Although a low-key city in Jiangsu Province, Wuxi’s refined charm of Jiangnan water town and the profound cultural heritage make this city a must-see, especially Li Garden, which sits on the shore of Li Lake and is full of water town beauty and Jiangnan scenery.
Located on the shore of the beautiful Li Lake, Li Garden is one of the major attractions of Taihu Lake, the national park of China.
Li Garden was originally two private gardens for two neighboring villas, which were the Li Garden built during 1927-1937 and the Fishermen Garden constructed during 1930-1937. In 1952, the “Hundred-Step Monument Gallery” built in 1927 in Li Garden was expanded to connect the two gardens, thus the two garden was renamed together as Li Garden. In 2002, Li Garden and Fishermen Garden were announced as Protected Cultural Relics Site of Jiangsu Province. In December 2005, Li Garden was assessed by the National Tourism Administration as an AAAA-level tourist attraction.
Li Garden is prestigious for its unique waterscape throughout the regions south of the Yangtze River with picturesque scenery and hidden gardens. It is also famous for the romantic love story between Fan Li and Xi Shi 2500 years ago. Surrounded by water on three sides, the garden offers a view of continuous green mountains in the distance with the nearby sound of waves lapping at shore. The south embankment features a spring scene with red peaches and green willows; scenery changes every few steps along the long waterside corridors; the rockeries tower over artificially shaped plants and the pavilions are hidden in lush trees. The great writer, Guo Moruo, once praised: “If you want to know the beauty of Li Garden, ask the young people at the cliff”.
