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

Figure 9. Wu Dacheng’s Jing Stream Painting (34.5 cm×70 cm). Source: Archived in Changshu Museum

3.3 Elegant living in the garden house gathered in the North Pavilion again, listening
Zhao Liewen often invited famous scholars to to her playing the “Dragon Boat Racing”
visit his garden, in the pavilion, high platform, (Longzhou Jingdu), with vivid voice and
and tower to appreciate the moon, feed the feelings” [3] . These prestigious scholars
fish, watch flowers, enjoy the snow, and taste generally praised highly of the Tranquil
the teas, or participate in raising animals, Garden (Jing Pu), considering Zhao Liewen
taking photos, and other novel activities. It is as romantic and unruly, indifferent to fame
better to listen to music across the water: “Ask and fortune. Yang Yisun’s comment that
the singer to go to the South Pavilion to sing, Zhao Liewen was “not a celestial being, nor a
while we sit in the North Pavilion and listen hermit, nor a Confucian scholar; he could be
to the songs across the water, syllables are an official, a Buddhist, or a Daoist,” which
loud and clear, we can smell the scent of lotus indicates Zhao Liewen’s life condition and
and see the color of willows, which add pursuit after resigning from his office.
[3]
fragrance and beauty” . It was better to Relying on the well-developed waterway
drink wine somewhere else: “Xu Yuezhuang, transportation, Zhao Liewen could go out
a native of Wuxi, is good at playing Pipa very conveniently. He often travelled by boat
[Chinese lute], and being considered as the to the theater in downtown, to watch plays
best in the Wu region (today’s Jiangsu, Anhui, and drink tea in the Teahouse. He would also
and Zhejiang provinces). Zhao Cihou invited go to other private gardens with his family to
her to perform in my garden. There were 10 attend elegant gatherings held by his friends.
participants gathered in the party: Ji Junmei, While traveling, he went to the flower shops
Li Shenglan, Zhao Zuoren, Cihou, Yang in Tiger Hill (Huqiu) and Shantang Street to
Binshi, Shucheng, Sizan, Zeng Junjing, the buy plants [17] , or to bookshops to buy classics
host, and Xu Yuezhuang. In the afternoon, we and books. He had plentiful activities.
all gathered in my East Hall. Xu Yuezhuang According to preliminary statistics, Zhao
pulled and plucked the string, starting to play Liewen with his relatives and friends toured
the “Overlord Disarming” (Bawang Xiejia), 17 gardens, such as the Lion Grove Garden
seemingly with the sound of metal. After the (Shizilin), Lingering Garden (Liu Yuan),
performance was over, we drank in the Qian Family Garden, Upper Garden (Shang
“Auspicious Lotus Pavilion” (Ruiqu Xuan) Yuan), Upright Garden (Duan Yuan), and so
behind the Distant Heart Hall (Yuanxintang). on. Zhao Liewen appraised the Master-of-
At nightfall, we finished drinking and Nets Garden (Wangshi Yuan) as “gorgeous

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