Overview
Ge Garden, located at No. 10 Yanfu East Road, Guangling District, Yangzhou City, is one of China's four most famous gardens. Built during the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty (1818), it was originally the private garden of Huang Zhijun, a prominent salt merchant from Lianghuai. The name "Ge" is derived from the shape of a bamboo leaf, and the garden is filled with dozens of varieties of bamboo. The soul of Ge Garden is its "Four Seasons Rockery"—using stalagmites, Taihu stones, yellow stones, and Xuan stones to create four distinct winter scenes, offering a panoramic view of all four seasons.
Suggested visit time: approximately 2-3 hours. The best seasons to visit are spring (March-May) for flower viewing and autumn (October-November) for viewing red leaves. The best times to visit are around 7:30 AM when the garden opens or around 3 PM to avoid peak tour times.
How to Get There
How to get there: By bus, take bus routes 61, Y1, Y2, or 8 to "Geyuan Station" and walk about 100-200 meters; you can also take routes 27 or 30. From Yangzhou Railway Station, you can take a direct tourist bus. Taxi/Ride-hailing: From Yangzhou Railway Station or West Bus Station, a taxi ride takes about 20 minutes and costs about 25 yuan. The starting fare for taxis in Yangzhou is 7 yuan for the first 3 kilometers. By car: Navigate to "Geyuan North Gate Parking Lot," parking fee is 4 yuan per hour.
Suggested tour route: Enter from the North Gate and exit from the South Gate, in the following order: Wanzhu Garden → Four Seasons Rockery (Spring → Summer → Autumn → Winter) → Southern Residential Area. Exiting from the South Gate leads directly to Dongguan Street, a historic old street where you can continue exploring and enjoy local cuisine.
What to Expect
Geyuan Garden is relatively small (approximately 2.3 hectares), primarily featuring stone steps and paved paths. The rockery area has many steps, so comfortable, non-slip shoes are recommended. Restrooms and rest facilities are available within the garden; luggage storage is available free of charge at the Dongguan Street entrance (08:00-22:00). Official audio guides are available for rent (approximately 20 RMB per device), and guided tours can also be hired (approximately 100 RMB for groups of 8 or fewer). A gift shop is located near the South Gate exit. Wheelchair access is somewhat restricted throughout the park (due to the numerous steps in the rockery area), but the main paths are generally accessible.
Practical Tips
- Starting April 1st each year, the park opens for nighttime tours, featuring light shows and folk music performances. Four performance venues are evenly distributed throughout the park, offering a completely different experience from the daytime.
- The rockery area of Geyuan Garden has many steps and stone paths, so be sure to wear non-slip and comfortable sports shoes.
- Baoshanlou offers classic compositions that capture the four seasons in one frame; the round flower window frames the rockery, and the bamboo path makes for great shots of people from behind.
- After shopping, head straight to Dongguan Street for morning tea, lotus root starch dumplings, and dumplings/noodles. A half-day trip is just right.
