What are the Suzhou classical gardens listed as World Heritage?

●Chinese name: Suzhou Classical Gardens

●English name: The Classical Gardens of Suzhou

●Approval time: December 1997

< p>●Heritage type: Cultural heritage

●Heritage selection criteria: The Lion Grove, Humble Administrator’s Garden, Liuyuan Garden and Master of the Nets Garden in Suzhou gardens, according to cultural heritage selection criteria C(I)(II) (III)(IV)(V) is included in the World Heritage List. In 2001, Canglang Pavilion was also included in the World Heritage List.

●World Heritage Committee evaluation:

No garden can better reflect the ideal quality of Chinese classical garden design than the four major gardens in the historical city of Suzhou. Recreating the world within a short distance, Suzhou gardens are recognized as a model for realizing this design idea. These gardens, built between the 16th and 18th centuries, with their exquisite designs, reflect the profound artistic conception of Chinese culture that draws on nature but transcends it.

●Overview:

Suzhou in Jiangsu Province in eastern China is a famous historical and cultural city in China. It has always been famous for its beautiful mountains and rivers and elegant gardens. It is said that "the gardens in the south of the Yangtze River are the best in the world. Suzhou gardens are known as “the best gardens in the south of the Yangtze River”. According to records, there are nearly 200 large and small gardens in Suzhou. Suzhou gardens are "literati freehand landscape gardens" with profound cultural implications. Ancient gardeners all had a high level of cultural accomplishment and were good at poetry and painting. When designing gardens, they often took paintings as the basis and poetry as the theme. They created poetic landscapes by digging ponds, mountains, and planting flowers and trees. It is called "silent poetry and three-dimensional painting". Traveling in the garden is like reading poetry or appreciating paintings. In order to express the interests, ideals and pursuits of the garden owner, the garden architecture and landscape also have poems and inscriptions such as plaques and couplets. Some use the quiet fragrance of lotus to describe their character ("Yuanxiang Hall" in the Humble Administrator's Garden). Elegant vanilla is used to describe one's noble character (Humble Administrator's Garden, "Xiangzhou"); some admire the ancients, like boats floating freely and contentedly (Yiyuan, "Huafangzhai"); and others express the garden owner's desire for a tranquil life in the Four Gardens. (Master of the Nets Garden "True Meaning", Liuyuan "Little Taoyuan") and so on. These bookish poems and inscriptions blend naturally and harmoniously with the buildings, landscapes, flowers and trees in the garden, so that every mountain, water, plant and tree in the garden can create a profound artistic conception. Wandering among them, you can feel Gain spiritual edification and enjoyment of beauty. Among them, Canglang Pavilion, Lion Grove Garden, Humble Administrator's Garden and Liuyuan Garden respectively represent the Song Dynasty (960-1278 AD), Yuan (1271-1368 AD), Ming (1368-1644 AD) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD). The artistic styles of the four dynasties in Suzhou are known as the "Four Famous Gardens" in Suzhou, and the Master of the Nets Garden is also quite famous.

Canglang Pavilion is located in the south of Suzhou City. It is the oldest garden in Suzhou. It was first built during the Qingli Period of the Northern Song Dynasty (1041-1048 AD). In the early years of the Southern Song Dynasty (early 12th century AD), the famous general Han Shizhong 's residence. The gardening art of Canglang Pavilion is unique. Before entering the garden gate, there is a pool of green water surrounding the garden. The main scenery in the garden is mountains and rocks. Facing an earth mountain, Canglang Stone Pavilion is located on it. There is a pool dug at the foot of the mountain, and the mountains and rivers are connected by a winding corridor. The Mingdao Hall in the southeast of the rockery is the main building of the garden. In addition, there are other buildings such as the Five Hundred Xian Temple, Kanshan Tower, Cuilinglong Pavilion, Yangzhi Pavilion and Yubei Pavilion.

