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Suzhou Keyuan Garden

1. Introduction

Suzhou Keyuan Garden, located at No. 48 Renmin Road, Canglang District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, is the only extant academy garden in Suzhou[1].

Originally established during the Qing Dynasty, the site belonged to the Canglang Pavilion complex built by Su Shunqin during the Northern Song Dynasty. Between the 6th and 9th years of Emperor Yongzheng's reign (1728-1731), Yin Jishan, then Governor of Jiangsu Province, constructed the "Jin Shan Lin" complex here. Inspired by Confucius' saying " The benevolent enjoy mountains, the wise enjoy waters," it was initially named "Le Yuan" (Garden of Joy). The garden was renamed "Keyuan" during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty[2].

On March 20, 1963, Keyuan Garden (including the Shen Deqian Memorial Hall and Zhengyi Academy) was designated by Suzhou Municipal People's Government as one of the first batch of Municipal-Level Cultural Heritage Protection Units[3]. A comprehensive restoration project commenced in August 2014, with the garden section reopening to the public in October 2015 following completion of renovations[9].

2. History

During the 6th to 9th years of Emperor Yongzheng's reign (1728-1731), Yin Jishan, then Governor of Jiangsu Province, constructed a garden named "Jin Shan Lin". Drawing inspiration from Confucius' teaching " The benevolent enjoy mountains, the wise enjoy waters," it was alternatively named "Le Yuan" (Garden of Joy).

During the Qianlong era, a senior official misinterpreted the name as implying indulgence ("le" as pleasure), declaring "a place of indulgence could not serve as a moral exemplar," prompting its renaming to "Keyuan" (Approvable Garden).

In the 7th year of Emperor Daoguang's reign (1827), Liang Zhangju, Provincial Administration Commissioner of Jiangsu, renovated the garden and incorporated it into Zhengyi Academy.

The Taiping Rebellion (1851-1864) caused wartime damage to Keyuan.

During the 14th year of Emperor Guangxu's reign (1888), Huang Pengnian, the new Provincial Administration Commissioner, restored the complex, establishing "Xuegu Hall " (Academy of Ancient Learning) and constructing the eight-story "Boyue Hall" (Tower of Extensive Knowledge) housing 80,000 volumes.

In the 31st year of Emperor Guangxu's reign (1905), Governor Lu Chunjiang closed Xuegu Hall, converting it into a Preparatory Department for Overseas Studies.

During the 1911 Revolution, Ms. Zhang Mojun founded the "Dahan Bao" (Great Han Newspaper) here.

In the 3rd year of the Republic of China (1914), the site became home to Jiangsu Provincial Suzhou Library (originally named Second Provincial Library).

In 1923, the "Jiangsu Public Suzhou Industrial Technical School" was established within Keyuan.

Through institutional mergers in 2000, the site became part of Soochow University 's West Campus.

In 2014, Suzhou Municipal People's Government decided to separate Keyuan from Soochow University for restoration and public reopening.[1][4][5][6][7][8][9] [11]

3. Design

Covering 6,267 square meters with a built area of 1,666 square meters[8], Keyuan Garden features over 100 newly planted plum trees surrounding a central pond. The layout demonstrates restrained architecture harmonizing with water and vegetation, creating a serene atmosphere with spacious courtyards. The complex contains 13 structures predominantly constructed between the 14th year of Emperor Guangxu's reign (1888) and the Republic of China period[6].

The main hall, originally Xuegu Hall, was renamed Xinglin Hall (Apricot Grove Hall) on the pond's north bank. This three-bay Xieshan-style (hipped-gable roof) four-sided hall features encircling corridors. North of the hall stands Haoge Ting (Ode Pavilion) - a square pavilion with pyramidal roof crowning an earthen mound. The northwestern pond area houses the five-bay width Boyue Hall (Tower of Extensive Knowledge)[1]. During its extended institutional use, functional adaptations for conference rooms and offices led to extensive modifications. Apart from the main Yiqing Hall and some pavilion corridors, nearly all principal structures had been altered. Buildings documented in historical records but physically lost have undergone restorative reconstruction based on academic research[10].

4. See also

• Chinese garden • Suzhou

5.References

[1] （江苏省不可移动文物数据库）可园。2025年3月19日检索。 Keyuan Garden. Retrieved March 19, 2025.

[2] （苏州市园林局）可园 - 苏州市园林局。2025年3月19日检索。 Keyuan Garden – Suzhou Municipal Bureau of Gardens and Forestry. Retrieved March 19, 2025.

[3] （苏州市文化广电和旅游局）wglj.suzhou.gov.cn/szwhgdhlyj/whbf/list_tt.shtml。2025年3月19日检索。 wglj.suzhou.gov.cn/szwhgdhlyj/whbf/list_tt.shtml. Retrieved March 19, 2025.

[4] （苏州图书馆）苏州图书馆。2025年3月19日检索。 Suzhou Library. Retrieved March 19, 2025.

[5] 程世卓,黄南一,胡莹.在地性视野下苏工专建筑科之现代性初构再考[J].建筑师,2023,(05):38-46. Cheng, S., Huang, N., & Hu, Y. (2023). Rethinking of the Modernity of the Department of Architecture in Suzhou Industrial Specialized School from the Perspective of Localization. The Architect, (05), 38-46.

[6] （百度百科）可园（苏州市第一批市级文物保护单位）_百度百科。2025年3月23日检索。 Keyuan Garden (First Batch of Municipal Cultural Heritage Protection Units in Suzhou). Baidu Encyclopedia. Retrieved March 23, 2025.

[7] （中国政府网）108座苏州园林实行挂牌保护_滚动新闻_中国政府网。2025年3月23日检索。 108 Suzhou Gardens Listed for Protection. China Government Website – Breaking News. Retrieved March 23, 2025.

[8] （苏州市园林局）苏州可园完成修复并对外开放 - 苏州市园林局2。025年3月23日检索。 Suzhou Keyuan Completes Restoration and Opens to the Public – Suzhou Municipal Bureau of Gardens and Forestry. Retrieved March 23, 2025.

[9] （苏州市园林局）可园修复工程完成验收 - 苏州市园林局。2025年3月23日检索。 Keyuan Restoration Project Passes Final Inspection – Suzhou Municipal Bureau of Gardens and Forestry. Retrieved March 23, 2025.

[10] （苏州市园林局）关于苏州可园修复工程的基本情况公示 - 苏州市园林局。2025年3月23日检索。 Public Announcement on the Keyuan Restoration Project – Suzhou Municipal Bureau of Gardens and Forestry. Retrieved March 23, 2025.

[11] （苏州档案信息网）可园的故事——苏州图书馆与蒋吟秋护书2025年3月23日检索。 The Story of Keyuan: Suzhou Library and Jiang Yinqiu’s Book Preservation. Retrieved March 23, 2025.