Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty
The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty is a Chinese garden located on 272 Jingde Rd., inside the Embroidery Museum in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. In 1997, it was recognized with other classical Suzhou gardens as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
History
The history of the Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty may date back to the Jin dynasty (266–420), when Education Minister Wang Xun and his brother Wang Min donated their residential house to build Jingde Temple. Later during Five Dynasties era, it became Jingu Garden, owned by Qian Yuanliao, son of the emperor of Wuyue Kingdom, Qian Liu. In the Song dynasty, it was the pharmaceutical garden of Zhu Changwen, a scholar. In following centuries, it was rebuilt several times. In the Jiajing era of the Ming dynasty, it became the Xuedao Academy of Classical Literature, and later, the office of provisions supervisor. In 1573, it was the residence of Grand Councilor, Sheng Shixing. In the late Ming dynasty and early Qing dynasty, his descendant, Sheng Jikui, built Qu Garden here.During the Qianlong era of the Qing dynasty, it was the residence of Jiang Ji, director of Jurisdiction Department. Jiang built Qiuzi Tower, and piled stones to form a rockery behind it. He dug the ground to three feet, and a spring emerged and created a pond, called Flying Snow. Other houses and pavilions were also erected. The garden subsequently was owned by Bi Yuan, the Imperial Secretary of State, and Sun Shiyi, the Chief Counselor. Sun's grandson Sun Jun, in 1807, asked rockery master Ge Yuliang to rebuild this garden. Ge built the rockery within a field of half mu while the effect was overwhelming as if it spread for many li. The garden gained its reputation for its rockery ever since. Wang Zhou, Director of Works, bought the garden and renamed it Mountain Villa of Embraced Beauty. In 1949 the garden became property of the government and in 1988 was declared a major historic site.