Foshan Chronicles: The Flavorful Lingnan and City of Kung Fu
by emmeline_lucindraeburn
May 27, 2025
🌟Foshan Liang Garden: A Poetic Residence of Lingnan Gardens
📜A Garden Scroll Through Time
Strolling through Foshan Liang Garden feels like stepping into the poetic life of Qing Dynasty literati. This private garden, one of the four famous Lingnan gardens, was built during the Jiaqing and Daoguang reigns of the Qing Dynasty and was once the residence of the prominent Liang family of Foshan. Between the blue bricks and black tiles lies the essence of Cantonese architecture, and the winding nine-bend corridors flow with the elegance of a century ago. As a well-preserved Qing Dynasty garden, Liang Garden is not only a living fossil of Lingnan architectural art but also a rare cultural oasis in the heart of Foshan.
🏯Garden Stories and Architectural Wisdom
1️⃣ Qunxing Caotang (Starry Grass Hall)
This main hall of the three-courtyard compound was once a refined gathering place for the Liang clan to study and socialize. Through the exquisite Manchu windows, one can almost hear the lingering echoes of poets reciting verses. The pond in front of the hall reflects the distinctive Lingnan wok ear walls, making it a classic photo spot.
2️⃣ Fenjiang Caolu (Fenjiang Cottage)
This waterside study witnessed the Liang family’s tradition of "supporting culture through commerce." The architecture cleverly borrows the scenery of the Fen River; in summer, lotus breezes surround it, and in winter, warm sunlight slants in—an exemplary textbook case of the Lingnan garden art of "borrowing scenery."
3️⃣ Stone Garden Wonders
Over 200 Taihu stones in the garden were transported via Jiangnan waterways, each carefully selected by the Liang family. The most eye-catching is the "Su Wu Herding Sheep" stone, whose natural patterns outline the figure of a shepherd, a clever expression of the owner’s aspirations through stone.
🚌 Convenient Transportation Tips
Liang Garden is located in Chancheng District, the center of Foshan City, about an 800-meter walk from the "Pujun North Road" station on the Guangfo Metro Line. It is recommended to visit nearby Ancestral Temple and Lingnan Tiandi together; all three attractions are within a 15-minute walk of each other, easily connecting Foshan’s cultural veins. The garden is shaded with lush trees, making it quite cool even on summer afternoons. Don’t forget to bring your camera to capture the stunning composition of wok ear walls against the blue sky.
This Lingnan courtyard hidden in the bustling city tells the poetic life of the Cantonese merchant guild through pavilions and waterside terraces. Here, the noise of the concrete jungle quietly fades away, leaving only bricks and tiles to tell stories of time. Slow down your pace and at a corridor corner, have a timeless conversation with the literati of a hundred years ago.
Post by EMERALD RODRIQUEZ | Oct 19, 2025























