Lotus Charm of Canglang&Xiaocanglang Pavilion

      In midsummer, the lotuses in the pond of Xiaocanglang are in full blossom and present a marvelous view to the visitors. The Chinese characters of “Lotus Charm of Canglang” on the horizontal inscribed board were written by Dong Qichang. The couplets of “The moon over the lake around the town; the willows above the city walls” were from the poem of Yuan Yishan in the Jin Dynasty and were written by a local calligrapher named RenXiaolu
      Xiaocanglang Pavilion is located in the yard of Tie Xuan Memorial. It was built in the 57th year of the reign of Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty in the same style of Canglang Pavilion in Suzhou. The two words“Canglang” were from the article Fisherman in The Songs of Chu. The lyrics are “Canglang Water is so clear that it can wash the ribbons of my hat; the Canglang Water is so muddy that it can wash my feet.” Hence Canglang Pavilion got its name. Canglang Pavilion here is smaller than that one in Suzhou so it is named “Xiaocanglang Pavilion” (Xiao means little).
      Xiaocanglang Pavilion was built near the lake. The name of it on the horizontal inscribed board was written by JueLuoChongen, the governor of Shandong at that time. Xiaocanglang Pavilion faces the lake in one direction and is surrounded by the lotus pond in other directions. Around it was built a winding corridor, which is the best position to watch the lotuses in summer and enjoy the inverted reflection of the Thousand Buddha Hill in the lake.
      In the past time, Xiaocanglang Pavilion was once the place for people to drink tea and write poems. The unique views attracted a lot of poets and calligraphers to have parties here. They drank and wrote poems here and left many popular lines among which “With lotus flowers on four sides and weeping willows on three sides; half of the hilly city is reflected in the lake” are the best-known. The lyrics were composed by Liu Fenggao and written by a great calligrapher Tie Bao. Liu Fenggao was a historian and an official in charge of education in Shandong in the Qing Dynasty.