Brief information on Garden of Cultivation  

The Garden of Cultivation is located in Wenya Lane between Jinmen Gate and Lumen Gate. With comparatively higher historical and artistic value in regard to later Qing Dynasty gardens, Garden of Cultivation keeps the original traditional style and layout of the Ming Dynasty; plain, simple, not overly elaborate or affected.

It was called Yao Pu (Garden of Herbs) in the Ming Dynasty but changed its name to ‘Garden of Cultivation’; meaning to return home to cultivate one’s aspiration; in the early Qing Dynasty. It emphasizes the unsophisticated and elegant attributes of mountains, waters, pavilions, terraces and buildings successively laid out from north to south, in the most basic style of Suzhou gardens. In accordance with the features of a small garden, the builders did not try to recreate every aspect, instead, all efforts were used to create an artistic garden style with characteristic rockeries, flowing streams, lofty pavilions and verdant plants.

*You can download the bilingual note to show it to a taxi driver or someone else to find your way to Garden of Cultivation if you plan to visit Garden of Cultivation and have language problems.

   

Hours: 7:00-16:30
Address: No. 5, Wenya Lane
Transportation: take bus No. 204, 313 or 301
Admission: CNY 10