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Zhan Garden (Nanjing)

A classical garden in Nanjing, originally built in the Ming dynasty and later restored, showcasing Jiangnan garden design.

Written by 张欣然

奶奶家住在三山街,我小的时候奶奶经常带我去瞻园玩,所以我对这里有着别样的感觉。

瞻园,这座江南名园,宛如一颗璀璨的明珠,在岁月的长河中熠熠生辉。让我久久不能忘记的是那些假山,后面我才知道,南假山是由近千吨的太湖石堆砌起来的,重建的景观。我当时甚至以为是真的。北假山是明代原构的遗存,历史悠久,在山顶的观景台还可以俯瞰全园。那些太湖石嶙峋突兀,却不失玲珑之态,日光斜射时,石上的孔窍便透出微光。走在假山间,仿佛穿越时空了一样,古人赏石和玩水的样子出现在眼前。

但是假山石可能因为风化和触碰而损坏,需定期检查。设立青少年志愿者来讲解可以让青少年增强保护意识。瞻园的假山不仅是石头,更是文化的载体,我们这一代有责任记录并守护这份独特的美。

My grandmother lives on Sanshan Street, and when I was young, she often took me to visit Zhan Garden, which is why I have such a special feeling for this place.

Zhan Garden, a renowned classical garden of Jiangnan, shines like a brilliant pearl in the long river of time. What impressed me most were the rockeries. Later I learned that the southern rockery was reconstructed with nearly a thousand tons of Taihu stones, so realistic that I once believed it to be original. The northern rockery, however, is a surviving relic from the Ming dynasty, with a long history, and from its viewing platform one can overlook the entire garden. The Taihu stones are rugged and jagged yet graceful in form; when the sunlight slants, rays of light shine through their natural holes. Walking among the rockeries, I felt as if I had traveled through time, glimpsing how the ancients admired stones and played with water.

Yet the rocks of the garden may suffer damage from weathering and human contact, so regular inspection is needed. Establishing a youth volunteer guide program could also raise awareness of cultural preservation among the younger generation. The rockeries of Zhan Garden are not just stones, but carriers of culture, and it is our responsibility to record and protect this unique beauty.