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The Huishan Ancient Town
lies in the southern bank of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in Wuxi, Jiangsu. It is 2.5 kilometers away from the western part of Wuxi.
The town is at the foot of Huishan and has abundant cultural implications. It represents the development of Wuxi and thus is called the open museum of the culture and history of this city. Huishanbang, a tributary of the BeijingHangzhou Grand Canal, flows through the central part of the town. Numerous historical and cultural sites stand on both banks of the river. It is also the place of origin for the Xishan culture, which could date back to 4000 years ago.
The Longguang Pagoda of Xishan initially built in the Huishan Temple during the Southern and Northern Dynasties has been receiving a great number of pilgrims for long. Now it is a landmark building of Wuxi. The spring at the foot of Huishan was called the “Second Best Spring in the World” by Lu Yu, a famous tea taster in the Tang Dynasty. Huishan is famous for its springs, which enjoy the name as the “Thirteen Springs from Nine Dragons”.
The Huishan Ancient Town was initially built in the Tang Dynasty and got dramatic development in the Song, Ming and Qing Dynasties. In the present-day Huishan Town people could still find a maidenhair tree which was planted 600 years ago in the Ming Dynasty as well as the gardens and memorial temples built at the same time. There were a lot of memorial temples in Huishan Town which took a majority part of the buildings in town. There were also memorial temples for famous historical figures of China, such as Lord Chunshen from the Spring and Autumn Period, Li Kun, Lu Zhi and Zhang Jianzhi – all were prime ministers of the Tang Dynasty – and Sima Guang, Fan Zhongyan, prime ministers of the Song Dynasty. The memorial temples were built for over 80 different surnames and nearly every Chinese visitor can find the temple of their own sections in Huishan Town. Therefore it is also considered the origin of Chinese surnames.
Brilliant History of Huishan Town
According to the stone ax and remaining pieces of earthen wares unearthed in Mount Xishan proved that the area of Huishan Town began to be inhibited early in the Neolithic Age about 4000 years ago. The ancestors of local people in Wuxi began to plant rice in Huishan. At the end of Shang Dynasty (1200 BC), a man named Zhong Yong moved from the present-day Shaanxi to Huishan and created the culture of Wu. Emperor Wu of Zhou Dynasty entitled Zhong Yong’s descendant Zhou Zhang as the Lord of Wu. From then on, the family of Lord Wu made great contributions to the development in the area south of the Yangtze River. In the Warring-States Period, this place became the fiefdom of Lord Chunshen of the State of Chu. He built roads and cities in Huishan Town and brought the ancient Lotus Lake under control. In order to memorize his contributions, local people built a memorial temple in Huishan, which was the first memorial temple in Wuxi.
Emperor Gaozu, founder of the Han Dynasty, established Wuxi County in 202 AD with Huishan as a part of it. From then on, Huishan welcomed great development along with Wuxi.
Throughout the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Tang Dynasty and Song Dynasty, a lot of Buddhist temples were built in Huishan. In the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Huishan saw the establishment of a market, which formed the embryo of a town. When the Grand Canal was built in the Sui Dynasty, numerous visitors, merchants and craftsmen could come to Huishan by water conveniently and quickly. This greatly boosted the development of Huishan. In the Tang Dynasty, the fame of the “Second Best Spring in the World” made Huishan even known to the imperial family.
Old Streets in Huishan Town
I. Xiuzhang Street
Xiuzhang Street was once called Straight Street, which sounds revealing but not enlightening. Recently it restored its brilliant name as Xiuzhang Street.
There are about 30 memorial temples alongside the Xiuzhang Street, which were built in different dynasties. A stone stele was erected at the eastern end of the street. The erosion of wind and rain has worn out the four characters “Wu Li Xiang Teng” on the stele. In the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, a street named Qiteng Street is connected with Xiuzhang Street outside the west gate of Wuxi. Commoners called the two streets Wuli Street. At that time a lot of willows, poplars and peach trees were planted alongside the Wuli Street, forming a beautiful scene with the memorial temples as described in the verses – “the old trees and pavilions filled the eyes and the flowery aroma rushed to the noses”.
II. Qinyuan Street
It was once called Horizontal Street and was renamed Qinyuan Street for the sense of beauty. It was said to be the street through which Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty must go before visiting the famous Jichang Garden. There are not as many as memorial temples by Qinyuan Street as the Xiuzhang Street. But it has its own features – a wine shop, a garden and the snack booths alongside the street can also attract visitors.