The Lion Forest is located in the northeast of Suzhou City. It was built in the second year of Zhizheng of the Yuan Dynasty (1342 AD). Because there are many stone peaks in the park, many of which look like lions, it is named "Lion Forest". The Lion Forest is rectangular in plan and covers an area of ??about 15 acres. There are many and exquisite lake rocks and rockeries in the forest, and the buildings are scattered in an orderly manner. The main buildings include Yanyu Hall, Jianshan Tower, Feipu Pavilion, Wenmei Pavilion, etc. The Lion Forest has a clear theme, rich depth of field, distinct personality, unique rockery caves, and unique charm to every plant and tree.

The Liuyuan Garden is located outside Changmen in Suzhou City and was built in the Ming Dynasty. In the Qing Dynasty, it was called "Hanbi Villa", commonly known as "Liu Garden", and later changed to "Liu Garden". The Liuyuan Garden covers an area of ??about 50 acres. The central part is dominated by mountains and rivers, which is the essence of the whole garden. The main buildings include Hanbishan House, Mingse Building, Yuancui Pavilion Quxi Building, Qingfengchi Pavilion, etc. The Liuyuan Garden has the largest number of buildings among all gardens in Suzhou, and its outstanding spatial treatment fully reflects the superb skills and outstanding wisdom of ancient gardeners.

The Humble Administrator's Garden is located in Loumen, Suzhou. It is the largest garden in Suzhou and a representative work of Suzhou gardens. In the fourth year of Zhengde in the Ming Dynasty (1509), Wang Xianchen, the imperial censor who returned home after being frustrated in officialdom, built this garden. It is named "Humble Administrator's Garden" based on the meaning of "irrigating the garden and growing vegetables for day and night meals" in Pan Yue's "Xianju Fu" of the Jin Dynasty. Over the past 400 years, the Humble Administrator's Garden has been divided and reassembled several times. It has been either a "private" residence, a "golden house" for hiding beauties, or a "prince's palace", leaving behind many relics and allusions that are tempting to explore. The whole park is divided into four parts: east, middle, west and residential. The central part has beautiful mountains and rivers, elegant halls and pavilions, and luxuriant flowers and trees, which is the essence of the whole garden. The water corridor in the west is winding and the towers reflect it, making it quiet and peaceful. In the east, there is Pinggang grassland, bamboo dock and meandering water, and the space is open.

The Bonsai Garden and Yashizhai are two bright pearls embedded in the Humble Administrator's Garden. In the western part of the Humble Administrator's Garden, a clear bamboo fence with swaying shadows is home to the finest bonsais of the Su style. It is known as the "treasure of the famous garden", with more than 50 varieties and nearly 10,000 bonsais. Yashizhai is located in the middle, a quiet courtyard surrounded by pools of water and verandahs. It displays the "wonderful stones" that are the best indoor offerings for the Qing Dynasty. A variety of strange stones in various shapes and forms are enshrined on desks and tables with mahogany stands, making them more and more elegant.

Master of the Nets Garden is located in the southeast of Suzhou City. It was first built in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279 AD) and was called "Yuyin" at that time. It was rebuilt during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty (1736-1796 AD), and was renamed "Net Master Garden" based on the old meaning of "Yuyin". Master of the Nets Garden covers an area of ??about half a hectare and is the smallest garden in Suzhou. The main buildings in the garden include Cong Guixuan, Zhuoying Water Pavilion, Kansong Duhua Pavilion, Dian Chunyan, etc. All the pavilions, terraces and pavilions in Master of the Nets Garden are close to water. There is water everywhere in the garden. The various buildings are well coordinated and compact in layout. They are famous for their exquisiteness and have a typical Ming Dynasty style.

Suzhou gardens use unique gardening art within a limited space to integrate the scenery of lakes and mountains with pavilions and pavilions, and integrate the bustling natural beauty and creative artistic beauty. You can feel the natural beauty of mountains and forests just outside the city. In addition, Suzhou gardens also have extremely rich cultural heritage. The gardening art, architectural features and the poems, paintings and ink left by literati and poets all reflect the essence and connotation of traditional Chinese culture.

