Firstly
we visit the smallest garden named Master of the Nets (fisherman). It’s a charming environment typically Chinese. A
pond with nenuphars, rocks in recreated landscapes, here and there kiosks and pavilions in original styles. We wander in these
queer surroundings until nightfall.
“Plain Man’s Politics Garden”! At the entrance I read an ancient quotation,
which inspired its creator: “To cultivate one’s garden to meet one’s daily needs, that’s what is known
as the politics of the plain man”. The day is to short to discover the immense park magnificently imagined we have the
opportunity to see in its beautiful autumnal ornament. Artificial hills, lakes, small islands, zigzag bridges, palates, temples,
bonsai, bamboos, chrysanthemums in blossom…
Here more than elsewhere this mysterious China intrigues me: the symbolic names of their
gardens, enigmatic inscriptions engraved in the stones, their specific architecture, the reactions of the visitors which reflects
the passionate relations between the Chinese and these vestiges, witness of their past.
The third day starts with the purchase of train tickets for Shanghai. At the booking office
some Mister Wu Yong Ming wants to help us. We accept with pleasure. Getting the tickets we hear he is a young professor in
electronics at the University of Shanghai and vice-president of an institute. He proposes to go with us to Lin Garden - 7km. away, a space of 3ha. May be the Providence sent us this improvised guide to
clear up some enigmas of the Chinese garden’s elements absolutely incomprehensible to us. Indeed, walking in a milieu
like yesterday Mr. Wu tell us the Suzhou's gardens built for mandarins, politicians, literati…were designed
by architects, painters and poets. They represent the lyricism and romanticism, which incite meditation.
Here are some of his comments.
The kiosk “Breeze and the Moon” mirrored in a pond: It reminds the rendez vous
of yore and appears to be the ideal place to contemplate the reflex of the moon in the water!
An other one called “The Pavilion where we stop to listen the rain”! Its name
springs from an ancient poetry more than 1200 years ago, which express the melancholy sound of droplets falling on dried
lotus leaves.
Our friend would still have many to say but he must attend a conference. He will stay engraved
in our memory because his greatness of soul, dignity and modesty.
At sun setting we wander along the channels, which make the fame of Suzhou too. Moreover, Marco Polo baptized Suzhou
“Venice of the East”.
Comment jeanette@sbb.co.yu
