"Tianxiang Cottage" in Suzhou Library

Tianxiang Villa is a garden villa that combines Chinese and Western styles. It currently covers an area of ​​2,664 square meters (of which the garden occupies 1,265 square meters) and has a construction area of ​​1,033 square meters. The residence is in the west. The west gate, sedan chair hall and main hall have been demolished. The existing building faces north and south, and consists of a flower hall (Yuanyang Hall), a main building, and east and west wing buildings. The three buildings are connected by corridors, all with gabled roofs covered with green glazed tiles. 1⃣️The space between the buildings is dotted with lake rocks and bamboos. Each building has brick-carved door plaques with words such as "Yun Yu", "Liang Xiang", "Zhen Qu", "Di Chen", "Xuan Sheng", "Qing Yuan" and "Zheng Ben". The interior decoration adopts traditional style, with doors, windows, lattice windows and screens carved with flowers, ancient coins, birds and animals, as well as calligraphy by famous people from past dynasties such as Wang Xizhi, Cai Xiang, Zhao Mengfu, Dong Qichang, Wang Wenzhi, Weng Fanggang, Zheng Banqiao, Deng Shiru, Zeng Guofan and Li Genyuan. The garden is on the east side of the house and has a horizontal rectangular plan. In the garden, soil and stones were piled up to form a mountain, and stone steps were built. A hexagonal pavilion was built on the mountain, with a platform set up on the east side, and lush trees all around. The mountain is surrounded by pools, decorated with lake rocks and flower paths. The pavilion corridors in the north of the pond are winding, making it a great place to rest and enjoy the scenery. In the old days, the rocks in the garden were shaped like animals, so it was commonly known as the Garden of Beasts. The garden is based on the layout, structure and decoration of traditional Suzhou mansions and gardens, absorbing and integrating the materials, techniques and certain features of Western architecture. It is unique, coordinated and full of the style of the Republic of China era. 2⃣️Tianxiang Cottage was originally the residence of the Jin family who were engaged in the financial industry in the early years of the Republic of China. In 1920, it was owned by Su Qian, Lieutenant General of the Beiyang Government Army, and was named Suzhuang. In 1933, Xi Qisun rebuilt it into a garden villa that combines Chinese and Western styles. During the Anti-Japanese War, it was the official residence of Li Shiqun, the pseudo-Governor of Jiangsu Province, and later it was owned by Xu Pucheng, the division commander of the Wang Puppet regime. After liberation, Tianxiang Cottage was used by Suzhou’s party and government agencies for a long time. It was damaged during the Cultural Revolution and was repaired in 1979. It is now a provincial cultural relic protection unit. "Tianxiang Cottage" is now part of Suzhou Library. 3⃣️I was lucky enough to go up to the second floor and take a look around. The corridor is well-made and well-preserved. The floor is made of thin wooden strips. Imagine the original owner walking through the corridor in pajamas. Time flies....... Tianxiang Xiaozhu Free and open Address: No. 858 Renmin Road, Gusu District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province (Suzhou Map South area of ​​the library) Transportation: 120m walk from Exit 3 of Sanyuanfang Station on Metro Line 4