Eyes on China – A China travel Blog

The Yans Garden is the former residence of Mr.Yan jiagan of Taiwan, which occupies 16 mu of land. An ancient magnolia has an extensive crown, blotting out the sun. As the legend goes, the tree was planted by Emperor Qianlong when he put up for the night at Shens Residence on his tour of the south of the Yangtze River. Built in the Ming Dynasty, the Emphasize Virtue Hall –the nanmu hall, with spacious volumes and imposing appearance, is rare in the region. What is even more characteristic is that the Four Seasons Garden has a layout of uneven density, zigzags, and appropriate ups and downs, with some parts exquisite

and tasteful, deep and tranquil, graceful and restrained, demonstrating the builders’ unique art of construction. Professor Liu Dunzhen, a contemporary renowned architect calls this garden a “classical work of gardens south of the Yangtze River”