Yiyuan Garden, Classical Chinese garden in Suzhou, China

Yiyuan Garden, or the Garden of Pleasance, covers about 0.6 hectares near Guanqian Street in central Suzhou. A covered corridor with windows on both sides divides it into an eastern half of buildings and courtyards and a western half centred on a pond. Dozens of stone tablets carved with calligraphy by famous masters are set into the corridor walls.

An official named Go Wenbin created this private garden in the late 1800s during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty. The property was built when classical gardens were already an established tradition in Suzhou.

The garden demonstrates traditional Chinese design principles through its arrangement of water, rock formations, and plants that create a balanced living space. Visitors can observe how these elements follow regional aesthetics to achieve harmony and natural beauty.

The garden covers about 0.6 hectares near Guanqian Street in central Suzhou. A covered corridor with latticed windows divides it into an eastern half of courtyards and buildings and a western half centred on a pond. Look for the stone calligraphy rubbings set into the corridor walls.

The garden's name comes from a phrase meaning "nourishing one's nature and cultivating longevity," chosen by Gu Wenbin. Its walls also hold dozens of stone engravings of calligraphy by masters of past dynasties, known as the Yiyuan Model Letters.