●Cultural heritage value:

The history of Suzhou classical gardens can be traced back to the gardens of King Wu in the Spring and Autumn Period in the 6th century BC. Private gardens were first recorded in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (4th century) During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Suzhou became the most prosperous area in China, with private gardens spread all over the ancient city. During its heyday from the 16th to the 18th century, Suzhou had more than 200 gardens, which are now preserved. There are dozens of good ones, which makes Suzhou known as "Paradise on Earth".

As typical examples of Suzhou’s classical gardens, the Humble Administrator’s Garden, the Lingering Garden, the Master of the Nets Garden and the Huanxiu Villa were produced during the heyday of the development of private gardens in Suzhou. They are known for their profound artistic conception, exquisite construction, elegant art, and It has rich cultural connotation and has become a model and representative of many classical gardens in Suzhou.

Freehand landscape art thought

Chinese gardening art has far-reaching historical origins with Chinese literature and painting art. It is especially influenced by the freehand landscape paintings of literati in the Tang and Song Dynasties. A model of landscape simulation. In the process of its development, Chinese gardens have formed two major series, including royal gardens and private gardens. The former is concentrated in Beijing, and the latter is represented by Suzhou. Due to the differences in political, economic, cultural status and natural and geographical conditions, there are obvious differences between the two in terms of scale, layout, volume, style, color, etc. The royal gardens are famous for their grandness, strictness, grandeur, and beauty, while Suzhou gardens are famous for their grandeur, strictness, grandeur, and beauty. Gardens are famous for their small, free, delicate, elegant and artistic style. Because the latter paid more attention to the harmony and unity of culture and art, the royal gardens that developed into the late period also drew heavily on the "freehand brushwork" techniques of private gardens in terms of artistic conception, creative ideas, architectural techniques, and humanistic content.

Perfect living conditions and living environment

Suzhou classical gardens and houses are integrated into one, which can be admired, visited and lived in. The formation of this architectural form is due to the dense population and In cities lacking natural scenery, human beings are attached to nature, pursue harmonious coexistence with nature, and beautify and perfect their own living environment.

The four classical gardens, the Humble Administrator's Garden, the Lingering Garden, the Master of Nets Garden and the Huanxiu Villa, have complete architectural types and are well preserved. They systematically and comprehensively display the layout, structure, shape, style, color, decoration and furniture of Suzhou's classical garden architecture. , furnishings and other aspects, it is a representative work of Jiangnan folk architecture during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (14th to the beginning of the 20th century). It reflects the high degree of residential civilization in the Jiangnan region of China during this period. It has influenced the architectural style of the entire Jiangnan city and promoted The design, conception, layout, aesthetics and construction technology of folk buildings moved closer to it, reflecting the scientific and technological level and artistic achievements of urban construction at that time.

Rich social and cultural connotations

One of the important features of Suzhou classical gardens is that it is not only a product of history and culture, but also a carrier of traditional Chinese thought and culture. It is reflected in the naming of garden halls, plaques, inscriptions, writing stones, carvings, decorations, as well as the meanings of flowers and trees, stacked stones to convey feelings, etc. They are not only exquisite works of art that decorate the garden, but also store a large amount of history, culture, thought and science. The information, material content and spiritual content are extremely deep and wide. Some of them reflect and spread various philosophical concepts and schools of thought such as Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism; some promote the philosophy of life and cultivate noble sentiments; and some use classical poetry and literature to embellish, develop, and exaggerate the garden landscape to make people feel happy. While enjoying the sightseeing, you can turn the scenery into emotions, produce artistic conception and gain spiritual satisfaction. The garden collects well-preserved handwritings of famous Chinese calligraphers from past dynasties, which are precious works of art and have extremely high cultural relic value. In addition, Suzhou classical gardens are residential gardens that combine a house and a garden, and their architectural regulations reflect the lifestyle and etiquette customs of ancient Chinese Jiangnan folk. They are physical materials for understanding and studying ancient Chinese Jiangnan folk customs.

