"Dulefeng"

Flowing Cup Pavilion .

Bat Pond

The giant rock "Dulefeng" looks like a woman carrying a child. She bows her head with her back to the entrance door. The woman is Kwan-yin, who sends babies to the mundane world. It is said that He Shen had this stone selected from thousands of stones from Lake Taihu in the wish that Kwan-yin could bring him wealth and many offspring.

Since the word"蝠"(bat) is a homophone of "福"(good luck), designs similar to the shape of a bat are commonplace in the garden. The bat pond indicates this kind of wish for good luck. To the pond's left lies the Flowing Cup Pavilion. Legend has it that He Shen used to invite friends and men of letters for a drink in the pavilion. The host and guests would put the cups on water, and let them drift along the water channel. When the cup stopped in front of someone, the person would then make a poem or he would be punished by having to drink a cup of alcohol. This was a traditional game among ancient men of letters.

Author: Cindy

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