Zhanyuan Garden

Zhanyuan Garden is a classic Chinese garden located on Zhan Yuan Road, beside Fuzimiao(Confucius Temple Nanjing), Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China. Zhanyuan Garden is the only well preserved Ming-style architectural complex with the longest history in Nanjing City. This garden is famous for its rockery. It is regarded as one of the top four most famous gardens in South of China, the other three are Jichang Garden in Wuxi, Humble Administrator Garden and Lingering Garden in Suzhou.

The garden covers an area of about twenty thousand square meters. There are a total of more than 20 scenic spots inside the garden, in elegant and refined layout. They includes grand magnificent ancient architectural complexes in Ming and Qing dynasties styles, steep and precipitous rockery, the famous Northern Song Dynasty Taihu Lake, quiet and simple but elegant pavilions, etc. All those can remind you that you are looking at the classical architecture of China.

The garden has a history over 600 years. The first garden on this site was built during the early Ming dynasty by the general Xu Da, being a backyard garden of his residence. It was destroyed during the Taiping Rebellion in the Qing dynasty. It was destroyed for many years as a result of frequent wars and in 1960 it was rebuilt by the local government, with the southern 'mountain' added in 1960

The garden is composed of two parts: Eastern Part and Western Part. The east part refers to a museum to house the cultural relics of the Kingdom of Heavenly Peace, which was founded by a group of rebelling peasants in middle 19th century. The farmers finally toppled the authorities and set Nanjing as their capital. This museum is the main site to visit in Eastern Part. There are over 1,600 cultural relic collections here, including the robe of the Heavenly King, the imperial seal of the Kingdom of Heavenly Peace, the cannons and swords and the flags of the army, etc.. The West Part is a classic scenic garden in south of China. Winding pathways, exquisite pavilions, clean pools and a variety of rockeries are well arranged in the garden. Peak of Immortals, which was made from a huge stone from Taihu Lake, stands under crab-apple trees. The first sight of the garden is the most precious treasure. The stone is tall and straight, bright and clear, elegant and pretty.
 

What to See at Zhanyuan Garden

Rockeries

The Zhanyuan Garden features the beautiful and exquisite rockeries. The rockeries at the Zhanyuan Garden occupy half of the total area of the Zhanyuan Garden. There are three rockeries in the south, north and west of the Zhanyuan Garden. The South Rockery is made up of more than 1,000 tons of stones of Taihu Lake, and there is a stalactite-like corrosion landscape hidden in the cave. The North Rockery is a relic of the Ming Dynasty. The Jiran Pavilion is located at the top of the West Rockery, where you can have a panoramic view of red maple, ginkgo and white walls and black tiles.

History Museum of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom

The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom History Museum, located in Zhanyuan Garden, is the only museum dedicated to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom in China, and it is also a professional museum with the largest collection of Taiping Heavenly Kingdom cultural relics and the richest historical materials in China. Zhanyuan Garden is known as the "first garden in Jinling(Jinling is the ancient name of Nanjing)".
 

Things to Do at the Zhanyuan Garden

Admire the Architectural Design of the Classic Garden

When it comes to classical gardens, we will remind of Suzhou. While the Zhanyuan Garden in Nanjing is one of the most famous classic gardens in the south of the Yangtze River(Jiangnan). Some of the scenes of A Dream in Red Mansions were photographed in Zhanyuan Garden. Zhanyuan Garden preserves parts of the ancient buildings, rockeries and lakes. And it was rebuilt and expanded in 1958 by the Nanjing government. At the Zhanyuan Garden, you can see the exquisite buildings of Ming and Qing dynasties, harmonious design of the pavilions, lakes, rockeries and plants, which combines the picturesque of southern China and majesty of northern China.

Enjoy the Performance of Night Zhanyuan Garden

The performances of Night Zhanyuan Garden include opera, instruments and dances. More and more tourists come to watch the performances and experience the beauty of the Chinese operas and instruments. At night, you can also enjoy the night view of the Zhanyuan Garden. The performances of Night Zhanyuan Garden combine the real scene of the Zhanyuan Garden, you can experience the charm of the traditional Chinese operas as well as the traditional Chinese buildings.
 

Nearby Attractions

Nanjing China Imperial Examination Museum

Nanjing China Imperial Examination Museum is located in the core area of Confucius Temple. Based on the site of Jiangnan Gongyuan, the largest examination room in ancient China, it creates a three-dimensional space like an underground treasure box on the premise of repairing and protecting historical sites such as Mingyuan Building and Feihong Bridge. It is a special museum that systematically reflects the imperial examination system and imperial examination culture in ancient China.
 

Best Time to Visit the Zhanyuan Garden

Zhanyuan Garden is always beautiful in different seasons. The best time to visit the Zhanyuan Garden will depend on the scenery you prefer. In spring, the peach blooms and the cherry blossoms make the Zhanyuan Garden more beautiful. If you want to enjoy the flower blossoms at the Zhanyuan Garden in spring, you can visit the Zhanyuan Garden in March and April. In summer, the plants at the Zhanyuan Garden are lush and green, and the lotus bloom at the ponds or lakes. You’d better avoid the heat at Zhanyuan Garden at noon in summer. In autumn, the osmanthus flowers are sweet and fragrant in the Zhanyuan Garden. In winter, the wintersweets are blooming in the Zhanyuan Garden, and you may also see the snow in the Zhanyuan Garden in winter.
 

How to Get to Zhanyuan Garden in Nanjing

Subway: Take the Subway Line 1 and get off at the Sansanjie Station(三山街站), get out off the station from exit 5, then walk about 8 minutes to Zhanyuan Garden.

Bus: Take the Bus 44 or 202 and get off the Zhonghua Road Zhanyuan Road Station.