Atlas of China
Couple's Retreat Garden 耦园Ǒu Yuán
National heritage site · Suzhou, Jiangsu
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Days to budget
- Half a day
- City
- Suzhou
- Region
- Jiangsu
- Type
- Heritage
- Listed as
- National heritage site
About Couple's Retreat Garden
A garden on the east edge of the Pingjiang historic district, surrounded by canals on three sides, rebuilt in the late 19th century by the retired official Shen Bingcheng, who withdrew here with his wife; 'ou' means a pair, hence the name. Unusually, two gardens flank the central residence: the eastern one, the finer, is built around a rugged yellow-stone rockery surviving from an 18th-century garden on the site, while the western one uses Taihu rocks. It is part of the Classical Gardens of Suzhou World Heritage Site.
How to get to Couple's Retreat Garden
At the eastern edge of the Pingjiang Road historic district in the north-east of Suzhou's old city, a short walk from Pingjiang Road.
Nearby
- Classical Gardens of Suzhou 苏州园林 under 10 km
Whole landscapes of rock, water and pavilion folded into a city block - Zhouzhuang 周庄古镇 30 km
Jiangnan's most famous water town, famed for its Twin Bridges and merchant halls
Also within 20 km: Quanjin Guild Hall (China Kunqu Opera Museum) 全晋会馆 (under 10 km), Pan Family Mansion (Ligeng Hall) 卫道观前潘宅 (under 10 km), Pingjiang Road Historic District 平江历史街区 (under 10 km), Jiachen Lane Brick Pagoda 甲辰巷砖塔 (under 10 km), Lion Grove Garden 狮子林 (under 10 km), Twin Pagodas (Luohan Temple) 罗汉院双塔 (under 10 km).
On the map
Open Couple's Retreat Garden on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it and what else is close, and to add it to a trip.
Open Couple's Retreat Garden on the map