Canglang Pavilion: Clear Breeze as Our Guest, Running Water as Our Reply

If you look closely you will notice that the gate of Canglang Pavilion faces north. When the first owner Su Shunqin lived here the main entrance actually faced south. In the Qing dynasty the Jiangsu governor Song Luo rebuilt the garden and sealed the original south gate with a solid wall and a latticed window. From then on the north gate became the only way in.

Su Shunqin himself had a rough life. He died just three years after the garden was completed, only forty one years old. Unlike gardens such as the Humble Administrator’s Garden and Lingering Garden which are designed around water Canglang Pavilion is built around rock and artificial hills. The rockery is huge filled with Taihu stones and earth in layers running from east to west.

Here you can see two imperial steles left by a grandfather and grandson on the throne Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong. Kangxi’s stele stands in the Imperial Stele Pavilion. It mainly expresses his hope that local officials would govern with integrity and praises Suzhou as a land of talent and beauty. Qianlong’s stele is in the Leisure Chanting Pavilion and records his instructions on controlling local flooding.

The Hall of Five Hundred Worthies was completed in 1828. It honors many famous figures you probably know such as Wu Zixu, Fan Zhongyan, Di Renjie, Li Bai, Bai Juyi, Sima Guang, Liu Yuxi, Su Shi, Wen Tianxiang, Han Shizhong and Hai Rui. The idea behind building this hall was to encourage later generations to remember and respect these great people. Their stories still serve as powerful lessons in honesty and good governance.

Windows in Canglang Pavilion come in two types. One is the decorated window with glass panes. The other is the openwork window in the covered corridors which lets you see through the wall to the view beyond. Openwork windows are common in many Suzhou gardens but the decorated glass windows here especially in the Cui Linglong Hall feel more refined. Looking out from them you see tall bamboo swaying against the sky. It is the kind of scene that drew poets and painters here for centuries.

When you reach the Qingxiang Hall you may catch a delicate fragrance at the door. It comes from sweet osmanthus blossoms once so famous that this spot used to be called Osmanthus Pavilion. Inside you will find late Qing dynasty furniture made from tree roots mostly from banyan trees. Craftsmen worked with the natural shapes of the roots and lightly carved them into forms that look like flying birds or dragons twisting in motion. Tables and stands of different sizes hold small potted plants and water grown greenery covered with moss adding soft touches of life to the space.

About Tickets:
Compared with major gardens like the Humble Administrator’s Garden which costs around eighty yuan Canglang Pavilion is actually very budget friendly at only twenty yuan with students and seniors paying ten. If you plan to tour several Suzhou gardens you can buy a combo ticket that includes Canglang Pavilion together with the Lingering Garden the Master of the Nets Garden and the Humble Administrator’s Garden. If you want to visit places like Couple’s Retreat Garden, Lion Grove Garden or Tiger Hill you may need separate tickets. People who live or work in Suzhou can also apply for an annual garden pass which is usually the best deal.