Orchid Pavilion

Chinese pavilion is one of architecture in ancient China.

Located in the southwest suburb of Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, the Orchid Pavilion is

a key point of interest. Its attraction not only comes from magnificent landscape and graceful

southern China gardening sights, but also from profound historical culture and its unique and

vast reputation in the calligraphic field.The Orchid Pavilion (Lan Ting) was originally the site

where Gou Jian, the King of the Yue State during the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC -

476 BC), planted orchids. Later it became famous for Wang Xizhi, a renowned calligrapher

of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420). His 'Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Anthology' has made

the Orchid Pavilion the Calligraphic Mecca, at the same time making himself the sage of calligraphy.The 

The first thing you see as you enter the pavilion is the Goose Pond. Several geese are

swimming happily on the idyllic crystal clear water. On the left hand side of the pond is a small

triangle pavilion which contains the famous Goose Pond stone stele, standing in its center.

Two Chinese characters '鹅池 (Goose Pond)' are carved on the stele. It is said that the two

characters were written respectively by Wang Xizhi and His son, Wang Xianzhi - a famous

calligrapher. You can easily see that the two characters on the stone stele have a different

style of writing.Liushang PavilionLiushang Pavilion is the center here, where Wang Xizhi and

his friends drank wine and composed poems. Here Wang Xizhi finished his famous 'Preface

to the Orchid Pavilion Anthology'. In front of this Pavilion is a spacious flat surrounded by

bamboos. A wandering stream zigzags through this flat. In Wang Xizhi's time, he and his

friends sat on both sides of the wandering stream and would set a Chinese drinking cup

in the flowing water, and before whoever the cup stopped would compose an impromptu

poem or have to drink three cups of wine as punishment. Now every year many calligraphers

and calligraphy lovers come here and imitate these ancients.In the Orchid Pavilion, many other

sites including the Wang Xizhi Memorial Temple and the Orchid Pavilion Calligraphy