At the entrance of the street a stone memorial archway could be seen. The simple, elegant, grand and solemn archway embodies the meaning of “good layout of Feng Shui. It is said that people could get blessed after going through the archway.
The wine shop is the core of the street. The famous Huiquan Wine, which was mentioned twice in the Chinese classic novel Dream of the Red Chamber, was made in this wine shop. The aroma of the wine could be smelt at the entrance of the street. The wine shop with wine jars placed layer upon layer is a must-go for visitors. Behind the wine jars stands the ancient liquor distiller, which is a treasure of great importance to Huishan Town.
Grand Memorial Temples in Huishan Town
As said before, Huishan Town is famous for its number of memorial temples. Each memorial temple in Huis- han Town is a mark of its originality and represents the source of the culture.
Memorial temples are built to commemorate the ancestors by the descendents. The memorial temples in Huishan Town not only composed the biographies of famous people in Wuxi and combine all the features of constructions of Wuxi. Most of the temples are built by rivers, streets, springs and even the mountain to “take the auspicious meaning of these things”.
The Temple of Obedient Son Hua Bao.
Built next to the Second Spring of Huishan, it is among the earliest memorial temples in Wuxi. It records the tale of a commoner named Hua Bao who was famous for his filial piety in the Jin Dynasty. It is said that When Hua Bao was eight years old, his father was conscripted into the national army and joined in the battle. Before his leaving he told Hua Bao to wait for him to come back to coronate him for his entry into adulthood. However, Hua Bao’s father never came back and Hua Bao waited for him till he was seventy years old. During that he refused to wear hat(a symbol of becoming an adult) or to marry. Actually his father died in the war. The emperor knew this story and titled Hua Bao as the Most Obedient Son in China. He also ordered to build a memorial temple for Hua Bao to highlight his filial piety.
The Temple of Yang Oufang
The Temple of Yang Oufang stands opposite the Temple of Xue Family. It combines the features of both western and Chinese architectures – the blue brick walls and the arched roof represent the western architectural style and the lounges, beams and pillars inside it are typically based on the Chinese style. Thus it is distinctive among all memorial temples in Huishan.
Yang Oufang was the son of Yang Yanjun and once worked as an advisor for Li Hongzhang in the Qing Dynasty. Liu Mingchuan, a famous general and leader of the Huai Army admired his talents and got along very well with him. In 1882, the Qing government decided to turn Taiwan into a province and Liu Mingchuan was appointed governor of Taiwan. Yang Oufang, entrusted by Liu Mingchuan, went to Taiwan in person to plan the basic construction blueprint, including the exploration of mining resources and building railways. He also set up special health and aged-care institutions in Taiwan, making great contributions to the economic development of Taiwan. In addition, he was one of the people that founded China’s modern industry in the Qing Dynasty.
Jichang Garden
The Jichang Garden lies in the Xihui Garden on Huishan Street at the eastern foot of Mount Huishan.
Jichang Garden, also known as Qin Garden, was once the site of two monasteries during the Yuan Dynasty(1271-1368). In 1506 and 1521 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Qin Jin, once the Shangshu of the Department of War (Shangshu was a high official in ancient China), built a garden at the site. Later, Qin Yao, Jin’s nephew, inherited the garden. In 1591 Yao resigned from office due to political frustrations and returned home gloomily. To lift his spirits Yao changed the name of the garden to Jichang Garden (to leave the carefree feeling with the garden).
The present Jichang Garden covers an area of 14.85 mu (1 mu = 1/15 hectare) in a narrow shape stretching from south to north. The garden can be divided into the east and the west. In the east part the main scenery includes the water corridor; in the west, rockeries and forests. The Jinhui Ripple, lying in the east, is a narrow pond containing numerous ripples. A square pavilion was built in the pond with a roof of nine ridges and flying eaves. The pond is surround by jagged rockeries. Qixing Bridge and Lang Bridge divide the pond into two smaller ponds in the north. The rockery in the west is sculpted to imitate the nine peaks of Huishan Mountain and forms a picture of nine lions. The rockery is 3-5 meters high to match the pond. A gully runs through the rockery where water is channeled from the Huishan Spring. It is said the stream gurgles continuously, whispering the name, Hanging Gurgle Gully – a unique landscape in the southern gardens.
