Some people say that the poetry of Wuxi is like blue waves flowing for thousands of years, everywhere and at all times.
The waxy tin opera singing, intertwined with the Buddhist sounds of Lingshan, gently awakens the ears numbed by the hustle and bustle of the city, and quietly sneaks into the heart under the cover of the misty rain.
Here, it not only inherits the traditional softness of Jiangnan, but also adds a bit of lively human atmosphere.
However, just beside the vast Taihu Lake, there is hidden a ruined palace that has been abandoned for more than ten years – Tongyijiayuan.
A “secret realm” built with a cost of 500 million
It was a “secret place” built with a cost of 500 million. In the early years, for friends from other places, this name may have been unheard of.
But in Wuxi, it was once a popular Internet celebrity secret place, attracting the attention of countless tourists.
In 1994, China launched a craze for “man-made scenic spots”.
Tongyijiayuan, as the second man-made theme park in Wuxi, came into being.
It referred to the successful experience of CCTV Wuxi Film and Television Base and decided to follow the business line of “using drama to bring scenery”.
In order to attract tourists, the scenic spot even brought in the resources of the TV series “Flowers in the Mirror” that is being produced by CCTV and set it as the main filming base.
However, fate does not seem to favor this new scenic spot. The construction of the scenic spot is in full swing, but the crew has been unable to start filming.
The craze for film and television tourism comes and goes quickly. By the time the scenic spot is built, the best opportunity for development has been missed.
Faced with the predicament, the scenic spot decided to reposition itself and build it into a park that symbolizes family ties on both sides of the Taiwan Strait with the theme of “peaceful reunification”.
As a result, Mazu culture and other elements were introduced into the garden. After several years of construction, Tongyi Garden was finally opened to the outside world in 2001.
Although this man-made scenic spot is man-made, it is built in a stylish way.
It combines natural scenery with an introduction to Taiwan’s history and culture. The park’s scenic spots, such as the Golden Gate Temple, Tianhou Temple, Qinglong Qingtian, and Sun Moon Lake Waterfall, have their own unique features, attracting countless tourists to come and take photos.
The Golden Gate Temple is majestic with carved beams and paintings. The palace displays the scenic spots, history and humanity of Taiwan Province, as well as the historical facts of the Taiwanese people’s resistance to foreign aggression. It is of great significance for understanding history and culture.
And the natural scenery goes without saying. It is located on the edge of Taihu Lake in Dafu Town, Wuxi, surrounded by mountains on three sides.
The thousand-meter promenade on the crest of Taihu Lake is composed of six bridges, three pavilions, two squares and one pavilion. It curves and stretches for 1,088 meters. It is the longest water promenade in the world.
The landscape of Taihu Lake is stunning, with sparse flowers and trees, lush greenery, pavilions, pavilions and water corridors, bridges with hanging rainbows in the green water and green mountains, and winding paths with picturesque paintings.
Standing on the top of the mountain on the lake, overlooking the mountains, rivers and lakes, wandering among the mountains, rivers and lakes, it seems that you can see the splendid scenery of the Taiwan Strait.
With such beautiful scenery of lakes and mountains, the admission fee is only 35 yuan, which is indeed a conscientious move. During the time when it was built, Tongyijiayuan was indeed popular among many people.
Later, the 2001 version of “The Swordsman” was also filmed here, which added a bit of fame to it.
The most regrettable scenic spot
However, it is a pity that such glory did not last long.
Uni-President Garden, which cost 500 million yuan and took 7 years to build, declared bankruptcy due to poor management just 4 years after its opening.
There are different opinions on the reasons for the bankruptcy, but no matter which theory is said, it makes people lament the ill-fated fate of this scenic spot.
Since 2005, Tongyi Jiayuan seems to have suddenly “disappeared” from Wuxi.
Overnight, the once bright lights turned into silent ruins.
The glory on the other side can no longer illuminate the darkness here, leaving only a dilapidated scene.
18 years of dying struggle
During the more than ten years of neglect, due to no one managing the scenic spot, the park was overgrown with weeds and some of the buildings became “dangerous buildings”.
However, this dilapidated beauty unexpectedly became popular online and attracted people’s attention.
Considering the safety of the people, the local community took over the scenic spot in 2020 and implemented closed management of the entire area.
Although the scenic spot has declared bankruptcy, it has still struggled many times.
From 2018 to 2022, Tongyi Jiayuan was auctioned a total of 7 times. The starting price dropped from 303 million yuan to 181 million yuan, but all ended in failure.
It was not until 2022 that the scenic spot was sold at a lower price of 116 million yuan. This story called “Unified Garden” finally became history.
Today, when we look back on this period of history, we can’t help but feel sorry for the rise and fall of Tonghejiayuan. It was once a shining pearl in Wuxi, but now it has fallen into ruins.
However, even in its abandoned years, it still exudes a different kind of beauty, attracting people to come and explore its past.
Perhaps, one day in the future, Tongyijiayuan will be able to regain its vitality and once again become a beautiful scenery in Wuxi.
Although some guides are still circulating on the Internet, claiming that you can sneak into the scenic spot through that hidden path, Luisito strongly disagrees with this.
After all, our safety is the most non-negotiable principle during the journey, and any risky behavior may lead to unforeseen consequences.
It is still unknown whether this scenic spot can be revived and opened to the public again in the future.
We have no way of knowing how its fate will turn. We can only have good wishes and hope that in the near future, it will shine brilliantly again with a new attitude.
I hope this scenic spot can usher in a new life and become another beautiful scenery in Wuxi, attracting countless tourists to visit.
Let us look forward to it together and hope that this place can once again become another reason for everyone to go to Wuxi, so that its beauty and legend can continue to be passed down.
