Suzhou Off the Beaten Path | This free little garden is a place 99% of people have never visited

Located at No. 43, Mayike Alley, Gusu District, Suzhou City, Qu Garden is the former residence of the famous literary master Yu Yue. In the thirteenth year of the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty (1874), Yu Yue purchased the land with the help of friends and designed it himself. Taking advantage of the winding terrain, he dug ponds, piled up rocks, planted flowers and bamboo, and built more than thirty pavilions. Drawing inspiration from the phrase 'what is bent will remain whole' from the Tao Te Ching, Yu Yue named this garden 'Qu Garden'. Yu Yue (December 25, 1821 – February 5, 1907) Styled Yinfu, self-named Qu Yuan Ju, the great-grandfather of the modern poet Yu Pingbo. Zhang Taiyan and Wu Changshuo were among his disciples. Zeng Guofan praised his two students: 'Li Hongzhang is desperate to be an official, Yu Yue is desperate to write books.' As soon as you enter Qu Garden, you are first attracted by the sound of bamboo on one side. Standing in the bamboo garden for a while, you suddenly understand 'One would rather have no meat than live without bamboo.' Turning the corner, you come across the winter sweet, and its beauty is overwhelming. The garden is really small but wins with its quiet elegance. 🎫Ticket: Free 🕐Opening Hours: 09:00～16:30 🚇Transportation: 500 meters walk from Exit 1b of the Courthouse Field Station on Line 4