Yangzhou: Reflecting History in Beauty

Yangzhou, where Marco Polo once served as a municipal official, is a city with a history of 2,500 years, tracing back to the Spring and Autumn Period (722 – 481 BC) when it was called Guangling. The city was one of ten cities in the world around 1800 AD, which had the largest population over half million.

The city has been well known for its once brilliant historic role in Chinese history and one of the first 24 cities that were announced as the Historical and Cultural Cities in China. Until the 19th century, Yangzhou acted as a major national political, financial and trade center and a transport hub duo to its excellent location at the junction of the Yangtze, the Grand Canal and the Huaihe River. This historical period had left Yangzhou a large number of treasures, including valuable architectures and arts, splendid culture and well-known celebrities.

Situated in the middle part of Jianghuai Plain and on the north bank of lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Yangzhou has now been one of national tourist centers and has attracted tourists worldwide.

Slender West Lake

Slender West Lake is a man-made lake where beautiful views and historic points coexist. It lies in the southwest of Yangzhou. The lake is a state-level scenic resort and gets its name because its outline is long and narrow like a slender, gentle girl.

The scenic resort is a fine example of a traditional Chinese lakeside garden. Walking along the lake, one can see many elegant styles of architectures. Some line along the shore of the lake, and others are actually built over the lake. They all possess different kinds of beauty. Numerous poems have been left by famous poets about the beautiful lake adding to its cultural importance.

There are 24 scenic attractions at the lake, including the White Pagoda, the Five Pavilion Bridge, Xiaojin Hill, Fuzhuang, 24 Bridge, and many others.

The highest scenic spot in the lake, Xiaojin Hill offers a breathtaking panorama of the lake from the kiosk on top of the hill. Most of the architectures and rockeries on the hill are remains of the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911).

Fuzhuang is surrounded by water, and got its name because from above it looks like a teal floating in the water. Snacks can be purchased in Fuzhuang, and various performances are held there during festivals.

Of the 24 scenic areas, the one that catches the eyes of tourists most is 24 Bridge. Built with white marble, the bridge is 24 meters (appox.79 feet) long, 24 meters (also appox.79 feet) wide, with 24 parapets and 24 steps hence the name – 24 Bridge. It looks like a marble ribbon fluttering on the water or a rainbow lying over the lake.

Among the 24 scenic areas are artistic kiosks, pleasant pavilions, and small bridges arching over gently flowing streams. The entire area is full of poetic romance, and many poems have been inspired by the scenery. Scenic beauty and historical interests are combined at Slender West Lake, and the strong literary atmosphere makes the lake a brilliant pearl in the historic city of Yangzhou.

Slender West Lake

Ge Garden

It was during the Han Dynasty (206BC – 220AD) that garden construction on a large scale emerged in Yangzhou City. The garden construction in Yangzhou City later became prosperous early in the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911), especially after the southern itineration of the famous Qing Dynasty emperor Qianlong. It was also during this period that Yangzhou got famous for its beautiful gardens. Unfortunately, over the years most of the gardens were damaged in the confusion and disorder brought about by various wars. But Ge Garden survived along with several other gardens in Yangzhou City.

Ge Garden has Shouyi Garden, built during the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644), as its predecessor. Ge Garden was later rebuilt as a private garden in 1818 during the Qing Dynasty. Huang Zhiyun, a rich salt merchant and the owner of the garden, thought highly of the upright character of the bamboo. At the same time, bamboo leaves look like the Chinese character “ge”, so the name of “Ge Garden” was given. Originally, there were more than one hundred kinds of bamboo in the garden, but today only a sprinkling of bamboo can be seen. Ge Garden now is best known for its rockeries, which take on different aspects as the seasons change.

Ge Garden uses bamboo and rocks as its principal elements and is characterized by stone-piling. Different rockeries are formed from different kinds of rocks to represent different scenes in the four seasons, hence the name “four-season-rockery”. There are no other similar gardens anywhere in China. Compared to other plants, the garden gives priority to the bamboo. Using the grotesque shapes of the rocks, a distinctive scene consisting of bamboo and rocks is formed. It actually is a mixture of the grandness of the North and the delicacy of the South.

Yiyu Xuan is the center of the whole garden. The “four-season-rockery” is made up of the spring rockery, the summer rockery, the autumn rockery, and the winter rockery. Twelve blocks of stone shaped like twelve kinds of animals such as a mouse, a cow, a tiger, and a pig are surrounded by bamboo trees and symbolize the rebirth of spring. Exquisitely carved Taihu stones, a kind of stone mostly found around Taihu Lake, sit near a lotus pool and represent the beautiful scenery of the South in summer. Huang stones (a kind of stone found near Mt. Huangshan ) whose shapes are bold and unconstrained are used in the biggest rockery to represent the loftiness of the hills in autumn; and Xue Stone (white Snow Stone) which glistens in the sunshine gives people the feeling that the snow has not yet melted. When people visit the garden they feel as if they have experienced the essence of the four seasons of the year.

Daming Monastery

Situated in a northwestern suburb of Yangzhou city, Jiangsu Province, the Daming Temple combines together a number of attractions, including religious buildings, important historical sites and beautiful gardens. It was first built in the Southern Dynasties (420 – 589), although has undergone numerous renovations and expansions since that time. The temple has assumed many different names during its 1500-year history, although in 1980 it reverted back to its original title.

The temple building itself is similar in both style and structure to other Chinese temples. On entering the temple gate, visitors are greeted by a stately archway that was built in memory of the old Qiling Tower. The hall behind the archway is the Hall of Heavenly Kings, in the center of which sits the big-stomached Maitreya Buddha, smiling widely to welcome guests and visitors. The next hall is the Mahavira Hall, the main focus of the temple. This hall is dedicated to the Great Buddha, Sakyamuni. His figure dominates the center of the room while statues of other Buddhist gods surround him. These gods are responsible for the good harvest and peaceful life of the people. The remaining space is that of the Scripture Repository. The structures in this area date back to the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911).

Daming Temple has been a famous tourist attraction for hundreds of years. Part of its appeal lies in its sites of historical and cultural importance, principally the Pingshan Hall, built by Ouyang Xiu-a widely-known Song Dynasty (960 – 1279) Poet, and the Gulin Hall, built by Su Dongpo to commemorate the life of his teacher, Ouyang Xiu. Many famous Chinese poets, such as Li Bai, Liu Yuxi, Bai Juyi and Su Dongpo visited the site and wrote numerous poems to praise its charm.

The garden area is decorated with pools, elegant pavilions, oddly-shaped false hills, lush trees and fragrant flowers. However, the most spectacular feature is the Qiling Tower. First built in the Sui Dynasty (581 – 618), the tower was later burnt down during the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907). The present structure was built in 1993. Standing 70 meters (230 feet) high, it makes it possible for visitors to take in the enchanting scenery which surrounds the temple.

Daming Temple is also famed because of Monk Jianzhen, a name familiar to many Chinese and Japanese people. Jianzhen was born in Yangzhou in the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907) and firstly enrolled as a monk before progressing to become the superior of the Daming Temple. On the invitation of the Japanese people, Jianzhen decided to venture across the sea to Japan in an attempt to spread the practice of Buddhism. Due to the poor navigation technology of the time, he failed on a number of occasions to complete the crossing, although eventually succeeded and was warmly welcomed by Japanese people. Jianzhen spent his final years in Japan, and made a great contribution to the cultural exchange between the two countries. Visitors can learn more about his life in the Memorial Hall of Monk Jianzhen, located to the east of the Maravira Hall.

Daming Monastery

   Yangzhou City