He Garden

He Garden or He Yuan in Chinese (何园), is located in Xuningmen Street in Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province. It is a major cultural relic site under national protection, built in later Qing Dynasty with an area of more than 14,000 square meters. The construction built in the garden takes up about half of the area, which is also the feature of late Qing Dynasty gardens. Built by He Zhidao, an official of Qing Dynasty, He Garden widely employed new materials to combine Chinese royal gardens and private gardens with western elements.

He Garden is divided into four parts: East Park, West Park, Yuan Ju Yuan Luo (the residential area) and Pian Shi Shan Fang Rockery. The main characteristic of He Garden is the covered flyover corridor. The 1500 meters long winding corridor connects two parks with buildings, which is a unique brilliant view in Chinese gardens and is considered as the embryo of modern flyover in China. There is a saying goes that He Garden boasts for 4 No.1s - the No.1 covered flyover corridor, the No.1 lattice windows in the corridor, the No.1 pavilion in the central of the pool water and the No.1 Rockery (Pian Shi Shan Fang).

East Park of He Garden

A Peony Hall with brick carving peony, a rockery leaning on the wall, a Boat-Shaped Hall and a Reading Hall are included in the East Park. At the back side of the Boat-Shaped Hall, the rockery is against the wall and extends about 60 meters with a pavilion and steps above and waters below.

West Park of He Garden

Except for the covered flyover corridor, a pavilion standing in the middle of the lake, Butterfly Hall, a rockery, a Moon-watching Pavilion and a Tongren Hall are also in the West Park. The corridor intersects the whole garden; walking along the corridor, visitors can view the beautiful scenery of the Garden from different angles; even in raining days, visitors also need not worry and just feast their eyes going alone the corridor. The pavilion in the centre of the pool water is built for a special shadow reverb which make full of the echoes from corridors and waters; it is the place for garden master to enjoy operas, songs and dances as well as a hot shooting spot for ancient series and films, e.g. the famous movie "A Dream in Red Mansions".

Residential Area of He Garden

This residential part is composed of three buildings, the master's residential building Yuxiu Building, the guests' residential rooms Riding Building and a reception hall made of nanmu, which is the biggest and best-preserved hall of nanmu in Yangzhou city. Yuxiu Building is a two-storied building, which constructed in traditional Chinese style with western style ornaments, e.g. French shutters, Japanese sliding doors, fireplaces and iron craft beds.

Pian Shi Shan Fang Rockery of He Garden

It is the only existing copy of the work by the great painting master Shi Tao in late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty. This stone-laid rockery is an artificial one but a marvelous creation excelling nature, which attracts visitors from home and abroad every day. The man-made moon reflected on the pool water is a deep impressive sight of the rockery, and the stone house is a super secluded place to be away from the summer heat.