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    THE GEYUAN GARDEN OF YANGZHOU

    Written by: Lou Qingxi
    Posted on: July 16, 2013 |

    Geyuan Garden

    In the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368?1644 AD and 1636?1911 AD, respectively), garden construction was extremely popular in Yangzhou of present Jiangsu Province, and private gardens were found in abundance both inside and outside the city. The frequent ravages of war have left only a few gardens fully conserved, and one of them is the Geyuan Garden. The Geyuan Garden used to be the private residence of a rich salt merchant, Huang Yingtai, and was built in the 23rd year of the Emperor Jiaqing’s Period, in the Qing Dynasty(1818, AD). Huang Yingtai was also known as ‘Geyuan’, and the garden was abundant with bamboo (written in Chinese characters with two of the characters side by side). Hence, the name of the garden is ‘Geyuan.’

    The Geyuan Garden is situated within Yangzhou city proper behind the Huang residence, and is 0.55 hectare in size. There is not much construction except for the two-storey ‘Seven-room Building’ that overlooks the entire garden, and serves as the venue for the owner’s social activities. At the southeast end of the garden, three halls named ‘Wind Chasing and Moonlight Filtering’ have been built, which were ideal for watching snow scenes in winter.

    The most outstanding feature of this garden is the way the rocks are piled in it. On the west side of the Seven-Room Building lies a large artificial hill with lake stones, with the highest point at the center of the hill at 6 meters. Interspersed on both sides, the rocks go all the way down into the water. A stone room has been built within the hill, with winding paths leading deep inside; and it is the coolest hideaway in summer. The entire body of the hill is built with lake stones, each curiously shaped, delicately textured, and grayish white in color, and the hill is named ‘Summer Hill.’ At the east end of the building, however, the hill is built with yellow stone, forming the main peak 7 meters in height with all kinds of peaks, ridges, and mountain ranges. Paths twist and turn within the hill, joining gullies, valleys and cave houses. On the west side of the hills, the setting sun paints the ochre-colored stone surface with the color of the golden fall, and, thus, the hill has been named the ‘Autumn Hill.’

    The Wind Chasing and Moonlight Filtering Hall is built for the enjoyment of winter snow scenes, therefore pale white stones are placed in the shady area below the walls of the front hall, creating an illusion of unthawed snow. The hill is known as ‘Winter Hill.’ These three artificial hills, together with the ‘Spring Hill’ built with stone shaped like bamboo-shoots, form the highlight of the Geyuan Garden, with mountain scenes symbolizing spring, summer, autumn and winter.

    Although not large in size, the pond in the garden is built with twisting and turning banks, and small bays run into the caves of the Summer and Autumn Hills, which make the little pond suddenly come to life. The entire bank of the pond is built with lake stones, some of which touch upon the water surface while others hover above the water forming caves, adding further to the sense of agility of the pond water.

    The Geyuan Garden was a private garden built during the Jiaqing Period (to put it more accurately, in the year 1818, AD) of the Qing Dynasty. Private gardens in the late Qing period were especially built by aristocrats and rich merchants, who were keen on the pursuit of luxury and in demonstrating their riches, unlike the simple elegance and subtle style of Scholar gardens. The Geyuan Garden is a typical example of gardens of this period. Despite the beauty of the stones of four seasons, the garden's overly ornate artistry has taken away much of its natural appeal.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021