Introducing Couple's Retreat Garden, Couple's Retreat Garden Guide, Couple's Retreat Garden Travel Guide
Edited by Hillary
The Couple's Garden Retreat is a fairly large garden divided into three parts--a central living area flanked by an east and west garden. The 0.8 hectare site is bordered on three sides by canals, with docks on the north and south sides permitting entrance from the waterways.
Couple's Retreat Garden was first laid out in the early Qing period as the pleasure garden of Baoning prefect Lu Jingzhi. In 1874, Shen Bingcheng, the governor of Susong County in Anhui, acquired Couple's Retreat Garden and expanded it to its present size. In 1941, Liu Guojun, an industrialist from Changzhou, bought Couple's Retreat Garden and spent several years renovating it. In 1955, upon Liu's instruction, Tao Shunan, the Manager of the Zhenya Silk Weaving Mill, donated Couple's Retreat Garden to Suzhou city. Couple's Retreat Garden is currently registered as a World Heritage site.
Couple's Retreat Garden is divided into two parts, western garden and eastern garden. Western garden is peaceful, serene and simplicity, both reading and working here are able to be achieved. Eastern garden is the essence of the whole garden. Mountains and lakes as the main sceneries, with pavilions and galleries surrounded, the overall distribution of eastern garden is of excellence.
Quick Facts on Couple's Retreat Garden
• Name: Couple's Retreat Garden
• Location: Downtown Suzhou
• Phone: +86-512-67272717
• Date: Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)
• Best Time to Visit: March to May
• Recommended Time for a Visit: 1-2 Hours
• Opening Hours: 7:30-17:00
• Admission Fee: CNY 25 (Apr 16 to Oct 30); CNY 20 (Oct 31 to Apr 15)