Tongli Ancient Town is one of the six ancient towns in the south of the Yangtze River, with the most beautiful gardens, which makes it one of the five-year scenic spots. Among several gardens and courtyards, Geng Le Hall is my favorite. This is Amin dynasty garden, hidden by the river, and the road ahead is not easy. I thought I was wrong, and finally it was time to give up.
The ploughing concert hall is ugly, but its interior is of great significance. The front house and backyard, pavilions, windows and bamboo households are all exquisite and gorgeous. The owner of Geng Letang is Zhu Xiang, a native of Chu Shi in the Ming Dynasty. He is an identity rather than a profession, generally referring to the ancient literati who did not like being an official and lived in seclusion.
"Farming music" is Zhu Xiang's nickname, which means that he yearns for the life of farming and studying. Although he has never been an official, he enjoys high prestige in Suzhou. Zhu Xiang once helped the Governor of Jiangsu to build an ancient bridge and was given an official post. Therefore, Zhu Xiang resigned and refused to fight with each other in the officialdom, which was also in line with his "hermit" style.
Zhu Xiang invested heavily in the construction of this classical garden to show his ambition of seclusion. Later, the garden changed hands several times, but fortunately it basically maintained the Ming Dynasty style. Walking in, several huge root carvings came into view. I thought it was the hobby of the original owner, but later I learned that it was a root carving exhibition.
There are more than 100 root carvings in Gengle Hall, which are divided into natural style hall, Buddha hall and animal hall. The three halls are all strange and colorful. The first time I came into contact with the root carving, although I didn't understand the height, the artistic level of tension was self-evident and admirable.
The tour guide said that many of these root carvings are the best in the world, setting a Guinness World Record, which is a must in the world. I even think it's a pity to put it here. It should be put in a museum for professionals to watch.
Plough Concert Hall is small, covering an area of 6 mu, with various garden elements. Through the deep courtyard, I came to the backyard garden, which is a poetic place. Rockery strewn at random uneven, Chi Bi as a mirror, is a masterpiece in Jiangnan gardens.
There is a Yuanyang Hall in the south of the day, where the master recites poems and writes lyrics. Under the plaque in the main hall, there is a picture of a pine tree, which shows the noble quality of the owner. There are couplets engraved on the left and right: Yu Lian contains a pool of Yuanyang water; The fragrance of golden osmanthus sows a thousand plows in heaven.
During the tour, I can walk on the second floor of eureka tower, which is rare in the garden. The wooden steps are narrow, and the branches make a sound when they step on them. Most of the upstairs houses are harem houses with patchwork windows overlooking the garden. There are few people in Geng Le Hall, and I seldom see other tourists. I felt a little dark upstairs, so I hurried downstairs.
Jiangnan gardens pay attention to borrowing scenery, which is vividly displayed in Gengletang. The leaky windows of the corridor are facing the pond, with different shapes and different scenery. There are three doors on the east side of the pond, which look like ancient vases. The three doors are in a straight line, creating a deep landscape.
Goldfish are swaying in the pond, and groups of red goldfish swim happily, which brings vitality to classical gardens. The rockeries around the pond are strewn at random, and the peaks are green, just like natural mountains and rivers.
There are two ancient trees in the pond yard, Jingui and Yin Gui. After hundreds of years of survival, prosperity and vicissitudes, they will still be in full bloom today, full of stars and fragrance, becoming one of the eight scenic spots in Tongli.
I look at two ancient trees, which look old and yellow due to the season, but they will always bloom, just like this garden of the Ming Dynasty, which has been reborn after ups and downs.
Travel tips
Address: In Tongli Ancient Town, Wujiang, Suzhou, Jiangsu.
Transportation: Take Line 4 to Tongli Station, transfer to Bus No.725 to Guzhen, and head northwest.
Author: Lin, a famous traveler, practiced life in mountains and rivers.