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11 Kuojiatou Alley, Daichengqiao Road, Canglang District, Suzhou, China
UNESCO World Heritage Site; One of the most famous classic gardens in China
Located in Kuojiatou Alley, Daichengqiao Road, Canglang District, Suzhou City in China, Master of Nets Garden is a representative work of Chinese classical garden. With a total area of 0.54 hectares, Master of Nets Garden is the smallest garden in Suzhou - half the size of the Canglang Pavilion and one-tenth the size of the Humble Administrator's Garden. It is a typical Suzhou residential garden, recognized with other classical Suzhou gardens as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The garden demonstrates Chinese garden designers' adept skills for synthesizing art, nature, and architecture to create unique metaphysical masterpieces.
The outstanding feature of this small but elegant garden is that it combines living quarters with the landscape garden. The physical center is a pond surrounded by roofed walkwaves and pavilions, and decorated with trees, flowers and rockery. In short, there're scenes beyond scenes, and gardens within the garden. Buildings are perfectly well-spaced instead of being crammed. A small area of water and rockery is made to seem large.
Based on illusion, the garden is full of change, achieving a unity of part and whole. The Master of Nets Garden serves to illustrate how the few surpasses the many.
Covering an area of about 10 mu (approximately 0.54 hectares), the Master of Nets Garden is small in size yet highly sophisticated in design. The garden is divided into three main sections: the eastern residential quarter, the central main garden (landscape area), and the western inner garden. Each section reflects different aspects of classical Suzhou garden aesthetics and lifestyle.
Wanjuan Hall (万卷堂): The main hall of the residence, facing five bays wide, with exquisitely carved beams depicting phoenixes and peonies. The stone bases of the columns are carved with motifs of pine, bamboo, and plum blossoms. The floor is paved with imperial “golden bricks” from Suzhou kilns, once reserved for palaces.
Xiaoshan Conggui Pavilion (小山丛桂轩): A four-sided hall fronted by ornamental Taihu rocks imitating a miniature mountain, surrounded by golden osmanthus and wintersweet trees, symbolizing “clustered osmanthus retaining guests.”
Zhaoying Water Pavilion (濯缨水阁): Built over Cai Xia Pond, this waterside pavilion has hidden channels beneath its floor to guide water. In the rainy season, it appears to float above the pond, creating a striking illusion.
Yuandao Fenglai Pavilion (月到风来亭): A hexagonal pavilion with a bronze mirror hanging inside, where visitors can experience the “Three Moons in One Scene” – the moon in the sky, the moon reflected in the water, and the moon seen in a wine cup.
Dianchun Yi (殿春簃): A famous “garden-within-a-garden,” covering about 300 square meters. Known for its refined simplicity, this section once served as the prototype for the “Ming Xuan” in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Quite different from that at broad daylight, the classical Chinese garden setting provides an atmosphere of peace and clam in the evening. It is relaxing and entertaining to tour the garden with the melodious notes of Chinese music. From mid March to mid November, cultural performances, including local operas, folk songs, folk dance, and Chinese music, will be held every evening in the exquisite pavilions and halls of the Master of Nets Garden, the biggest stage, most realistic backdrop and ideal viewing place in which the landscape garden and performing art are inextricably mixed. One is unable to tell whether he is in the garden enjoying ht e performing art or vice versa. Indeed, it is the most wonderful artistic conception.
Performance Information
Venue: No. 11, Kuojiatou Alley, Daichengqiao Road, Gusu District
Opening Hours: Around 19:30–22:00, from April to October each year
Ticket Price: RMB 100 per person (on-site purchase)
The Master of Nets Garden has two entrances: the southeast gate (main entrance) and the north gate (back entrance). It is recommended to enter from the southeast gate and tour the garden in a counter-clockwise route around the pond, which allows you to view the architecture and scenery in a natural sequence.
Eastern Residential Area: From south to north, visitors first encounter the Carriage Hall, then the main reception hall (Wanjuan Hall), followed by Xiexiu Tower for living and receiving guests, and the Wufeng Study, which was once the original site of the Southern Song Dynasty’s “Wanjuan Hall.” Northeast of the Wufeng Study lies Tiyun Chamber.
