Duanben Park

Duanben Park, also known as Duanben Garden, is a classical scholar garden tucked away at the end of Daguan Lane in the water town of Lili, in Jiangsu province. Built in the eighteenth century during the Qianlong reign by local official Chen Heming and later rebuilt during the Tongzhi period, it served as a private residential retreat.

The property is also known locally as Junma Fu, meaning the Imperial Son-in-Law's Residence, because a descendant of the Chen family married into the Qing imperial nobility. Covering around nine hundred square meters, the garden exemplifies the traditional regional technique of arranging courtyards, water, and artificial rock formations to create a complete landscape within a compact residential setting.

The layout centers on a pond crossed by a zigzag stone bridge and framed by covered walkways. Visitors can explore the Double Osmanthus Tower, stone rockeries, a small hexagonal pavilion, and the waterside Pingbo Pavilion, all set among seasonal plantings and traditional courtyard architecture.