Classical gardens adorn the city

Humble Administrator's Garden

The Humble Administrator's Garden is the largest classical garden in Suzhou and is considered the finest garden in all of southern China. It is regarded as one of the top four classical gardens in China along with the Summer Palace in Beijing, Chengde Mountain Resort in Chengde, Hebei province, and Lingering Garden in Suzhou.

In 1997, Zhuozheng Yuan, the Chinese name for the garden, along with another eight of Suzhou's classical gardens was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In 1513, Wang Xiancheng, an imperial envoy and poet of the Ming Dynasty created a garden on the site of the dilapidated Dahong Temple in Suzhou. The garden was named after a verse by Jin Dynasty (265 AD-420) poet Pan Yue to express Wang's fine taste and his desire to retire.

The five-hectare garden highlights a waterscape with water features accounting for one-fifth of the total space.

The garden has a number of pavilions and bridges set among connected pools and islands, resembling a traditional Chinese painting inspired by simple yet poetic nature.

It consists of three major parts around a lake.

The eastern garden features a few buildings around a central lawn and pond.

The central part consists of many scenes arranged around the Surging Wave Pond. Within the pond, three islands recreate the scenery of the legendary Penglai islands of the "east sea".

The western garden is only half the size of the central space, and is also dominated by water. Although small, it is planned with meticulous care and precision.

Flower shows are a recent attraction of the garden, with an azalea festival in spring and a lotus flower festival in summer. In addition, there are also exhibitions of sculptures and porcelain artworks.