Page 84 - JCAU-4-1

Zhao Liewen’s Gardening Practices and Activities in His Diary Li & Yin

roughly seen that Zhao Liewen’s orderly Garden). In reply, Zhao Liewen presented a
increase in pavilions, corridors, and towers in poem to Gu Wenbin: “…There are views of
the northeast residential area, as well as the the mountains in my garden, green and steep,
rich landscape of “one islet, one embankment, with winding paths spiraling up and down.
and two islands” in the Garden area, with the There is water in my garden, calm even in the
Tranquil Stream (Jing Xi) as the center. wind, where algae and lotuses rest beside.
September 28 in the 12th reign year (1886) of There are bright and beautiful stones in my
Emperor Guangxu was the date of completion garden, jumping like rising phoenixes and
of the entire Tranquil Garden (Jing Pu). Zhao soaring dragons. There are trees in my garden,
Liewen sighed deeply in his diary: “I have green and standing in line, with my hand-
acquired this land for 22 years. Due to my planted pine firs growing intertwined
financial difficulty and lack of strength, I branches. There are 500 rare books in the
often say I would never realize my wish. garden, with precious seals on calligraphy and
Today I have succeeded. My wife paintings in random compilation and
[3]
congratulates me by raising her hands and edition…”
makes rice balls for the entire family to eat to Opening a private garden to the public to
celebrate this success. There are 120 rooms in make profit was becoming a common practice
residence, including halls, towers, and in the late Qing dynasty (1644‒1911). After
pavilions, and more than 80 of them are renovating the Tranquil Garden (Jing Pu),
connected internally and externally through Zhao Liewen opened it partly to the public
corridors, the rockeries were hard to pile, and and collected fees to supplement to the
there are six big and small bridges, fruit trees household expenses. “After seeing the
and flowers are in the thousands. It can be said gardens in Suzhou such as the Liu Garden, the
[3]
grand” . The final layout of the Tranquil Gu Garden, and so on, are all open to visitors
Garden (Jing Pu) has thus established. The to make money. I have always despised such
door plate with two characters “ 静 圃 ” behavior, and thought the two garden owners
(pronounced “Jing Pu,” literally “Tranquil are superrich, why do they need to do that?
Garden”) was written in official script, But my family’s financial situation is
“Today, I changed the door plate to ‘静圃’in declining, and I have spent twenty years
[3]
official script” . In his Diary of Passing the building the house and garden to settle down,
Cloud Tower (Guoyunlou Riji), Gu Wenbin I am physically tired and mentally exhausted.
(1811‒1889) documented the situation when If I am seeing it collapses while alive, I don’t
he visited the Tranquil Garden (Jing Pu) in think I can be indifferent. I’d better use all I
April of the 9th reign year (1883) of Emperor have to complete this garden and follow
Guangxu: “There is a big pond in the middle Suzhou people’s behavior, when I have repaid
of it, the halls, the study room, and the main the funds in a few years, I will immediately
rooms are located south of the pond. The Yu stop it. It does not seem to be a shameful
Mountain is behind the house, and the pond conduct. So, I discussed it with my family
[3]
connects to the river outside. There is a stone members, and they all agreed” .
bride in the east of the pond, with fences as
the border. There are buildings, pavilions, and 2.3 Construction of the library
a timber bridge for transportation in the north (1) Zhao Liewen’s hobby of collecting books
of the pond. There is no wall, but with One of the trends in the construction of
. This
hibiscus flowers on the fence” [5] residential gardens during the Ming (1368‒
description is good, but it is exactly the 1644) and Qing (1644‒1911) dynasties was
opposite of the real situation, except the building a library in the garden. Conversely,
scenery matches (Liufeng Bridge in the this minor trend in the social environment had
Tranquil Garden (Jing Pu) still survives today, also influenced the decisions of residential
and surely it is located in the west of the garden owners. From the Song (960‒1279)
and Yuan (1271‒1368) dynasties to the early

AccScience Publishing 7