Liyuan Park, or Liyuan Garden, is 10 km southwest of Wuxi and is in the north of Lihu Lake. The garden can be divided into two parts – the lake and the park itself. The park occupies 8.2 hectares and the lake is for 3.5 hectares. The reconstructions took place several times in 1927, 1930, 1952 and 1987.
It is said that the great statesman, Fan Li who was the Minister of War in the Yue State during the Spring and Autumn Period, once lived here with his lover, Xi Shi who was one of the most well-known beauties in Chinese legend, after he resigned from the government. Fan Li advised Gou Jian – the king of Yue and helped him in his conquest of Wu. In memory of Fan Li, the garden takes one character from his name.
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