Couple’s Retreat Garden

Introducing Couple’s Retreat Garden
Located at Xiaoxinqiao Lane, Cangjie Street of Suzhou City, Couple’s Retreat Garden, also known as Ou Yuan Garden, is a famous classical Chinese garden. It is recognized with other classical Suzhou gardens as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Couple’s Retreat Garden Fast Facts
• Chinese Name: Ouyuan 耦园
• Best Time to Visit: April to October
• Recommended Visiting Hours: About 1 to 2 hours
• Things to Do: Photography, Architecture, History and Culture
• Opening Hours: 07:30-17:00
• Entrance Fee: ¥25 (Apr, May, July, Aug, Sep, Oct); ¥20 (Jan, Feb, Mar, June, Nov, Dec)
• Address: No. 6 Xiaoxinqiao Lane, Cangjie Street, Gusu District, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province

What to expect at Couple’s Retreat Garden

Couple’s Retreat Garden was first laid out in the early Qing period as the pleasure garden of Baoning prefect Lu Jingzhi. In 1874, Shen Bingcheng, the governor of Susong County in Anhui, acquired Couple’s Retreat Garden and expanded it to its present size. In 1941, Liu Guojun, an industrialist from Changzhou, bought Couple’s Retreat Garden and spent several years renovating it. In 1955, upon Liu’s instruction, Tao Shunan, the Manager of the Zhenya Silk Weaving Mill, donated Couple’s Retreat Garden to Suzhou city.

The Couple’s Garden Retreat is a fairly large garden divided into three parts–a central living area flanked by an east and west garden. The 0.8 hectare site is bordered on three sides by canals, with docks on the north and south sides permitting entrance from the waterways. The West garden is composed of several structures grouped around a small grotto and a Library annex. It is structurally joined to the central residence. It is peaceful, serene and simplicity, both reading and working here are able to be achieved. Eastern garden is the essence of the whole garden. It consists of a grotto and pond ringed by a covered walkway that connects the structures. A smaller fruit orchard annex is attached. Mountains and lakes as the main sceneries, with pavilions and galleries surrounded, the overall distribution of eastern garden is of excellence.

How to get to Couple’s Retreat Garden

By Metro
• Take Metro Line 1 and get off at Xiangmen Station (Exit 3).

By Bus
• Take bus No. 2, 9, 32, 40, 60, 89, 112, 146, 178, 200, 261, 307, 518, 800, 900, Night Bus No.2 or Tourist Line 5 and get off at Xiangmen Station.
• Take bus No. 301 or 305 and then get off at Dongyuan Station.

Additional travel advice on Couple’s Retreat Garden
• Please book the entrance ticket via Suzhou Tourism Official Account on WeChat or official website (https://www.szylly.com) with your passport details.
• Keep your passport on you to claim the ticket.