Liyuan Garden

Situated at Genghua Village Tangkou Town, Kaiping District of Guangdong Province, Liyuan garden is a private garden on the shore of Li Lake. Built in 1936, Liyuan Garden is one of the four most famous gardens of Guangdong Province. Named after its master, Xie Weili, an overseas compatriot, the garden is a notable example of the private gardens constructed by overseas Chinese. Covering an area of 1.1 hectares (2.72 acres), it is situated in Tangkou Town, Kaiping City. The garden is a first-rate garden combining the lingering charms of China and the occident.

This unique garden is a perfect combination of the modernist western architectural style of the period and the traditional landscaping of China. The distinctive characteristics make this elegant garden a pearl among Chinese gardens. A special feature of the garden is the wide and deep canals which string together the architectural features of the garden. Above the canals, there are winding corridors, fine bridges and exquisite pavilions. The layout of the garden can be delimited into the Villa Zone, Grand Garden and Little Garden.

Entering the garden from the frontispiece and walking along the art corridor, you will find the Villa Zone, which contains six villas and an ancient watchtower. Covered with double-tier roofs and green glaze tiles, the Panwenlou Villa and the Panlilou Villa are the two most magnificent villas. Italian building materials are used for flooring and the staircase, and the walls are decorated with grand frescos, delicate embossments and lifelike metal-coated woodcarvings. Adorned with western fireplaces and artistic ancient lamps, the rooms look more elegant with elaborate blackwood furniture inside. A bronze statue of the garden's master stands in front of the Panlilou Villa.

The Grand Garden Zone lies to the west of the Villa Zone and comprises several extraordinary buildings. The majestic Memorial Archway was built in 1926-1936, and has a width of 37.7 feet and a height of 36 feet. Closely behind the Memorial Archway is a stately Decorated Archway which is roofed with green glazed tiles. It consists of a main building 21.3 feet high and two accessory buildings which are 16.4 feet high. To the east of the Decorated Archway, there stands a unique structure called the Bird's Nest. The top is built in ancient Roman style while the middle part looks more like the Chinese paper cutting. Inside the Bird's Nest, there is a pond and rockwork populated with peacocks and other birds. The elegant Hua Teng (Flower Vine) Pavilion is a closed structure built with numerous grilles and the roof is shaped like the crown of the Queen of England. The Yupei Villa is a tower dwelling located in the southwest of the Garden Zone. The four-storey construction shows high architectural skill, blending Chinese, Japanese, Italian and ancient Roman styles.

Connected with the Villa Zone by canals, the Little Garden Zone is characterized by fancy bridges and bijou pavilions, including Kuahong Bridge, Wanxiang Pavilion, Chanchun Pavilion and Guanlan Bridge. The hexagonal Yicui Pavilion is engraved with a golden dragon and vivid designs of the Eight Immortals in the inner roof. Excellent couplets written by luminaries are scattered across the buildings, and they add a cultured air to the beautiful Liyuan Garden.

Each part of the garden has a style of its own. They are separated by water or walls, but are connected by pavilion bridges and winding corridors, which can provide much food for thought for their views within the view and gardens within the garden. Moreover the couplets hung on the pillar and written by famous calligraphers make the garden rich in cultural connotation. Plenty of romantic and elegant clay carvings and printed murals make you feel that you are staying in a Fairyland. The scenery of the garden is so attractive that it draws a number of photographers towards it.

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