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Nestled within classical gardens, cradled by millennia-old waters, and great for composing poems, the pavilions in Yangzhou serve as a vivid, contemporary interpretation of traditional Chinese garden aesthetics.
Songhe Pavilion sits on the Summer Hill at Geyuan Garden. [Photo/WeChat account: yzs_lyj]
Perched atop the Summer Hill at Geyuan Garden is Songhe Pavilion. On the pavilion's plaque, the Chinese character for "he" (meaning crane) slightly tilts rightward, as if two cranes were soaring gracefully through the sky. This small, square structure stands on four pillars anchored to the ground, each crowned with a flying eave.
Wushuang Pavilion stands amid rockeries and trees at Qionghua Taoist Temple. [Photo/WeChat account: yzs_lyj]
During his tenure as governor of Yangzhou, Ouyang Xiu, one of the Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties, built Wushuang (Unparalleled) Pavilion beside the viburnum tree at Qionghua Taoist Temple.
The name was inspired by the peerless beauty of Chinese snowball viburnum in the city. The pavilion was a place where the poet binged on wines, admired blossoms, and composed legendary verses.
Douye Pavilion features white walls and black windows. [Photo/WeChat account: yzs_lyj]
Douye Pavilion, first built during the Song Dynasty, is located in Shaobo Ancient Town, a nationally designated historic and cultural town with a history of over 1,600 years. Standing on the bank of the Grand Canal, it boasts vast waters shimmering under distant skies and wisps of smoke curling from nearby cottages below — a scene of pure tranquility.
