Master-of-Nets Garden
» Suzhou, Jiang Su

网师园 翠微幽处鸟相歌,禅客闲闲卧碧萝.风雨飘潇清梦醒,庭前芳树落花多.

Wangshi Yuan

Located on Shiquan Street in Suzhou city with a total area of 0.54 hectares (1.3 acres), it is the smallest garden in Suzhou - one-tenth the size of the Humble Administrator's Garden. However, among all the gardens in Suzhou, it is considered the most "balanced" in terms of its use of water, rocks, plants, and timber.

Something needs to know

This exquisite garden was first designed during the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279) as part of a residence that was used until the Taiping Rebellion in the 1860's. It was later restored and became the residence of a government official from whom the garden got its name. It is said the retired official claimed he had given up public life to become a fisherman.

Getting around

Being the most exquisite and the best-preserved garden among all old residential gardens in Suzhou, the garden is divided into three parts. The first part is the residential area - originally with side rooms for sedan-chair lackeys, guest reception and living quarters. Next to this part are the central main garden and an inner garden located in the western part where a courtyard contains the Dianchun Studio, the master's study.

The entrance

Half surrounded by a screen wall and two alleyway side entrances, the front door faces south with hairpin-like door ornaments above it and two huge blocks of stone carved in the shape of drums kept fast with the hands, placed one by its left side and another by its right side. This type of front door showing owner's rank at the court has become very rare now.

The residential area

After entering the entrance are sedan-chair hall, grand reception hall and a two-storey tower sitting successively on a north-south axis. Constructed in accordance with the strict regulations of feudalism, they are magnificent buildings with extraordinary furnishing and interior decoration. Every hall has a door or walk-way leading to the main garden.

On a north-south axis there are four successive buildings separated by garden courts, namely the front door hall, the sedan-chair hall, the grand reception hall and the two-storey tower. Constructed in accordance with the strict regulations of feudalism, they are magnificent buildings with extraordinary furnishing and interior decoration.

In front of the grand reception hall is a door with richly carved earthen ornamentation. The two-storey tower at rear is the place where the family used to stay, and the hall in front is chiefly for reception, public celebrations and ceremonial observances. Every hall has a door or walk-way leading to the garden. It is a typical example of combining living quarters with a landscape garden in Suzhou.

The central main garden

The central main garden, occupying about four fifth of the total area of the garden, is situated northwest of the residential area with a pond in the center. Comparing with the normal architecture in the east residential area, the garden architecture appear more free and is suitable for reading, painting, viewing, resting, sipping tea and holding small banquets.

The garden architecture

Quite different from the normal architecture in the east, the garden architecture enjoys a considerable degree of free. Varieties of building are laid out to meet the needs of reading, painting, viewing, resting, sipping tea holding small banquet among scholarly friends, capping verse, performing on a musical instrument, meditating on nature and cultivating one's mind.

Roughly speaking, there are three parts in the garden. The Small Hill and Osmanthus, Fragrancy Pavilion, the Daohe House and the Music Room constitute the middle distance of the confined southern part of the garden. The technique of emancipation by suppression and contrasting light with shade are remarkably employed to make the middle part of the garden appear more impressive that it is when seen alone.

The pond

The middle part of the garden has a pond in the center, covering an area of about 440 square meters, has a tiny arch bridge named Yinjing Bridge (Leading to Quietude Bridge) in its end. The bridge, with a total length of 212 centimeters and width of 29.5 centimeters, is the smallest arch bridge in this garden.

The pond is curved round by a roofed walkway, natural-looking mountains made from yellow stones piled up in layers forming hollows and caverns within, a tiny arch bridge called "the Leading to Quietude", and a number of delicate and well-proportioned pavilions, namely the Washing-My-Ribbon Pavilion over the water, the Moon Comes with Breeze Pavilion, the Prunus Mume Pavilion and the Duck-Shooting Veranda.

