We then proceeded to the first of two gardens we were to visit. The Master of Nets Garden is dedicated to bringing good fortune to the fishermen. A garden in this sense is actually someone's home and grounds. These gardens are hundreds of years old and each building, pond and walkway has a specific purpose or meaning. The original owners of these gardens were very wealthy and the garden was one way of showing the extent of the family wealth and status. There are ten such gardens in Suzhou.
Just out side the entrance we were greeted by the welcoming committee.
Dogs and cats are quite pampered in China just as in the U.S. This little guy had his own spot of shade and all the attention he wanted.
One thing that has been most impressive throughout our travels in Asia has been doorways. Doorways are very important in Chinese culture. By looking at a doorway you can determine the wealth of a family and it's status in the community. Doors also are designed to keep away evil spirits. Since the spirits can only move forward, you will often see a second set of doors inside the opening of the first set so that evil spirits cannot gain entrance. Spirits can only move in straight lines so they can be easily blocked by the design of the entrance. You will also see many zig-zag bridges built for the same reason.
One of the first things we came across in this garden was an original sedan chair. This was used to carry the occupants throughout the grounds. The carving is very intricate and the wood in perfect condition. On the chair and throughout the garden paths the most prevalent image was of a bat. Bats can bring good fortune.
The house and grounds are like a labyrinth. Each has multiple entrances and exits. They were built with separate rooms for men and women as well as separate gardens. They all interconnected and so it is a real trick to see it all. Lucky for me guide Vicky knew the way.
In this particular home much of the furniture is original to the Ming Dynasty while the remainder is perfectly executed reproductions. The insets are marble so I would not want to be moving it around too often.
I am always fascinated by the roof lines and door decorations. In this place most were made of intricately carved stone. The layers that must be carved to get the depth of some of the works are astounding. The pieces are carved from a single piece of stone with no added attachments. It is craftsmanship of the highest level.
Windows can also be quite decorative. Some are beautifully carved and left open to the views beyond while others are filled with beautiful pieces of art.
Throughout all of the gardens and many of the temples and palaces we visited, the inner doors often take on various shapes. Each shape has a meaning and is often repeated throughout the area. One particular doorway in Master of Nets Garden is a one of a kind. It is a Moon Gate. I had seen Moon Gates before on the island of Bermuda. There they are often used as the backdrop for weddings. Here they are used for viewing the moon.
One of the focal points of each garden will be the ponds. They are beautifully landscaped, filled with golden carp and often have pavilions for relaxing.
Natural materials are also used as pieces of art in themselves. I saw what I thought were many framed abstract paintings of the mountains. I found out that these were actually framed pieces of marble and the "painting" was the natural striations in the stone. Some were very intricate but I could not get a good photo of the best ones.
Unusual pieces of stone or wood are also used as sculptures.
As we neared the end of our tour, we walked along a path by a pond and crossed over what is thought to be the smallest bridge in China. It certainly has my vote. It is only about three or four feet across but has been built with all of the detail of the larger bridges.
It was hard to leave such a beautiful and peaceful place, but there was one more garden on the day's itinerary. And so we were off.
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