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Zhan Yuan Garden

Qianlong's Villa

The Zhan Yuan Garden is known as "the first garden in Jinling (Nanjing)", it was once the private garden of Ming Dynasty General Xu Da and the palace where Emperor Qianlong stayed during his visit to South China. There are many rockeries in Zhan Yuan Garden, with different postures and shapes, and a waterfront promenade running north and south through the garden.

At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, the great Hongwu Emperor, in recognition of the achievements of the great general Xu Da, gave him two private gardens in Nanjing. One in the east is the present-day Nanjing Bailuzhou Park, and the other one in the west, known as the First Garden in Jinling (Nanjing) is the Zhan Yuan Garden 瞻园. The Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty stayed here during his visit to South China, and granted the “Zhan Yuan” plaque with his own calligraphy.

At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom settled in Jinling, Zhan Yuan has become the residence of the Taiping generals. After the Taiping Rebellion, Zhang yuan was almost completely destructed with the Nanjing City. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Zhan Yuan Garden was renovated several times, and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom History Museum was established inside the garden.

Zhan Yuan Garden is one of the five top gardens in south China, along with Suzhou’s Humble Administrator's Garden and The Lingering Garden, etc. The rockeries here is staggering in numbers, occupying almost half of the garden’s area. The rockeries and the water system are in perfect harmony with each other, forming a number of Different Landscapes in various styles.

Inside Zhang Yuan Garden, there are The Outlook Pavilion 一览阁, The Hall of Excellent Serenity 静妙堂, The Wing Spreading Pavilion 翼然亭, The Greenery Mountain Villa 环碧山房 and other major buildings, with Corridors Connecting Each Other. Visitors can stroll in the garden and enjoy the view freely no matter sunny or rainy.

There is also a Tiger Tablet recognized as a treasure of the Zhan Yuan Garden. It is a calligraphic work of a Chinese character “虎 tiger” with another four characters “富甲天下 (The Wealthiest in the World)” hidden inside it, and you can even find the tiger head, body, and tail if you look carefully.