The Tea Culture in Huishan
Huishan County is famous for its spring water that is unbelievably good for cooking tea. Good water is necessary for bringing the fragrance of the tea to the extreme level. The spring water in Huishan is light and sweet and thus is suitable for nearly all kinds of tea in China. Lu Yu, the “Saint of Tea” in the Tang Dynasty was very fond of the spring water in Huishan. After tasting all the spring water in China, he ranked the spring in Huishan as the second best water for cooking tea. This was how the “Second Best Spring in the World”came out.
The fame of spring water in Huishan brought the prosperity of tea culture in this town. The favor of tasting tea was initiated in the middle of Tang Dynasty. At that time, any people coming to Huishan took the best tea with hope of enjoying the tea culture in this area.
In the Ming Dynasty, the spring water in Huishan was still what the tea taster in China pursued. At that time grand assemblies of tasting tea were held every year. Each assembly was like a ceremony for people fond of tea. A lot of poems, articles and paintings described the prosperity of the tea tasting assembly at that time.
The Temple Fair in Huishan
Huishan Town is always considered the place of origin for the residents in Wuxi. The Huishan Temple Fair represents the traditional culture of Wuxi.
According to the historical records, Wuxi Huishan Temple Fair was derived from the sacrifice ceremonies in the ancient times. In the present day, it has become an affair with catering, residency, traveling, entertainment, shopping and religious culture.
The temple fair is usually started with the parade of the statues of deities, which is called the Fair of Greeting Gods. The parade is usually held in the 28th day of the 3rd lunar month every year. The parade has canopies and banners lead the team, which is followed by people standing on stilts, wielding broad knives, knocking gongs, and performing operas.
The temple fair also includes the pilgrim association event, which was also held in the 3rd lunar month every year. The event usually lasts two or three days because numerous pilgrims come to offer incenses in Huishan. The pilgrims wait in long queues for their turn to offer incense to the god. During the progress they can witness the religious and traditional performance on the stages by the streets.
The Huishan Temple Fair has such a great influence that people from Shanghai and Suzhou also come here to enjoy the fun of the fair. Visitors can not only experience the traditional culture of Wuxi, but also taste the traditional food of Wuxi while enjoying the traditional craftwork of this area, such as the vivid and life Huishan clay sculptures.
lies in the southern bank of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in Wuxi, Jiangsu. It is 2.5 kilometers away from the western part of Wuxi.
The town is at the foot of Huishan and has abundant cultural implications. It represents the development of Wuxi and thus is called the open museum of the culture and history of this city. Huishanbang, a tributary of the BeijingHangzhou Grand Canal, flows through the central part of the town. Numerous historical and cultural sites stand on both banks of the river. It is also the place of origin for the Xishan culture, which could date back to 4000 years ago.
The Longguang Pagoda of Xishan initially built in the Huishan Temple during the Southern and Northern Dynasties has been receiving a great number of pilgrims for long. Now it is a landmark building of Wuxi. The spring at the foot of Huishan was called the “Second Best Spring in the World” by Lu Yu, a famous tea taster in the Tang Dynasty. Huishan is famous for its springs, which enjoy the name as the “Thirteen Springs from Nine Dragons”.
The Huishan Ancient Town was initially built in the Tang Dynasty and got dramatic development in the Song, Ming and Qing Dynasties. In the present-day Huishan Town people could still find a maidenhair tree which was planted 600 years ago in the Ming Dynasty as well as the gardens and memorial temples built at the same time. There were a lot of memorial temples in Huishan Town which took a majority part of the buildings in town. There were also memorial temples for famous historical figures of China, such as Lord Chunshen from the Spring and Autumn Period, Li Kun, Lu Zhi and Zhang Jianzhi – all were prime ministers of the Tang Dynasty – and Sima Guang, Fan Zhongyan, prime ministers of the Song Dynasty. The memorial temples were built for over 80 different surnames and nearly every Chinese visitor can find the temple of their own sections in Huishan Town. Therefore it is also considered the origin of Chinese surnames.