Canglang Pavilion is located in Sanyuanfang in the south of Suzhou City. It is the oldest garden in Suzhou. It was built by the poet Su Shunqin (Zimei) during the Qingli period of the Northern Song Dynasty (1041-1048). In the early years of the Southern Song Dynasty, it was the residence of the famous general Han Shizhong. The gardening art of Canglang Pavilion is unique. Before entering the garden gate, you can see a pool of green water surrounding the garden. You can only enter after strolling across the bridge. The main scenery in the garden is rocks, facing a tall earth mountain. There are slender bamboos and ancient trees on the mountain. On the top of the mountain is the Canglang Stone Pavilion, which is flying in the sky. There is a pool dug at the foot of the mountain, and the mountains and rivers are connected by a zigzag corridor. There are flower windows and leaky pavilions in the corridor. Walking through the corridor, you can see the distant mountains and rivers. Mingdaotang in the southeast of the rockery is the main building of the garden. Opposite to Mingdaotang in the east and west is the Temple of Five Hundred Immortals. The southernmost part of the garden is the mountain-viewing tower built on the rockery cave house. To the north of the mountain-watching tower is the "Cui Linglong Pavilion", and then turn north to the "Yangzhi Pavilion". After exiting the "Yangzhi Pavilion" you can reach the "Yangzhi Pavilion". "Royal Stele Pavilion".

Canglang Pavilion is quiet, simple, comfortable and natural, like a hibiscus in clear water, washing away all the beauty without a trace of powder.

Lion Grove The Lion Grove is located in Panru Lane, Suzhou, east of Yuanlin Road. It was built by Zen Master Tianru in the second year of Yuan Zhizheng (1342) in memory of his master, Monk Zhongfeng. Because Zhongfeng originally lived at Lion Rock in Tianmu Mountain, Zhejiang, and there are many stone peaks in the park, many of which look like lions, hence the name "Lion Forest".

The lion forest is rectangular in plan, covering an area of ??about 15 acres. It is mountainous in the southeast and watery in the northwest. It is surrounded by high walls and a formidable atmosphere. The Lion Forest has numerous and exquisite rockeries, caves, and ravines, all of which are intricately circling and circuitous. The buildings in the garden are mainly Yanyu Hall, with a small square hall behind the hall and a Lixue Hall. To the west, you can reach "Zhibaixuan", which is a two-story attic surrounded by verandas, high and elegant. It means that to the west of Baixuan is the ancient Five Pine Garden. The southwest corner is Jianshan Building. From Jianshan Building to the west, you can reach the Lotus Hall. A Zhenqu Pavilion is built near the pond in the northwest of the hall. The pavilion is beautifully decorated with algae and lifelike figures and flowers. There are two-story stone boats next to the pavilion. The shore of the stone boat is the "Secret Fragrance Shadow Pavilion". From there, follow the corridor and turn south to reach the Fei Waterfall Pavilion, which is the highest point in the whole garden. The center of the scenery in the west of the garden is the "Wenmei Pavilion", and in front of the pavilion is the "Shuangxian Incense Pavilion". Shuangxiang Fairy Pavilion goes south and turns east. There is a fan pavilion in the southwest corner and a small courtyard behind the pavilion, which is fresh and elegant. The Lion Forest has a clear theme, rich depth of field, distinct personality, unique rockery caves, and unique charm to every plant and tree.

The Lingering Garden is located outside Changmen, Suzhou City. It was originally the East Garden of Xu Shitai in the Ming Dynasty. It was owned by Liu Rongfeng in the Qing Dynasty and was renamed Hanbi Villa, commonly known as Liu Garden. In the second year of Guangxu's reign in the Qing Dynasty, it was occupied by Shengxu people and was first called Liuyuan. The Liuyuan Garden covers an area of ??about 50 acres. The whole garden is roughly divided into four parts: the middle, the east, the west and the north. The middle part is dominated by mountains and rivers, where the original Liuyuan Garden was located, and is the essence of the whole garden. The east, west and north were added during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty. After entering the park, you can reach the middle part through the two small courtyards. The central part is divided into east and west districts. The west district is famous for its landscapes, while the east district is mainly for buildings.

