This is the travel diary of Xiao Yu. Wandering and stopping, let's explore the world with you.

The Chinese have a deep affinity for their homeland. From the imperial court to wealthy individuals, once they accumulated a certain amount of wealth, they would invariably return to their hometown to build grand mansions and courtyards. This is likely what ancient people sought – 'returning to one's roots.' Many well-preserved ancient courtyards across northern China and the Jiangnan region have been turned into famous tourist attractions, attracting numerous enthusiasts of humanistic tourism.

The art of Jiangnan classical gardens embodies Jiangnan's humanities, scenery, and customs. It not only showcases the essence of Chinese culture in a brilliant manner, but also becomes a world cultural heritage. Every site deserves careful contemplation.Last spring, I traveled to Suzhou and visited the Mudu Ancient Town, where I came across a 'legendary' garden. Why is it considered 'legendary'?

The owner of this garden experienced a series of changes, from the emperor's teacher to the 'richest man in town,' and later became a 'transitional president' in Taiwan.It is the yard in Mudu Ancient Town – Yan Family Garden.Yan Family Garden's first owner was actually Shen Deqian. Shen Deqian's life was also quite miraculous. He was a scholar during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor in the Qing Dynasty, but he had poor exam results and it took him 17 attempts to pass the imperial examination at the age of 67. However, Shen Deqian was highly regarded by the Qianlong Emperor, and he later served as the emperor's teacher. When the Qianlong Emperor visited Mudu, he once came to Shen Deqian's home, and there is still a plum tree planted by the Qianlong Emperor in Yan Family Garden today.

During the reign of Emperor Daoguang, Shen's family fell into decline, and the Shen clan sold the garden to Suzhou poet Qian Duoxi. Qian Duoxi began to build mountains and pools, construct pavilions and halls, and named it 'Garden of Qian.' Twenty years later, during the 28th year of the reign of Emperor Daoguang, the wealthiest man in Mudu, Yan Guixing, bought the garden and renamed it 'Enjoyment Garden,' and he continued to create and repair it. The layout of Yan Family Garden was thus gradually determined, and people often called it 'Yan Family Garden.'

Yan Family Garden was created over 170 years with the joint efforts of three generations, and eventually became one of the most famous gardens. In 1935, Professor Liu Dunzhen, a modern architectural scholar, twice visited the garden, was deeply impressed, and highly praised its layout and local treatment, considering it 'the crown jewel of gardens in Suzhou.'

Later, Yan Gaishan, a political figure in Taiwan, became a 'transitional president' for a short period after Chiang Kai-shek's death.

From Shen Deqian to Qian Duoxi, and then to the Yan family, regardless of whether they served as officials or became wealthy, they possessed a literary and cultural atmosphere, which endowed Yan Family Garden with a humanistic tone.

Yan Family Garden is not very large, but wandering through it gives you a sense of reaching a dead end and finding a clear stream, like the 'Moonlit Streams' in 'Dream of the Red Chamber.' The garden's strength lies in 'seeing the world in a small space.' Through various visual effects, it transforms the originally planar scenery into spatial scenery, which is breathtaking.

One of the most impressive things about Yan Family Garden is the 'Four Seasons Garden' – Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter Gardens, allowing visitors to experience the garden's most beautiful side regardless of the season.

There is a famous theory in Chinese classical gardens, proposed by Yu Hsu in Chuzhou when constructing the Fengle Pavilion: 'I want to take wine with me for all four seasons, but not to see flowers bloom every day.' This means that in all four seasons, plants can outline a divine appearance. This is a reflection of a person's life journey – different seasons and stages bring about different experiences.

Yan Family Garden is based on this principle, skillfully utilizing garden plants to construct 'Lanfen Yishu' (Fragrant Orchid, Artistic Thought) Spring Garden, 'Biyou Tian' (Heavenly Domain) Summer Garden, 'Wenxiang Shufei Gui' (Smell Fragrant, Reflect on the Moon) Autumn Garden, and 'Anxiang Shige Yue Huangfen' (Dark Fragrance, Shadowed Moon, Yellow Twilight) Winter Garden, which is a wonderful combination of nature and art.

When I came, it was in April, and the plum blossoms planted by the Qianlong Emperor hadn't bloomed yet, but the cherry blossoms had already fallen everywhere. The rocks, pools, and fallen petals formed a natural picture. I sat in the corridor facing the garden, and I was completely immersed in the beauty of spring. Unfortunately, the camera can only capture a corner, and the more profound experience can only be felt when you come here personally.

Yan Family Garden has been favored by many films and television series, including 'Dream of the Red Chamber,' 'Moonlit Streams,' 'Outlaws of the Marsh,' 'The Nightingale,' 'You and I,' and 'The Story of Yan,' with over 100 film and television dramas having been filmed here. I wonder if you can find the footprints of Zhou Xun (filming 'The Story of Yan') and Zhao Liying (filming 'You and I')?

There are many gardens in Suzhou, and Yan Family Garden in Mudu Ancient Town is not the most famous one. However, it has received some praise from famous people. Qing Dynasty thinker Gong Zixing praised it as 'an ingenious combination with nature,' and modern architectural master Liu Dunzhen considered it 'the jewel of gardens in Suzhou.' If you visit Mudu, you can certainly take a look at this famous garden in the Jiangnan region.

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