Huanxiu Mountain Villa in autumn is the epitome of Chinese aesthetics!

Don't underestimate Huanxiu Mountain Villa. It may not be very eye-catching among the many gardens in Suzhou, and it may not be very large, but it is one of the nine World Cultural Heritage gardens in Suzhou, just like the famous Humble Administrator's Garden and Lingering Garden! Why? Because it is home to the most beautiful rockery in Jiangnan. The villa was originally the "Jingu Garden" of the Qian family of Wuyue in the Five Dynasties, and it has experienced many ups and downs. In the 12th year of the Jiaqing period (1807), Sun Jun invited Ge Yuliang, a master of rockery building, to rebuild the garden. Since then, the garden has become famous for its rockery. In the 29th year of the Daoguang period (1847), Wang Weiren bought land to build the Wang family ancestral hall, set up the Gengyin Yizhuang, and rebuilt the northeast garden. The villa became part of the Wang family ancestral hall "Gengyun Mountain Villa" and was renamed "Huanxiu Mountain Villa", also known as "Yiyuan". Huanxiu Mountain Villa covers an area of more than 2,000 square meters, with halls and courtyards in the front and ponds and rockeries in the back. The rockery is only more than 300 square meters, but Ge Yuliang made it a masterpiece in this small space, with a wonderful "small but grand" design! Streams, cliffs, precipices, canyons, stone beams, secluded paths, and caves are all available, and there is even a pavilion on the mountain. The main peak of the rockery stands high in the southeast, with the secondary peak accompanying it in the northwest, and the pond surrounding the two mountains. Most of the lake stones here have whirlpool holes, and a few have wrinkles. The main peak is 7.2 meters high, the valley is 12 meters long, and the mountain path is more than 60 meters long! Because of this exquisite rockery, Huanxiu Mountain Villa has become a national key cultural relic protection unit and has been listed in the "World Cultural Heritage List" by UNESCO, earning a place in Chinese garden architecture. Those who study garden art and technology dare not underestimate this small garden. Address: No. 272, Jingde Road, Gusu District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province. Opening hours: 08:30–16:00, ticket sales stop half an hour before closing. Ticket price: CNY 15 per person.