted boat on Nanhu Lake, solemnly declaring the founding of the Communist Party of China! Nanhu Lake thus became the place where the party flag of the Republic was raised and the birthplace of the Communist Party of China! 🎉