The Washing-My-Ribbon Pavilion

The Washing-My-Ribbon Pavilion over the water is the best viewing place of the garden. The idea comes from a fisherman's song in the works of Mencius, saying ,"If the water of the Surging Wave River is clean ,I wash the ribbon of my hat ;if the water of the Surging Wave River is dirty ,I wash my feet." The same is true to the name of the garden-"Master-of -Nets".

The inner garden

To the west of the main garden is the inner garden, which covers an area of 1 mu (0.2 acre). Halls, pavilions, springs, plants, and verandas are scattering here and there in this garden, fully embodying the cream of the layout of the Suzhou gardens.

It is reputed to be the most well-preserved garden in Suzhou and should not be missed. It is small in size, but is like a beautifully cut diamond whose beauty is of never ending fascination and pleasure.

This part of the garden features studies and studios with beautiful garden courts. Some noteworthy places include the Peony Study, the Watching Pines and Appreciating Paintings Studio, the Five Peaks Library and the Cloud Stairway Room. With white-washed walls as its backdrop, stones bamboo, Prunus mumm and Musa basjoo partly concealed by windows and buildings have incredibly come to form numerous picturesque scenes.

Dianchun Studio

Dianchun Studio, a solitary courtyard in this part, was perhaps the fist Chinese garden structure to have found its way to the outside world - Ming Hall, the miniature model of this courtyard was copied in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City in 1981 and the Pompidou Center in Paris in 1982.

When to visit

Opening Hours: 8:00a.m. - 5:00p.m.

Getting there

By bus: No.2, 4, 14, 31.

Attractions around » Suzhou, Jiang Su

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  Weather

  1. How about the weather in Suzhou?
  2. When is the best time to visit there?

  Travel

  1. How to rent a bicycle?
  2. Write down names and numbers if you don't speak Chinese.

  Customs

  1. Could you tell me something about local festival - Ya Shenxian?

  Other Hints

  1. People do tips there?
  2. Do people speak English there?

  • How about the weather in Suzhou?

    Suzhou is located in a subtropical monsoon zone, so the weather is mild and moist with four distinct seasons.

    The Plum Rain Season of June is followed by a hot July. After July, a harvest autumn arrives. Both the fresh fruits and the seafood will surely whet your appetite.


    • When is the best time to visit there?

  • It's best to visit Suzhou between January and April because the temperature is not too low and the flowers are in full bloom until June.


  • How to rent a bicycle?

    You can find bicycles for rent at a lot of place, but you will need to leave deposit and show your identity card.


  • Write dowm names and numbers if you don't speak Chinese.

    Being a foreigner in China, is quite demanding as you would have to struggle with the language barrier. Our best tip for people travelling from one place to another is to know the chinese character of the place you intend to go to and make sure you jot down the plate number of the bus, and it may prove very helpful once you leave some stuff behind.


  • Could you tell me something about local festival - Ya Shenxian?

    Ya Shenxian (April 14th in Chinese lunar calendar)
    April 14th is said to be the birthday of Lv Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals in Chinese Taoist mythology.

    On that day, he comes to Suzhou disguised as a human to spread happiness and prosperity. To receive more luck from the immortal, people from all over Suzhou crowd the streets in celebration.

    Today, this activity has turned into a bustling temple fair with various displays including handicrafts, plants, animals, and local snacks.


  • People do tips there?

    People here in Suzhou usually don't do tips. You don't have to pay porters for carrying things around for you. You don't have to pay waiter or waitress for bringing your dish.

    But some tips might make their life a bit easier. So tip or not tip, all depends on your personal preference.


  • Do people speak English there?

    The official language of China is Mandarin, though regional dialects pervade every corner of this massive country. Learning a few phrases in Mandarin is sufficient for travel in Suzhou.

    While younger Chinese and those involved with the tourist industry may understand varying degrees of English, it is still advised that visitors carry the name of their hotel and other important destinations written in Chinese characters.


Halls, pavilions, springs, plants, and corridors are scattering here and there in the Master-of-Nets Garden blend perfectly with each other. Though being the smallest of all Suzhou's gardens, it is striking because of the use of space and there are scenes beyond scenes, and gardens within the garden.

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