Brilliant History of Huishan Town
According to the stone ax and remaining pieces of earthen wares unearthed in Mount Xishan proved that the area of Huishan Town began to be inhibited early in the Neolithic Age about 4000 years ago. The ancestors of local people in Wuxi began to plant rice in Huishan. At the end of Shang Dynasty (1200 BC), a man named Zhong Yong moved from the present-day Shaanxi to Huishan and created the culture of Wu. Emperor Wu of Zhou Dynasty entitled Zhong Yong’s descendant Zhou Zhang as the Lord of Wu. From then on, the family of Lord Wu made great contributions to the development in the area south of the Yangtze River. In the Warring-States Period, this place became the fiefdom of Lord Chunshen of the State of Chu. He built roads and cities in Huishan Town and brought the ancient Lotus Lake under control. In order to memorize his contributions, local people built a memorial temple in Huishan, which was the first memorial temple in Wuxi.
Emperor Gaozu, founder of the Han Dynasty, established Wuxi County in 202 AD with Huishan as a part of it. From then on, Huishan welcomed great development along with Wuxi.
Throughout the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Tang Dynasty and Song Dynasty, a lot of Buddhist temples were built in Huishan. In the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Huishan saw the establishment of a market, which formed the embryo of a town. When the Grand Canal was built in the Sui Dynasty, numerous visitors, merchants and craftsmen could come to Huishan by water conveniently and quickly. This greatly boosted the development of Huishan. In the Tang Dynasty, the fame of the “Second Best Spring in the World” made Huishan even known to the imperial family.
Old Streets in Huishan Town
I. Xiuzhang Street
Xiuzhang Street was once called Straight Street, which sounds revealing but not enlightening. Recently it restored its brilliant name as Xiuzhang Street.
There are about 30 memorial temples alongside the Xiuzhang Street, which were built in different dynasties. A stone stele was erected at the eastern end of the street. The erosion of wind and rain has worn out the four characters “Wu Li Xiang Teng” on the stele. In the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, a street named Qiteng Street is connected with Xiuzhang Street outside the west gate of Wuxi. Commoners called the two streets Wuli Street. At that time a lot of willows, poplars and peach trees were planted alongside the Wuli Street, forming a beautiful scene with the memorial temples as described in the verses – “the old trees and pavilions filled the eyes and the flowery aroma rushed to the noses”.
II. Qinyuan Street
It was once called Horizontal Street and was renamed Qinyuan Street for the sense of beauty. It was said to be the street through which Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty must go before visiting the famous Jichang Garden. There are not as many as memorial temples by Qinyuan Street as the Xiuzhang Street. But it has its own features – a wine shop, a garden and the snack booths alongside the street can also attract visitors.
At the entrance of the street a stone memorial archway could be seen. The simple, elegant, grand and solemn archway embodies the meaning of “good layout of Feng Shui. It is said that people could get blessed after going through the archway.
The wine shop is the core of the street. The famous Huiquan Wine, which was mentioned twice in the Chinese classic novel Dream of the Red Chamber, was made in this wine shop. The aroma of the wine could be smelt at the entrance of the street. The wine shop with wine jars placed layer upon layer is a must-go for visitors. Behind the wine jars stands the ancient liquor distiller, which is a treasure of great importance to Huishan Town.
Grand Memorial Temples in Huishan Town
As said before, Huishan Town is famous for its number of memorial temples. Each memorial temple in Huis- han Town is a mark of its originality and represents the source of the culture.
Memorial temples are built to commemorate the ancestors by the descendents. The memorial temples in Huishan Town not only composed the biographies of famous people in Wuxi and combine all the features of constructions of Wuxi. Most of the temples are built by rivers, streets, springs and even the mountain to “take the auspicious meaning of these things”.
The Temple of Obedient Son Hua Bao.
Built next to the Second Spring of Huishan, it is among the earliest memorial temples in Wuxi. It records the tale of a commoner named Hua Bao who was famous for his filial piety in the Jin Dynasty. It is said that When Hua Bao was eight years old, his father was conscripted into the national army and joined in the battle. Before his leaving he told Hua Bao to wait for him to come back to coronate him for his entry into adulthood. However, Hua Bao’s father never came back and Hua Bao waited for him till he was seventy years old. During that he refused to wear hat(a symbol of becoming an adult) or to marry. Actually his father died in the war. The emperor knew this story and titled Hua Bao as the Most Obedient Son in China. He also ordered to build a memorial temple for Hua Bao to highlight his filial piety.
The Temple of Yang Oufang
The Temple of Yang Oufang stands opposite the Temple of Xue Family. It combines the features of both western and Chinese architectures – the blue brick walls and the arched roof represent the western architectural style and the lounges, beams and pillars inside it are typically based on the Chinese style. Thus it is distinctive among all memorial temples in Huishan.
