Lion Grove Garden blooms again through new postage stamps

In 1917, successful merchant Bei Runsheng purchased an abandoned garden in Suzhou, Jiangsu province. Over the next nine years, he devoted considerable time and wealth to restoring the property, Shizilin, or Lion Grove Garden, originally built in the 14th century, giving it a lavish makeover with new architectural structures and decorative features.

The elegant estate, a classical Chinese garden residence infused with Western influences, became a gathering place for the extended Bei family, including I.M. Pei, grandson of Bei Runsheng's elder brother, Bei Litai. The world-renowned architect later recalled his childhood at Shizilin, saying its layout and atmosphere left "a Chinese character" deeply imprinted on him and inspired works including the Suzhou Museum, which he designed for his ancestral hometown.

Today, Shizilin remains one of Suzhou's best-known attractions and a fine example of China's classical private gardens, standing alongside the country's celebrated imperial gardens. Its carefully orchestrated landscape seamlessly blends fantastically shaped rockeries, water features, pavilions, flowers and trees into a harmonious whole.

China Post has recently issued a set of four stamps, each depicting an iconic scene from Shizilin to celebrate its rich artistry and the depth of Chinese cultural tradition. One depicts the Yanyu Hall, or Hall of Harmony and Happiness, the largest hall in the garden where former occupants of Shizilin welcomed guests and hosted cultural gatherings. The second shows the winding rockery clusters that gave Shizilin its name. Their rugged, weathered stones rise into peaks that resemble playful lions when viewed from afar.

The third stamp portrays the Mid-Lake Pavilion and the Pavilion of Genuine Pleasure, whose placement creates one of the garden's most layered and picturesque views. The fourth hails a meditative Zen atmosphere at the Wenmei Ge (Plum-Questioning Pavilion), perched on elevated ground in the garden's western section. Surrounded by flourishing plum trees, the pavilion embodies the fusion of Zen philosophy and the refined aesthetics of Chinese literati culture.

Suzhou's classical gardens use mountains, water, plants and architecture to create not only captivating physical landscapes but also spiritual spaces rich in symbolism, reflecting Chinese aesthetics and philosophical ideals. Many of these design principles were incorporated by I.M. Pei in the Suzhou Museum, now one of the city's defining landmarks.