PLACE GUIDE

Lion Grove Garden 狮子林

Shizi Lin

Lion Grove Garden is organized around a pond and an elaborate Taihu-rock grotto.

The pond, pavilions and rock formations of Lion Grove Garden, Suzhou. Photographed on 27 November 2017.
The pond, pavilions and rock formations of Lion Grove Garden, Suzhou. Photographed on 27 November 2017. · King of Hearts · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo adjustments

Proportionally resized and converted to WebP without cropping, retouching or changing the photographed subject.

Explore the region

Jiangsu · 江苏省 →Suzhou · 苏州市 →

About Lion Grove Garden

The rocks create a maze of passages, caves and changing levels, with forms traditionally compared to lions.

The garden’s Buddhist origins and later restorations give the stone landscape several historical layers. View the grotto from the pond before following any permitted passage through it. Steps and tight spaces make the rock maze different from a level garden path; a circuit around the water remains an alternative viewpoint.

Lion Grove Garden was built beginning in 1342, when disciples of the monk Tianru (天如) constructed a Chan monastery for him with a garden designed by the Yuan-dynasty painter Ni Zan (倪瓒), and named it for a rockery resembling lions amid the garden's bamboo. After Tianru's death the garden fell into neglect, passing through periods of rebuilding and several owners before it was bought in 1917 by the Shanghai pigment merchant Bei Runsheng (贝润生).

Bei renovated the garden extensively, introducing modern materials such as cement and colored glass, but a planned public opening was abandoned and the garden was later opened to the public after restoration. The Qianlong Emperor (乾隆皇帝) visited the garden and left a plaque inscribed 'True Delight' (真趣), later used to name the True Delight Pavilion (真趣亭).

Among the garden's rock formations, the Nine Lion Peak (九狮峰) is said to resemble nine playing lion cubs. Lion Grove Garden was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, as part of the Classical Gardens of Suzhou, in 2000, and was listed among the sixth group of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level (全国重点文物保护单位) in 2006.

What to look for

  • The Taihu-rock grotto forms a multi-level maze of passages and caves.
  • The central pond separates and frames different parts of the rock landscape.

The surrounding area

A provincial city base for classical gardens, canals and soup-noodle breakfasts; do not confuse its old city with the distant North railway station.

Location & getting there

Getting to Lion Grove Garden

Approach 23 Yuanlin Road in Gusu, near the old-city museum-and-garden district.

General visit reminders

Choose the building, exhibition or part of the historic area you most want to see, then leave time to explore its setting. Check the venue’s current opening and reservation arrangements directly; a place appearing on the map does not mean every building or gallery is accessible on your travel date.

Combine your visit

A suggested sequence linking the specific features of this visit.

  1. Central pond view

    Begin by reading the overall arrangement of water and rock.

  2. Permitted grotto paths

    Explore the changing levels and enclosed passages suited to your mobility.

  3. Pond-side buildings

    Compare the maze with more open framed views across the garden.

This order is editorial. Confirm access and any transfers between stops; it does not establish a walking route, same-day connection or common admission ticket.

AI illustration: A grey geometric lattice window in a white garden wall, with leaves and a natural stone visible beyond.
AI illustration · AI 示意图（景观类型参考，非实拍） · 园林漏窗与竹影 — A general visiting detail, not an exact view of this place.
Historic sites & architecture · 历史古迹／建筑 →

Find Lion Grove Garden

狮子林 · 苏州市

Amap · 高德地图Approximate pin · 近似位置Apple Maps · 苹果地图

The pin marks the area, not the entrance.

More places nearby

Approximate straight-line distances between map pins, not travel distances.

Suzhou Silk Museum 苏州丝绸博物馆

Less than 1 km away

Suzhou Silk Museum connects the city’s textile traditions with the production of silk and embroidery. Old looms and historic fabric samples make the process visible through tools and finished material.

View guide →

Suzhou Museum 苏州博物馆

Less than 1 km away

Suzhou Museum’s old-city building combines I. M. Pei’s modern design with white walls, dark sloping roofs and courtyards drawn from local architecture. Glass and stone admit and shape light through the galleries.

View guide →

Humble Administrator's Garden 拙政园

Less than 1 km away

The Humble Administrator’s Garden uses water as the framework for a sequence of pavilions, bridges and islands. Its three principal sections developed through different periods, so the garden is not a single unchanged Ming…

View guide →

Sources & visit information

The sources below support the place-specific description and arrival information. Suggested combinations are editorial planning ideas; confirm current opening, entry arrangements and transport services for your date.

Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikipedia contributors, “Lion Grove Garden” · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1366154949.

Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikivoyage contributors, listing “Lion Grove Garden” · CC BY-SA 4.0.

Background paragraphs translated and condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "狮子林", Chinese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 92116124.

Background paragraphs condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "Lion Grove Garden", English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1366154949.

China Revealed · Editorially updated 2026-10-07