The west area is surrounded by mountains to the north and south, a pond in the center, and buildings in the southeast. The main hall is the Hanbi Mountain Room, from which is the Mingse Building to the east and the Green Yin Pavilion to the south. Yuancui Pavilion is located in the northeast corner of the central part, and the scent of osmanthus is located in the northwest corner of the central part. In addition, there are Keting, Xiaopenglai, Haopu Pavilion, Quxi Tower, Qingfengchi Pavilion, etc. In the center of the east is the Wufengxian Pavilion, also known as the Nanmu Hall because the beams and columns are made of nanmu. Wufengxian Pavilion is surrounded by Huanwo Reading Hall, Yifengxuan and Jigu Delong Hall. To the east of Yi Fengxuan, Linquan Qishuo's Pavilion is exquisitely designed and richly furnished. To the north are Guanyun Marsh, Guanyun Pavilion, Guanyun Tower and the famous Guanyun, Xiuyun and Duanyun. The three peaks are old objects from the Ming Dynasty. Guanyun Peak is about 9 meters high and exquisitely carved. It has the reputation of "the crown of peaks in Jiangnan gardens". There are Chuyun Nunnery and the Pavilion of Good Sunny, Happy Rain and Quick Snow in the surrounding area. The Lingering Garden has a large number of buildings and outstanding spatial treatment, ranking first among all gardens in Suzhou. It fully reflects the superb skills and outstanding wisdom of ancient gardeners.

The Humble Administrator’s Garden is located on Northeast Street in Loumen, Suzhou, covering an area of ??62 acres. It is the largest garden in Suzhou and a representative work of Suzhou gardens. During the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty (1506-1521), it was It was built by Wang Xianchen, the censor. Later, it changed its owner many times and was rebuilt many times. Most of the existing gardens were formed in the late Qing Dynasty.

The layout theme of the Humble Administrator's Garden is centered on water. The pool area accounts for about one-fifth of the total area. Various pavilions and pavilions are built near the water. The whole garden is divided into three parts: east, middle and west. The middle garden is its main body and essence. Yuanxiang Hall is the main building of the Central Garden, and all other scenic spots are built around Yuanxiang Hall. There is a yellow stone rockery in the south of the hall, and trees are planted on the mountain. The hall faces the water in the north, and the pond is built with earth and stone to form two mountains on the east and west. Between the two mountains, there is a bridge over the stream. There is the "Snow Fragrant Cloud Pavilion" on the west mountain and the "Waiting for Frost Pavilion" on the east mountain, forming a contrasting scene. Going down the mountain from "Xuexiangyunwei Pavilion", you can go to the "Lotus Breeze Pavilion" in the southwest of the garden. From this pavilion, you can go west via Liuyin Road. You can climb the Jianshan Tower in the north, and go to Yiyuxuan in the south. To the west, there is another cave. To the east of Yuanxiang Hall are Green Ripple Hall, Wuzhu Youju, Xiuqi Pavilion, Loquat Garden, Haitang Chunwu, Linglong Pavilion and other places. To the west of the hall are places such as Xiao Feihong and Xiao Canglang. To the north of Xiaocanglang is the dry boat Xiangzhou, and to the southwest of Xiangzhou is the Yulan Hall. Enter the "Bieyou Cave Tianmen" to reach the West Garden. The main buildings of the West Garden are the Eighteen Mandala Flower Pavilion and the Thirty-six Mandarin Duck Pavilion. The two pavilions are divided into one hall, and the interior is divided into two. The north hall was originally the place where the owner of the garden held banquets, listened to operas and listened to music. People could watch the mandarin ducks playing in the water amid the music and orchestra, so it was named after the "Mandarin Duck Pavilion". In the south hall, there is a camellia, or Mandala flower, planted, so it is called the "Mandala Flower Pavilion". There is a hexagonal "Yiliang Pavilion" in the east of the pavilion and an octagonal tower shadow pavilion in the south. To the north of Tower Shadow Pavilion, you can reach Liuting Pavilion. In the northern half of the West Garden, there are also scenic spots such as Fucui Pavilion, Li Pavilion, Sitting with Whom Pavilion, and Reflection Tower. The eastern part of the Humble Administrator's Garden was originally the "Gui Qu Lai Hall", which was later abandoned. The layout of the Humble Administrator's Garden is dominated by water, which is sometimes spacious and sometimes winding. The mountain paths and water corridors are undulating and winding, and the circulation is smooth everywhere. The style is clear, elegant, simple and natural.

