| Surging
Waves Pavilion (1040s onward) other
sites in Suzhou |
Suzhou, China |
Click on the thumbnails to enlarge.
The Surging Waves Pavilion is one of the oldest gardens in Suzhou. Situated in the southwest quadrant of the city, it is located directly to the west of the Confucian temple. The garden was originally constructed during the reign of Emperor Qingli (1041-49) of the Northern Song Dynasty by Su Shunqin. He named the garden "The Surging Waves Pavilion" after a poem in the anthology Songs of Chu. During the Southern Song dynasty, the site was taken over by Han Shizhong. It underwent numerous renovations in the centuries to follow, but retains its essential form.
Unlike other gardens in Suzhou, there is a strong emphasis on the contrast between constructed natural settings and the built environment. For example, the front to the garden is dominated by a wide canal linked to the main entrance by a long stone bridge. The relatively massive built forms (the bridge, the tall entrance) provide a strong counterpoint to the water. On the same note, many spaces on the interior of the garden are narrow, claustrophobic, and framed more by walls and corridors than they are by natural forms such as rockeries or vegitation.
According to the author's GPS, the Surging Waves Pavilion lies at approximately 31 17.81677' north, 120 37.26832' east (WGS84 map datum).
Bibliography:
Image credits:
All images copyright 2008 Tim Ciccone. Photographed May, 2008.
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Pamphlets available
on site (site plan adapted from plan printed on entry ticket).
Cheng, Liyao.
Ancient Chinese Architecture: Private Gardens
New York: Springer-Verlag/Wein, 1999
Dong, Xiaoming.
Cultural Heritage: The Old City of Suzhou
China: Guwuxuan Publishing House, 2002
Feng, Chaoxiong
& Fan, Yiguang. The Classical Gardens of Suzhou
China: New World Press, 2007
Liu, Dunzhen.
Classical Gardens of Suzhou
China: China Architecture and Building Press, 2005