Park
Tuisi Garden
Chinese name
退思园
Chinese address
同里古镇
Opening hours: 08:00 - 21:00
Tuisi Garden, known in English as the Retreat and Reflection Garden, is located in the historic canal town of Tongli. It was constructed between 1885 and 1887 during the Qing dynasty by a dismissed imperial official named Ren Lansheng. After being removed from his post, Ren returned to his hometown and commissioned a local painter, Yuan Long, to design the estate.
The name Tuisi is derived from a classical Chinese saying in the Zuo Zhuan, which counsels an official to be loyal in service to the court and to reflect upon one's faults upon retreating from office. In 2000, UNESCO added Tuisi Garden to the World Heritage List as an extension to the Classical Gardens of Suzhou.
Unlike traditional classical gardens that feature north-to-south axial progressions, Tuisi Garden is arranged horizontally from west to east due to the narrow constraints of the canalside plot. The western section serves as the residential quarter, containing the sedan chair hall, main guest hall, and inner living chambers. The eastern section opens into the garden proper, centered around a large natural pond.
The garden is designed so that almost every structure sits low along the water, creating an illusion that the pavilions, covered verandas, and rockeries are floating on the surface. Among its notable features are the stone boat structure, a two-story walkway that encircles the pool, and viewing pavilions arranged to frame scenes across each season.