In 1342, the monk Tianru wrote in a poem, "People say that I am in a city, but I suspect that I am among thousands of mountains." He was either inebriated or he was in Lion Forest Garden. Lion Forest doesn't have real mountains, but it has thousands of pitted and weather rocks piled atop each other to create a maze of small hills and caves. Seen from close up or at a distance, the rocks give the impression of being enormous mountains in the distance. Other rocks tower upward like trees, and many of them look more like animals than rocks – hence the name Lion Forest. These rocks were all pulled up from the bottom of Lake Tai, and they come in such fantastic shapes because this particular kind of limestone erodes in such an unpredictable way. On the northern side of the garden, there are more than a dozen unique buildings, and in the west there is a small pond, but the majority of Lion Forest is covered by these strange rocks. In addition to the miniature mountains, the garden contains numerous flowering bonsai. All this combines to make even the smallest person feel like a giant.
A word to the wise, there are numerous trails traversing the rocky hills, but some of the rocks have become so smooth that they could give goats pause and are particularly hairy when it's rained recently. Also, it's rarely clear where any one trail goes, so plan on getting a bit lost. We recommend getting in and out before lunch to avoid the crowds. Later, you can stroll over to the nearby and less crowded Humble Administrator's Garden.
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