Nanjing Attractions Zhanyuan GardenNanjing Attractions,Nanjing Popular Tourists Attractions Guide
Among the five most famous gardens of Southern China, Zhanyuan Garden is the only well preserved Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) architectural complex in Nanjing.
It is the oldest (over 600 years) among all the gardens in the city. Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) once came here and gave it the name of Zhanyuan. After the establishment of the Kingdom of Heavenly Peace (Taiping Tianguo in Pinyin, 1851-1868), it became the residence of the Taiping Rebellion leaders Yang Xiuqing, Xiao Youhe and Lai Hanying. With frequent wars, it lay deserted for many years until its restoration by the government in 1960.
The most beautiful garden in Nanjing, it was built by Emperor Zhu Yuanchang, in the early years of the Ming Dynasty, for one of his bravest generals. In 1853, the garden was the residence of the East King. Subsequently, the garden underwent a series of demolitions (due to war) and reconstructions. It takes several minutes walk from Confucius Temple.
The garden is divided into two parts. The east part is the museum where the cultural relics of Taiping Tianguo are displayed. The west part is typical garden scenery consisting of exquisite pavilions, clear water pools, winding pathways and a variety of rockeries. It kept the style of gardens of the Ming and the Qing (1644 - 1911) dynasties and at the same time it brought the essence of the art of modern garden building to it, forming a distinctive characteristic.
Jingmiao Hall is the main structure of Zhanyuan Garden. Half of the hall is built in the water, just like a waterside pavilion. The whole garden is divided into two parts by this hall. The south part is small and noisy while the north part is big and quiet. There are rockworks and ponds in both parts, a stream connects them. The whole thing is really spectacular.
