The Goose Pond Stele Pavilion

When you step into Lanting, the firs thing comes into your eyes will be the Goose Pond. The water in it is clean and clear, and a few white geese are playing happily on the water. On the left side of the pond, there is a three-sided stone stele pavilion. In the middle of the pavilion stands a stone stele on which are carved the two characters "Goose Pond". It is said that the Wang Xizhi and his son Wang Xianzhi wrote the two characters respectively. That day, just as Wang Xizhi had written the character "Goose" and was about to write the next character" Pond" when the imperial edict arrived, and he had to stop to receive the edict. And his conceited son picked up the writing brush and wrote the character "Pond" as the father left. So the two characters are clearly different; one is fat, the other is thin. It became a mush-told story through the ages.

The Square Orchid Pavilion

The square Orchid Pavilion was built in 1695, in front of a pond. It was made of bricks and stones, measuring27.04㎡. It appears simple but elegant. On the stele in the pavilion are two characters written by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. During the Cultural Revolution, the stele was broken into four pieces and was not mended until 1980. The present stele is 173 cm high, 102 cm wide and 27 cm thick. Though both the carved characters on the stele are damaged, it can still be seen that they were well written.

Zigzaging Water Flowing With Cups Of Wine

In front of the Liushang Pavilion, there is a patch of flatland surrounded by tall bamboo. This is the very place where Wang Xizhi and other poets drank wine and wrote poems. This scenic spot was first formed in 1698. During the past300 years, it was destroyed several times. The present zigzag stream and the structures were rebuilt in 1980, measuring 78 m long by 0.8 m wide. Every year, several groups of Chinese and foreign calligraphers and calligraphy amateurs come here to experience what Wang Xizhi and other poets did at that time.

The Liushang Pavilion

Opposite the Qushui Liushang is the Liushang Pavilion. It was built during the sovereign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. It is building with antique flavors. A horizontal wooden tablet is suspended in the front with inscription of"Liushang Pavilion".

The Imperial Stele Pavilion

At the back of the Liushang Pavilion is a lofty tall eight-sided pavilion called the Imperial Stele Pavilion, which was built in 1693. In the middle of the pavilion stands a huge stele with a magnificently carved top. The stele is 6.86 m high, 2.64 m wide and 0.44m thick, weighing18, 000 kg. On the face of the stele was carved the whole "Preface to Orchid Pavilion Poem Collection" copied by Emperor Kangxi in 1693. The handwriting was natural and graceful in style. On the back of the stele was the script of the Orchid Pavilion Extem poraneous Poem by Emperor Qianlong when he visited the Orchid Pavilion in 1751. Emperor Qianlong was good at calligraphy, and this poem of his shows the much-toured Emperor's admiration for the Orchid Pavilion. It is very rare that the scripts of the grandfather and the grandson are carved on the same stele. It is really a national treasure.

The General Wang Temple

The General Wang Temple on the left side of the "Liushang Pavilion" was first built in 1698 and rebuilt in 1896. Its total area is 756 ㎡. Above the gate there suspended a horizontal tablet with the characters "General Wang Temple" written by Mr. Sha Menghai, a famous calligrapher in modern times. Inside the temple, there is the Muohua Pond. It is said that Wang Xizhi used to wash his writing brushes after practicing handwriting in this pond. Day after day, the water in the pond turned black. Thus the pond was called the Muohua Pond, meaning black flower pond. In the middle of the pond, there stands the Muohua Pavilion.

The Orchid Pavilion Calligraphy Museum

The construction of the Orchid Pavilion Calligraphy Museum was started in 1988 and was completed on April 8th the next year. The museum is a two-storied building with floor space of 780 ㎡. On the first floor, there are two exhibition halls and on the second floor are the calligraphic art exchange hall and the calligraphic works bedroom. At present, "the Brief History of Chinese Calligraphy" is on display in the exhibition halls. At every calligraphy festival, elaborate works by calligraphy masters and maestros, of both ancient and modern times, Chinese and foreign are exhibited here, not only attracting a good many calligraphy fans and tourists to stop their steps, but also carrying forward the calligraphic art and culture of our country.

The Thick Bamboo Forest

The thick forest of tall bamboo is a scene in Orchid Pavilion. Entering Orchid Pavilion, you will see tall, jade green bamboo on both sides of the winding paths. The bamboo forest sets stele pavilions, goose ponds and houses off one another. Strolling among them, you can enjoy the quietness from the noisiness and disturbance of the urban area.