Yang Oufang was the son of Yang Yanjun and once worked as an advisor for Li Hongzhang in the Qing Dynasty. Liu Mingchuan, a famous general and leader of the Huai Army admired his talents and got along very well with him. In 1882, the Qing government decided to turn Taiwan into a province and Liu Mingchuan was appointed governor of Taiwan. Yang Oufang, entrusted by Liu Mingchuan, went to Taiwan in person to plan the basic construction blueprint, including the exploration of mining resources and building railways. He also set up special health and aged-care institutions in Taiwan, making great contributions to the economic development of Taiwan. In addition, he was one of the people that founded China’s modern industry in the Qing Dynasty.
Jichang Garden
The Jichang Garden lies in the Xihui Garden on Huishan Street at the eastern foot of Mount Huishan.
Jichang Garden, also known as Qin Garden, was once the site of two monasteries during the Yuan Dynasty(1271-1368). In 1506 and 1521 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Qin Jin, once the Shangshu of the Department of War (Shangshu was a high official in ancient China), built a garden at the site. Later, Qin Yao, Jin’s nephew, inherited the garden. In 1591 Yao resigned from office due to political frustrations and returned home gloomily. To lift his spirits Yao changed the name of the garden to Jichang Garden (to leave the carefree feeling with the garden).
The present Jichang Garden covers an area of 14.85 mu (1 mu = 1/15 hectare) in a narrow shape stretching from south to north. The garden can be divided into the east and the west. In the east part the main scenery includes the water corridor; in the west, rockeries and forests. The Jinhui Ripple, lying in the east, is a narrow pond containing numerous ripples. A square pavilion was built in the pond with a roof of nine ridges and flying eaves. The pond is surround by jagged rockeries. Qixing Bridge and Lang Bridge divide the pond into two smaller ponds in the north. The rockery in the west is sculpted to imitate the nine peaks of Huishan Mountain and forms a picture of nine lions. The rockery is 3-5 meters high to match the pond. A gully runs through the rockery where water is channeled from the Huishan Spring. It is said the stream gurgles continuously, whispering the name, Hanging Gurgle Gully – a unique landscape in the southern gardens.
The Tea Culture in Huishan
Huishan County is famous for its spring water that is unbelievably good for cooking tea. Good water is necessary for bringing the fragrance of the tea to the extreme level. The spring water in Huishan is light and sweet and thus is suitable for nearly all kinds of tea in China. Lu Yu, the “Saint of Tea” in the Tang Dynasty was very fond of the spring water in Huishan. After tasting all the spring water in China, he ranked the spring in Huishan as the second best water for cooking tea. This was how the “Second Best Spring in the World”came out.
The fame of spring water in Huishan brought the prosperity of tea culture in this town. The favor of tasting tea was initiated in the middle of Tang Dynasty. At that time, any people coming to Huishan took the best tea with hope of enjoying the tea culture in this area.
In the Ming Dynasty, the spring water in Huishan was still what the tea taster in China pursued. At that time grand assemblies of tasting tea were held every year. Each assembly was like a ceremony for people fond of tea. A lot of poems, articles and paintings described the prosperity of the tea tasting assembly at that time.
The Temple Fair in Huishan
Huishan Town is always considered the place of origin for the residents in Wuxi. The Huishan Temple Fair represents the traditional culture of Wuxi.
According to the historical records, Wuxi Huishan Temple Fair was derived from the sacrifice ceremonies in the ancient times. In the present day, it has become an affair with catering, residency, traveling, entertainment, shopping and religious culture.
The temple fair is usually started with the parade of the statues of deities, which is called the Fair of Greeting Gods. The parade is usually held in the 28th day of the 3rd lunar month every year. The parade has canopies and banners lead the team, which is followed by people standing on stilts, wielding broad knives, knocking gongs, and performing operas.
The temple fair also includes the pilgrim association event, which was also held in the 3rd lunar month every year. The event usually lasts two or three days because numerous pilgrims come to offer incenses in Huishan. The pilgrims wait in long queues for their turn to offer incense to the god. During the progress they can witness the religious and traditional performance on the stages by the streets.
The Huishan Temple Fair has such a great influence that people from Shanghai and Suzhou also come here to enjoy the fun of the fair. Visitors can not only experience the traditional culture of Wuxi, but also taste the traditional food of Wuxi while enjoying the traditional craftwork of this area, such as the vivid and life Huishan clay sculptures.