Master of the Nets Garden The Master of the Nets Garden is located on Shiquan Street in the southeast of Suzhou City. Covering an area of ??about half a hectare, it is the smallest garden in Suzhou. It was originally the location of the Wanjuan Hall of Shi Zhengzhi of the Southern Song Dynasty, and was called "Yuyin". During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, Song Zongyuan rebuilt it and took the old meaning of "Yuyin" and changed its name to "Net Master Garden". After that, it changed owners several times. In the 16th year of Qianlong's reign, it returned to Quyuan Village and was renovated to become the scale it is today.

Guixuan on the hill in the west building is the main hall of Master of the Nets Garden. To the south and west of the Xuan are two small courtyards. Xuanbei has a "Yungang" made of yellow stones. From the west of Xuan to the north, you can reach Duihe Pavilion and Zhuoying Water Pavilion. The water pavilion hangs over the pool, leaning on the railing to illuminate the water, but you can see the ripples of light and the willows and flowers. In the central part of the main garden, there is a pool of water, as clear as a mirror. Corridors, pavilions, pavilions and pavilions are built around the pond, and there are stacked stone curved bridges on the banks, which are well spaced and well coordinated. At the corner of the pool is the Yinjing Bridge, the smallest stone arch bridge in the park. The bridge deck is only 212 cm long and 29.5 cm wide. To the west is the inner garden, which covers an area of ??one acre and forms its own garden. There are houses, pavilions and corridors, springs, rocks, flowers and plants in the garden, which embody the essence of Suzhou garden layout. The Zhuoying Water Pavilion and the Kansong Duhua Pavilion face each other across the pond, and are places for reading and painting; the Yuezhi Fenglai Pavilion and the Shooting Duck Gallery face each other from a distance, which is a good place for watching fish and admiring the reflection in the water. Dian Chunyi is its own courtyard, where the owner studies and cultivates himself. The environment is quiet and has a typical Ming Dynasty style. All the pavilions and pavilions in Master of the Nets Garden face water. There is water to lean on everywhere in the garden. The layout is compact and famous for its sophistication.

Huanxiu Villa Huanxiu Villa is located at No. 262 Jingde Road. It was originally the former site of the Jingu Garden of the Qian family in the Five Dynasties. It changed hands several times and was expanded many times. It was first called Huanxiu Villa, also known as the Summer Palace in Daoguang of the Qing Dynasty.

Huanxiu Villa is small in area, covering an area of ??only one acre, and there are no external views to borrow. The gardeners moved around and stacked rocks to build mountains to create this famous garden.

The scenery of Huanxiu Mountain Manor is dominated by mountains, supplemented by pools and water, and there are not many buildings. Although the garden is small, it is very impressive. In particular, the rockery built by Ge Yuliang, a famous stone-laying artist during the Qianlong period, is a masterpiece. It covers an area of ??only half an acre, but within a short distance, there are thousands of rocks and ravines. Looking around the mountain, the scenery changes with each step. The main peak is abrupt in the southeast, and the secondary peak is arched in the northwest. The pool is surrounded by water and shaded by green trees. There are dangerous paths, caves, deep valleys, stone cliffs, flying beams, and cliffs in the mountains. The realms are as varied as nature. The main peak is 7.2 meters high, the valley is 12 meters long, and the mountain path is more than 60 meters long. It spirals up and down, like a high road entering the clouds, and the scenery is endless. Ge's mountain stacking uses the "big ax chopping method", which is simple and powerful, rigorous in structure, well-proportioned and natural, and has the reputation of being "unique in the south of the Yangtze River".

