Night tour of Yiyuan
The half moon loomed through the deep night sky.
Walking away from the neon-lit Guanqian Street, a quiet courtyard gate separates all the bustle.
When I stepped over the ancient lintel, all the light and shadow were outside the door. It seemed that I had passed through the legendary time tunnel and instantly arrived in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Yiyuan, a place that feels like a world apart.
The quiet garden made me walk slowly and gently. The lanterns on the porch gave off an extremely soft light, which was so soft that it made people feel peaceful. Everything in modern times fades away quickly in such light and shadow, including the modern and curious me. At this moment, I just want to play Li Qingzhao or Tang Waner for a moment.
Just a few steps to the right is the Yiyuan Tea House. The huge copper pot in the house is naturally not used for making tea. This is the symbol of the tea house. Two pillars in the house are written respectively "Spring is full in the pot, the guest is drunk" and "The tea-scented seat is waiting for you to come". I followed these two lines and came in.
Several bamboo chairs surround a simple coffee table. On the coffee table, there is a cup of green tea, a small plate of crispy peanuts, a small plate of hawthorn cake, and a catalog of Gusu Pingtan. Opening the catalog at random, each piece of Pingtan music has detailed content, the words are all tactful and beautiful, and the narrations are all sentimental. It must be mesmerizing to listen to it. It was probably still early and there was no audience, so I continued touring the park and came back later to enjoy the Gusu Pingtan.
Walking slowly along the path and looking slowly, the garden is full of exquisite elegance. The rockery is secluded, the vegetation is graceful, the water is quiet, and the small bridge is winding. The moonlight is blurry and the lights are dim. In this garden shrouded in twilight, the more you walk, the more mysterious and deep you feel, far away from the world.
I don’t remember visiting many halls and pavilions, but I will definitely go in when I see an open door. There was no one else in the garden at the moment. Compared with the crowded scenic spots during the day, which made me just want to escape quickly, this Yiyuan was indeed very different from the outside. I was able to enjoy the beautiful scenery to myself and record it with peace of mind. I lingered here and didn't want to leave. Some of my favorite records are as follows:
Suolvxuan is named after Du Fu's poem "The palace at the head of the river is locked with thousands of doors, for whom are the thin willows and new cattails green?" The ancient trees in the pavilion are towering, the sun is shaded by thick shade, and a wall of clouds locks in the greenery.
Shifang, also called Baishi Jingshe, has two lines in large characters: "Why should an elegant room be big?" and "The fragrance of flowers is not too much."
Jade Yanting Pavilion is named after the poetic meaning of "ten thousand poles can lift jade, and one hat can extend autumn". "Jiayu" refers to the jade-like sound made by the wind shaking green bamboo. There is a stone-engraved couplet in the Yuyan Pavilion: "Sitting quietly and absorbing the wonderful things, the clear pool suits my mood", which was written in cursive by Dong Qichang of the Ming Dynasty.
The Po Xian Qin Pavilion is divided into two parts: the east and the west. The east is the "Po Xian Qin Pavilion", hence the name of the "Yujian Liuquan Qin" formerly collected by Su Dongpo. To the west is the "Shi Ting Qin Room". In the past, Gu Wenbin obtained the old inscription "Shi Ting Qin Room" written by Weng Fanggang and added a postscript to it and hung it in the house. The rocks in the lake outside look like an old man, bowing his head and listening to the piano.
The Pavilion of Worshiping Stones is an allusion to Mi Fu of the Song Dynasty, and there are many strange stones in the courtyard, so it is named "Worship of Stones". The south patio is covered with pines, cypresses, hollies, square bamboos, and camellias. They all survive the winter and flourish only in the cold, so it is also called "Suihan Thatched Cottage."
The name of Zhanlu Hall comes from "The Book of Songs" "Zhanzhanlusi, the sun shines brightly". Zhan Zhan: profound meaning. Xi: Contains the meaning of longevity. There is a peony stand in front of the hall, which blooms with five colors in spring. It is also called the "Peony Hall".
Okay, that’s it for writing here, there are still some things I missed. A garden covering an area of 0.6 hectares has such rich connotations that I am overwhelmed. The profound culture contained in this garden can only be savored and indulged by those who live in it. I could only reluctantly retreat outside with infinite envy for the owner of the garden.
The seats in the teahouse are still empty. Why is such a wonderful place so deserted? When the two Pingtan actors saw me coming in, they both played the piano and sat on the stage. They performed two short Gusu Pingtan pieces for me, the only audience, one "Night Mooring at Maple Bridge" and one "Purple Bamboo Tune" .
That's enough! That's enough!
Suzhou Pingtan
"Night Mooring at Maple Bridge"
"Purple Bamboo Tune"
