Grand View GardenDuring the Qing Dynasty Cao Xueqin wrote “Dream of Red Mansions”, often called the “Romeo and Juliet” of Chinese culture because it’s the tragic love story of a young girl from the Jia family and a noble boy. In the novel, Cao Xueqin describes a garden so beautiful that one of his characters actually faints on seeing it. Inspired by the description in the book, the Chinese Government had the Grand Garden View built on similar lines.
There are over forty scenic places in the 13 hectare Grand View Garden, including palaces, courtyards and lakes, not to mention garden itself. The entire park is full of greenery and blooms in the springtime, not to mention deer and songbirds. The park’s designers paid special attention to the construction of the Jia family residence, but the entire park is rich in detail from the novel in its attempt to bring to life the various characters and their homes.
The Red Mansion Culture and Art Museum displays various scenes from the book and life in the era in which it is set. There are also skits and activities held from time to time to act out scenes from the book., including “The Imperial Concubine Yuan Visiting Home”, “Mid – Autumn Night” and “A Temple Fair”. Even the food for sale in garden restaurant the garden is reminiscent of the “Dream of Red Mansions” era.
The garden is a popular tourist attraction, and well worth a visit. Those entirely unfamiliar with the novel can still enjoy the beautiful landscaping and plant life. Of course, you won’t be able to appreciate the full significance of the buildings and the scenes set up inside them, but they are nonetheless interesting for the era they depict. The garden is a major tourist attraction and one can easily take a cab or a bus there. The drive and effort are well worth it.
