The City of Hangzhou

Tour Day 18: Monday, May 8, 2001

Guo's Villa (Fenyang Villa)

We had to stop to admire this Japanese maple near the entry.

This is a quote excerpted from a plaque near the doorway:

First built between 1851 and 1861, the villa is named after a certain Guo Shilin. Opened to the public in October 1991 after a complete renovation, it is a private garden villa known among West Lake's gardens for being most characteristic of classic gardens in east China Lying against the West Hill. The villa faces Spring Dawn at Su Causeway in the east which spans West Lake. With Twin Peaks Piercing the Cloud in the west, it commands a distant view of the serene Southern Screen Hill in the south and the graceful Baochu Pagoda in the north.

The villa consists of two sections. Living in Quietness is where the host used to live and meet guests. The rooms are tastefully furnished with antique furniture. The Sky in the Mirror is a garden section. The sky-mirrored pond in the center is surrounded by corridors, stone bridges, and rockeries as well as trees and flowers.

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