Notable details to look out for include: the delicately carved sedan chair in the Carriage Hall, fine brick carvings on the gate towers opposite Wanjuan Hall and in front of Xiexiu Tower, and the elegant wooden carvings decorating the windows and doors of Tiyun Chamber.
Northern Section: Walk west from Wufeng Study along the northern edge of Cai Xia Pond. Here you will find Jixu Studio, where the owner enjoyed reading, and Zhuwai Yizhixuan, a study space for the children. Continuing west leads to Kan Song Duhua Pavilion, designed for appreciating garden scenery. With pine and cypress planted nearby, this spot offers seasonal delights: flowers in spring, cicadas in summer, the fragrance of osmanthus in autumn, and snow-covered evergreens in winter – the inspiration behind the phrase “reading paintings.”
Western Inner Garden: This area is more secluded. The painter Zhang Daqian once lived in Dianchun Yi and even kept a tiger here for artistic inspiration. Today, visitors can still see a small tombstone that Zhang erected for his tiger near the western wall. Nearby, the Yuandao Fenglai Pavilion stands by the pond, where the reflection of white walls and black tiles in the water creates a serene atmosphere. At night, it becomes an excellent spot for moon-gazing. The bronze mirror in the pavilion visually expands the space, enhancing the viewing experience.
Southern Section: Moving further south, visitors will come across the Zhaoying Water Pavilion and the Music Chamber, once used for playing the qin. The Daohe Hall served as a leisure retreat, while the rockery Cloud Ridge offers an elevated view of the entire garden. To the east lies Xiaoshan Conggui Pavilion, a living and reception space surrounded by osmanthus. Nearby stands the famous miniature bridge, Yinjing Bridge. With only three steps across, its small size ingeniously makes Cai Xia Pond appear larger, showcasing the garden’s mastery of spatial illusion.
Just north of the Master of Nets Garden lies Shiquan Street, one of Suzhou’s most popular dining and handicraft streets. Along Shiquan Street and intersecting Fenghuang Street, visitors can find numerous restaurants and tea houses. Recommended places include Old Suzhou Teahouse and Xiehe Restaurant, both serving authentic Suzhou cuisine such as Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish, Braised Eel in Brown Sauce, and Biluochun Shrimp.
For souvenirs, Suzhou embroidery, silk, and traditional paintings and calligraphy are widely available in this area, making them perfect mementos of a trip to Suzhou.
In addition, the Canglang Pavilion (沧浪亭), another UNESCO-listed classical garden, is located nearby and can be conveniently included in the same itinerary.
Originally known as the Fisherman Retreat, it was laid out in 1140 under the Southern Song Dynasty (960-1279) by Shi Zhengzhi, the Deputy Civil Service Minister of the Southern Song Dynasty government. After his death, the garden passed through numerous ownership and subsequently fell into disarray until around 1785 when it was restored by Song Zongyuan, a retired government official of the Qing Dynasty. After Song Zongyuan repaired the garden, it was renamed the Master of Nets Garden (Wangshi Garden). It was said that the official announced that he had had enough of bureaucracy and would rather be a fish man. Hence came its name, as an allusion to the simple life of a fisherman.
Qianlong period of Qing Dynasty (1795), Taicang businessman Qu Yuancun bought the garden, who was a scholar well-versed in the classics and literature. He added and built more buildings, dance hall, and to the wind Pavilion, arranged hills, planted trees and bamboo, and then into the basic layout is still in use now. "Master" is the old name, the owner surnamed Qu, so it also acquired the nickname of "Qu Yuan" during this period. Ownership passed to Li Hongyi, an imperial official and master calligrapher in 1868. About half of the steles in the garden were inscribed by him.
In 1940, the ownership of the garden went to He Chang, who repaired both the garden and recalled its name back to Master of Nets Garden. He left a will that the garden should be donated to the government. In 1958, his daughter He Ze Hui gave the garden to the Suzhou government.
In 1997 it was inscribed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO. In 2003 it was listed as the National Tourist Attraction of Grade AAAA.
You may take 55, 202, 204, 47, 529, 811 or 931 to Master of Nets Garden Station, and then walk for another 100 meters.
From $ 197
From on request
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