Lou Lim Iok Garden is located in central Macau Peninsula, with an area of 1.78 hectares (about 4.4 acres). It is the only Suzhou style garden in Macau. It boasts elegant and peaceful scenes of south of the Yangtze River, called Jiangnan in Chinese. The garden was enlisted in the top eight scenes of Macau in 1992.
Construction of Lou Lim Iok Garden by a wealthy merchant began in 1904 and continued until 1925. It was once the largest private garden in Macau as well as one of the top three beautiful gardens of Macau. This gave it the widespread popularity. After the merchant's fortunes dwindled, parts of the garden were gradually sold off. In early 1970s, the government of Macau obtained and restored the garden. In 1974, it was opened to the public.
The elaborately designed scenes in the garden are entrancing. Upon entering, guests will find an old-time archway, followed by paths bordered with flowers and bamboos.
Qingcao Hall (Green Grass Hall) in the center of the garden is the focal piece of architecture, and together with the marvelous pavilions, cloisters, ponds, bridges and rockeries, makes the garden a tridimensional landscape picture. This hall is a masterpiece harmoniously blending Chinese and Western culture. The fence is bright red, a color favored by Chinese, whereas the wall is painted in beige, a color favored by Portuguese. The corridor pillars are Gothic style, with European style engravings of white flower patterns at the top. During Sun Yat-sen's second visit to Macau in 1915, he stayed in this hall and met with many celebrities.
An elegant nine-turn bridge sits above the small pond in the front of the hall. In the centre of the pond stands a stone figure of an ancient-time beauty. Stream water pours from the rockery top down to the pond, creating wonderful waterfalls. There are crowds of fish playing about under lotus leaves in the pond. Many visitors enjoy sitting on stone stools in the shade under the weeping willows and looking into the pond. There visitors can enjoy a nice rest and take in the beautiful scenes.
Location: Estrada de Adolfo Loureiro Sao Lazaro Macau
Transportation: Bus routes nearby: 2, 2A, 5, 9, 9A, 12, 16, 22, 25, 25X, N2
Ticket: Free
Opening hours: 6:00 – 21:00