Master of Nets Garden
The Master of Nets Garden, located in the southeastern part of Suzhou City in Jiangsu Province, is approximately 120 kilometers from Shanghai Hongqiao Airport.
As a representative work of medium-sized classical landscape gardens in Suzhou, this garden is not only a national AAAA tourist scenic spot in China but also a UNESCO World Heritage site and a key national cultural relics protection unit.
The Master of Nets Garden is the most exquisite and smallest of all of Suzhou's gardens, covering an area of approximately 0.54 hectares. In addition to understanding the mysteries of the garden layout here, watching quyi performances at night when the night garden is open each year is another major feature of this place.
Master of Nets Garden Facts
- Chinese name: 网师园
- Pinyin: Wangshi Yuan
- Location: No. 11 Kuojia Tou Xiang, Daichengqiao Road, Gusu District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province
- Opening hours: April 21 - October 20 from 07:30 to 17:30 (ticket sales stop at 17:00, latest admission at 17:00); October 21 - April 20 of the following year from 07:30 to 17:00 (ticket sales stop at 16:30, latest admission at 16:30); Night garden opening hours: mid-March to mid-November, every night from 19:30 to 22:00.
- Ticket price: 40 RMB in peak season, 30 RMB in off-season. Free for people over 70 years old with proof, children under 1.2 meters free of charge.
- Contact: 0512 - 65293190
Master of Nets Garden Map
Recommended Tour Route
- Main Entrance(正门) — Qing Neng Zao Da Sedan Hall(清能早达轿厅) — Wanshou Hall(万寿堂) — Xie Xiu Tower(撷秀楼) — Ladder Cloud Room Wufeng Book House(梯云室五峰书屋) — Ji Xu Zhai(集虚斋) — Yi Zhu Wai Yi Zhi Xuan(一竹外一枝轩) — Kan Song Du Hua Xuan(看松读画轩) — Dian Chun(殿春) — Yue Dao Feng Lai Pavilion(月到风来亭) — Zhuo Ying Water Pavilion(灌缨水阁) — Yun Gang(云冈) — Yin Jing Bridge(引静桥) — Small Mountain Cong Gui Xuan(小山丛桂轩) — Dao He Guan(蹈和馆) — Qin Room(琴室)
The most special part of the Master of Nets Garden is the night garden, where Kunqu opera, Pingtan, Jiangnan Silk Bamboo, guzheng, flute, and other quyi programs are performed in different halls in the garden.
- Night Tour Garden Opening Hours: Mid-March to mid-November, every evening from 19:30 to 22:00.
- Night Tour Master of Nets Garden Price: RMB100(Night tour performance programs include Pingtan, Kun opera, Kunqu, Kun dance, flute, guqin, Kan Hua tea rhyme, and other nine programs, with a total duration of about 45 minutes).
- Night Tour Master of Nets Garden ticket sales time: every evening from 19:30 to 21:00
History of the Master of Nets Garden
Master of Nets refers to fishermen, and is synonymous with "Fisherman's Retreat," implying the idea of living in seclusion. Therefore, the name of the Master of Nets Garden can be interpreted as "the garden of a fishing father or old fisherman." This name not only borrows the meaning of the old "Fisherman's Retreat," but is also homophonous with the name of the alley "Wang Si (some say Wang Si, now known as Kuojia Tou Lane)."
The Master of Nets Garden, established during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), was originally a small private garden named "Fisherman's Retreat," located at the former site of the Wanjuan Hall of Shi Zhengzhi, a minister of the Southern Song Dynasty. After several renovations, it was bought and rebuilt by Song Zongyuan during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty (1736 to 1796) and renamed the Master of Nets Garden.
In the late Qianlong period, the garden had already become desolate. It was later purchased by Qu Yuancun, a wealthy merchant from Taicang, who greatly renovated it, stacking stones, planting trees, arranging them appropriately, building new pavilions, and changing the old into new. It was commonly known as Qu Garden or Qu Garden. The layout of most of the scenic buildings in today's Master of Nets Garden dates back to the Qu Garden period. It is located in the wide head alley of Shiquan Street in the southeast of Suzhou.
Master of Nets Garden Architecture Design
The Master of Nets Garden is a typical private garden that integrates a residence with a garden. It occupies about half a hectare, less than a sixth of the Humble Administrator's Garden, but through clever layout, the small bridges, running water, pavilions, towers, and pavilions do not seem cramped, and it is a model of "seeing the big through the small."
The whole garden is laid out with water everywhere, and all kinds of buildings are well-coordinated, compactly arranged, and renowned for their exquisite design. The residential part consists of four sections, including the sedan hall, the large living room, the Xie Xiu Tower, and the Wufeng Book House, which are arranged in sequence along the central axis. The main hall "Wanjuan Hall" is tall and spacious, with elegant decoration.
The structure of the Master of Nets Garden is mainly based on the main garden of the central axis. The inner garden on the west side provides delicate compactness, and the east side is the beautiful architecture of the houses. The arrangement of the central axis focuses on the pool water, with the south being the place for feasts and the north being the place for reading books. Among these, the inner garden in the west part is most loved by visitors. There is a small house named Dianchunyi in the inner garden, which was an important reference when the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York introduced Chinese gardens in 1979 and set up an indoor architectural scene "Mingxuan" in the museum.
How to Get Garden of Master of the Nets
You can take the subway, bus, or taxi to the Master of Nets Garden. There are a number of buses, including tour buses, that service the garden compound.
Metro: Line 5, Nanyuan North Road Station.
Bus:
- The Master of Nets Garden Station(网师园站): Routes 202, 529, 931, 9003, 9006, 9011
- The Master of Nets Garden North Station(网师园北站): Routes 47B, 47C, 9010
- The Master of Nets Garden West Station(网师园西站): 529, 9003 peak line, 9010
Nearby Attractions
To the north of the Master of Nets Garden is the famous dining and craft specialty street of Suzhou known as Shiquan Street. Not just on Shiquan Street, but also on Phoenix Street which intersects it, there are numerous restaurants.
Local Suzhou restaurants like Old Suzhou Tea House and Xiehe Restaurant serve authentic Suzhou dishes, where you can taste local specialties like squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, eel paste in soy sauce, and shrimp with Biluochun tea(green tea). Craft items such as Suzhou embroidery, calligraphy and painting, silk, etc. are available for purchase.
In the same area, there's also another attraction, the Canglang Pavilion, which you can visit together.
More Tour suggestions
Time Allocation: It is suggested to reserve half a day for visiting the Master of Nets Garden, so you can fully enjoy the beautiful scenery of the garden and appreciate its unique cultural art.
Best Visiting Time: In fact, it is suitable to visit the Master of Nets Garden in any season, but spring and autumn are the best viewing periods.
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