Domestic Travel: Suzhou "Quyuan" - feel the freedom and ease of literati

Domestic Travel: Suzhou "Quyuan" - feel the freedom and ease of literati

"It has a curved shape, so it is named Quyuan." It seems that this courtyard does not have any The prosperous and beautiful scenery in the imagination is very simple and casual, just like the name given to it by the owner of the courtyard. It is casual and at ease. It does not have the kind of emotion and scenery that the literati at that time always praised. The small courtyard contains a lot of things. Deep feelings and ambitions. But it is such a simple and casual garden that brings the world a unique experience of private gardens, and makes people feel the indifferent and clear-minded, peaceful and far-reaching feelings and aspirations of the owner of this garden. The owner of the garden seems to have completely forgotten about the unsatisfactory career of his career. Instead, he feels a kind of detached nature and spontaneity in his heart. He enjoys himself in a small world and enjoys the free and easy nature of Nanshan. . What we are going to visit today is Quyuan in Suzhou City, to experience another style of Suzhou gardens, and to experience the freedom and ease of the literati at that time in the small garden paths.

When I first heard about Quyuan, I thought it was a very simple opera yard. People’s entertainment life at that time was very monotonous, and the West District became a very important leisure and entertainment activity for people at that time. At that time, Kun Opera was a very important opera form in Suzhou, so I thought Quyuan was a Kun Opera garden in Suzhou at that time. Now that I really understand Quyuan, I realize that it is a small garden that integrates an ordinary residence and a classical garden. The owner of the garden is named Yu Yue, who was a famous writer and phonologist in the late Qing Dynasty. He was born in Deqing County, Zhejiang Province, and worked as an official in his hometown. However, years of wars and wars forced him to resign early and come to Suzhou to escape the war. He also built the building we see today on several acres of wasteland west of Pan Shien's old residence in Suzhou, which was the horse medical department at that time. Quyuan. Quyuan is not as famous as other private gardens in Suzhou, but it has its own style and charm. I have almost visited most of the gardens in Suzhou. I have a panoramic view of the Lingering Garden, Humble Administrator’s Garden, and Lion Garden, so this time I chose to come to Quyuan to experience the elegance of the Su Family Garden. Style.

Quyuan is located at the west end of Ma Yike Lane on the west side of Renmin Road in Suzhou City. It was built in the 13th year of Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty and covers an area of ??about three acres. Although the garden is small, it is well-equipped, especially with its It is famous in Suzhou for its ingenious topography like a curved ruler and the character "qu" in seal script. When it was first built, the owner of the garden, Yu Yue, dug ponds and stacked rocks based on the "qu" topography here, planted grass and trees, and raised exotic flowers and exotic herbs. The word "qu" is not only the topography of this garden, but also taken from a very profound sentence in Laozi's "Tao Te Ching": "The song is the whole." This reflects a kind of rigidity that leads to failure, and haste makes waste. meaning. At that time, many people hid their talents. In that turbulent period, it was more important to preserve oneself and find opportunities in dormancy. Instead of showing too much edge and being broken prematurely. Yu Yue is also an explanation and a kind of self-comfort for his resignation from office and hibernating in Suzhou. It is not only an explanation of his own behavior, but also contains the hope and ambition of re-emerging.

When you come to Quyuan, the first thing you see is Quyuan’s traditional Soviet-style gatehouse. A gatehouse built in green and black stands quietly here. It looks very bright and beautiful, and it seems that it has not experienced the centuries. The wind, frost, snow and rain are not only due to the care of the garden owner, but also to the local government's repair and protection of Quyuan. Passing through the gatehouse of Quyuan, you can see a patio where slender bamboos are planted, creating a very fresh and elegant environment and atmosphere. Plum blossoms, orchids, bamboos and chrysanthemums were the greatest symbol of the noble conduct and lofty ambitions of literati in that era. They always planted these plants in their own gardens and maintained them, as if they were caring for their own conduct and never slackened off. They will also embroider these plum blossoms, orchids, bamboos and chrysanthemums on their collars to remind themselves of their moral cultivation and their love and loyalty to noble qualities. Quyuan Bian also reveals the emotions and thoughts of Yu Yue who resigned from office and left his hometown. He uses the upright bamboo to express his emotions and qualities of not wanting to go along with the world.

Behind the bamboo and the patio is the Xiaozhuli Pavilion in Quyuan. It is a small house with window frames, door frames and various pillars painted vermilion. It is quiet, remote and elegant. There are exquisite handmade palace lanterns hanging on the four corners of the room, which look very unique and elegant. The portrait of Yu Yue, the owner of the garden, and his own poems are hung on the front wall of Xiaozhuli Pavilion, making the small world full of poetry and painting.

Passing through a main hall of Xiaozhuli Pavilion, we came to Chunzai Hall, the main building of Quyuan. This is a bright and spacious main hall. There is a set of bedding placed against the wall in the middle. There is another couplet on the wall behind the bedding, both of which were written by Yu Yue himself. There is a desk and chair on the tabletop, on which are still displayed the Four Treasures of the Study and various book rubbings used by Yu Yue at that time. The furnishings in the Spring Hall are very simple, and it is Yu Yue's exclusive study. However, the name of this study has a lot of origin. It is said that when Yu Yue entered the capital for examination, he composed a poem based on the title "Flowers fall and spring is still there", and won the title. The examiner Zeng Guofan appreciated it and ranked among the best. In the Spring Hall, the word "in spring" is used in "The flowers fall and the spring is still there", which shows Yu Yue's appreciation and pride for his talents.

In the backyard of the Spring Hall is a small garden. There is a deep and beautiful corridor along the pond in the small garden. In the hot summer, you can sit in the corridor and listen to the sounds of frogs in the pond. , the breeze blows and the waves are calm, it is also a very elegant and comfortable thing. Under the garden corridor is a pool of clear water. The water is as clear as a mirror. It is called a curved pool. It is also because the pool of clear water was built along the tortuous terrain. Yu Yue personally cut the pool and stacked stones to create such a graceful and long pool. There is a rockery to the east of the curved pool. The mountain is covered with flowers and grass, and the rocks are craggy. It is an extraordinary and beautiful rockery landscape. These landscapes in Quyuan vividly demonstrate the layout, structure and charm of Su-style gardens. Although there are only three acres of land, the sparrows are small and have all their internal organs. It fully demonstrates the style and charm of Suzhou's garden landscape, and also reflects the intelligence and ingenuity of Yu Yue, the owner of Quyuan, and his ingenuity in garden art. Curved banks, deep valleys, and elegant bamboo forests are a rare and intoxicating Jiangnan style. Walking on the promenade of Quyuan, you can feel Yu Yue’s hard work and love for this small world. Feel the beauty and charm conveyed by this beautiful treasure land.