Most people would come to this area because of a historical structure known as Jiaxiu pavilion but unbeknownst to many, the one that's even older is Cuiwei Garden.
Built between Year 1425 and 1435 (during the Ming Dynasty), the garden has taken many forms; from being a nunnery to a temple and now, a garden for everyone.
Gong Nan Pavilion - more a house than a pavilion in my opinion unless my poor grasp of the Chinese language has made me misunderstood its purpose.
As always, coins in the water urn!
Cuiwei Garden is known to some (as in overseas tourists) as it's the place nearest to Jiaxiu pavilion with a washroom. Shamefully, that's the reason why my dad and i checked out the gardens!
To take an elevated shot of Jiaxiu pavilion, go up to the second level. Be mindful that it houses the female washrooms; you wouldn't want to be hauled up to the police station as a potential suspect for peeping!
Exploring the rest of the garden; it felt like i am checking out the sprawling residential abode of a high ranking officer in ancient China.
Longmen Academy - the name's origin came because of a governor known as Liu Yinshu who is a native of Hancheng in Shanxi province. That city (Hancheng) has a place known as Long Men (which means dragon's gate).
Some exhibits and in Chinese! Well, i tend to switch off when i saw too many Chinese characters as i am not as proficient in Chinese.
Jiaxiu Pavilion from a smaller pavilion in Cuiwei Garden. As there's not many people around, there was an aura of quiet, peacefulness
The entrance we came from before ascending the steps to Gong Nan Pavilion. It might seem strange if the place was used for residential purposes but as a nunnery, temple, it's not that uncommon to have the flight of steps right after the entrance.
Stepping into the Cuiwei Pavilion; by this time, i suspected the compound was originally separated and only came together as one in recent years.
Its year of construction wasn't known although the place was said to be well known during the Emperor Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty.
Given its raised, frontal view of the Nanming River, it has been a popular congregation spot for literary experts. Right now, it's a permanent calligraphy gallery for a calligrapher known as Mr Xiao.
Dad taking a photo. Since i lost my camera on day six, some of the photos i published on the itinerary actually came from my dad. Picture quality wasn't great but put it this way, i inherit my love for photography from him!
Back to the entrance.
That same pavilion i wrote earlier; the one at Longmen Academy. Imagine the scene a few hundred years ago, when scholars in dresses would likely debate current affairs and spout words of poetry.
The end.
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Operating Hours of Cuiwei Garden
Mondays - Closed
Tuesdays to Sundays - 9am to 5pm
Map (in Chinese)
As above.
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