Ge Garden, built in 1818 during the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty, is a preeminent example of a front-residence, back-garden style private garden in Jiangnan. It was constructed by Huang Zhiyun, a prominent salt merchant of the Huaiyang region, on the site of the Ming Dynasty “Shouzhi Garden.” The garden is renowned for its bamboo groves — the name “Ge” derives from the bamboo leaf’s resemblance to the Chinese character “个” — and for its innovative “Four Seasons Rockeries,” which use different types of stones to represent the landscapes of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Ge Garden has been recognized as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit (1988), a National AAAA Tourist Attraction, and a UNESCO World Heritage site as part of the Grand Canal (2014).
