The Underrated Couple's Garden Retreat…

[Suzhou Couple's Garden Retreat | A Love Poem in an Ink Painting] Stroll through the northeastern corner of Suzhou's old city, push open a carved moon gate, and you'll find yourself immersed in an unfinished ink scroll. The Couple's Garden Retreat, a classical Jiangnan garden first built during the Qing Dynasty, takes its name from "couple," concealing a romantic verse of a couple's secluded life—the eastern garden with its stacked rocks and flowing water, the western residence with its harmonious music, every brick and tile whispering a poetic life of "a happy couple dwelling in the Couple's Garden Retreat, a city of poetry built within the city walls." A Scene Every Few Steps: Stepping into a Love Fable Amidst Mountains and Water • Step through the garden gate, and you're greeted by the "Yellow Stone Rockery," outlining a misty landscape, with ancient vines clinging to it like a web of time-woven affection. • Walk along the corridor, listening to the rustling of banana leaves in front of the Listening to the Rain Pavilion, dewdrops reflecting the harmonious music of Shen Bingcheng and Yan Yonghua from centuries past. • Pause amidst the landscape, watching the reflection of the Li Pavilion embrace the shimmering pond, as if it were the gentle, flowing heartbeat of Suzhou. The Cycle of Seasons: Encountering Romance in Different Times Spring: Peonies and tree peonies compete for beauty by the Peony Pavilion, bees and butterflies acting as matchmakers on the branches of crabapple trees. Summer: The lotus pond ripples with blue waves, the croaking of frogs echoing from the depths of the lotus flowers. Autumn: Ginkgo leaves pave golden paths, maple leaves paint the eaves of the Couple's Garden Retreat hall crimson. Winter: Snow-covered bridges resemble jade carvings, the subtle fragrance of plum blossoms wafting from the windows of the study. A Cultural Encounter: Touching the Living Memories of the Garden • Every Saturday afternoon, Pingtan artists play the qin and sing in the Listening to the Oars Tower, their soft Wu dialect reviving the earthly delights of *Six Chapters of a Floating Life*. • Intangible Cultural Heritage Handicraft Experience: Under the guidance of an old curtain weaver, embroider Suzhou embroidery stitches into a silk scarf, taking away the delicate warmth of Jiangnan. • As night falls, a lantern-lit night tour feels like traveling through time, the moonlight casting a flowing halo on every archway. [Tips] • Recommended spots for Hanfu photos: The interplay of light and shadow in the double corridor and the antique window frames of the library are all great places for taking photos. • QR code for the garden tour audio guide, unlocking the "love code" of 23 scenic spots. • The Couple's Garden Retreat teahouse offers a special "Twin Lotus Tea," made with lotus flowers from the garden, its sweetness concealing the subtle romance of Jiangnan. Suzhou's gardens are diverse, but the Couple's Garden Retreat uniquely uses "love" as its ink, sketching architecture, landscape, and culture into a beautiful tapestry of love. Why not escape the hustle and bustle, find a poetic dwelling here, slow down time, and listen to the whispers between the bricks and tiles?