The hall of Huanxiu Villa is surrounded by green pines, cypresses, crape myrtle and magnolia. The city is green with thousands of trees, and the flowers are astonishing, adding a bit of vitality to the mountains, ponds and buildings.

Tuisi Garden Tuisi Garden is located on Dongxi Street, Tongli Town, Wujiang. It was built in the 11th to 13th years of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty (1885-1887 AD). It was funded by Ren Lansheng, a retired official. Wanliang was built. Because it has the meaning of "retreating and thinking about mistakes", it is named "Retreating and Thinking Garden". The whole garden is simple and elegant, with more than half of the water surface, and the buildings are built close to the water. The garden seems to be floating on the water. It is the only water-side garden building in the country, reflecting the style of Jiangnan garden architecture in the late Qing Dynasty.

The total area of ??Tuisi Garden is nine acres and eighty cents. This garden has changed from the previous vertical structure of the garden to a horizontal construction, with the house on the left, the courtyard in the middle, and the garden on the right. The whole garden has a compact and natural layout, combined with plant embellishments, to present the scenery of the four seasons, giving people a sense of clarity and tranquility.

Tuisi Garden combines the advantages of garden architecture in the Qing Dynasty. Each building in the garden can create a scene on its own, but also corresponds to another scene. It has the wonderful scenery of changing with each step, which can be called Jiangnan. A classic in classical gardens.

The Art Garden is located at No. 5, Wenya Lane, Tiankuqian, Changmen Nei, Suzhou City. It was built in the Ming Dynasty and was once known as "Zuiying Hall", "Medicine Garden" and "Jingting Shanfang". In the early Qing Dynasty, it was renamed "Art Garden". The garden has pleasant scenery and simple style. It has well preserved the layout of the early days of the garden and has high historical and artistic value.

The total area of ??the art garden is about 3,800 square meters, and the entire garden is centered on a pool of water that accounts for about one-fifth of the total area. There are inlets protruding from the southeast and southwest corners of the pool, and a stone bridge of different shapes is erected above the water inlet, making the water surface appear open and flowing without feeling congested and cramped. To the north of the pool, there are hall buildings, mainly Boya Hall. There is a small courtyard at the south end with a lake stone flower terrace. There are five waterside pavilions in the south of the courtyard facing the pool. The wing rooms on both sides are connected to the wing rooms on the east and west sides of the pool. To the south of the pond, there is a rockery made of earth, and lake stones are stacked to form cliffs and dangerous paths. It is both varied and natural, giving people the beauty of mountains and forests. It can be called the main scenery in the garden. To the east of the pool is the "Milk Fish Pavilion" built in the Ming Dynasty, with trails connecting it to everywhere. The "Qinlu" courtyard to the west of the pool is separated from but connected to other scenic spots through a round cave gate. When you step into the courtyard, you can see the small pond in the courtyard, which seems to be connected to the big pond. This is the only place in Suzhou gardens.

The art garden’s technique of combining pools, stone paths, and cliffs draws on nature while striving to transcend nature. It was the most commonly used layout technique by Suzhou gardeners during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Coupling Garden Coupling Garden is located at No. 7 Xiaoxin Lane, Neicang Street, Suzhou City. It was built in the early Qing Dynasty and was renamed "Coupling Garden" in the late Qing Dynasty. Because there is a garden on the east and west sides of the house, this garden is named "Couple Garden", and "cou" and "cou" are connected, which means that the couple returns to the fields to live in seclusion.

Three sides of the garden face the river and one side is along the street. The total area of ??the garden is about 8,000 square meters. The layout of the garden is unique, with the house with four halls as the center, and the east and west gardens and the residence are connected by double buildings. The East Garden is larger, covering an area of ??about 4 acres, and its layout features mountains as the main component and ponds as the supplement. The main building faces south and is a group of double-eaves hall buildings. There are three small courtyards in the southeast corner, collectively called "Chengqu Thatched Cottage". The West Garden is smaller in area. It is centered on the "Old Curtain House" with the study room, and is divided into two small courtyards at the front and back. There is a lake stone rockery in the front yard, a lake stone flower bed in the backyard, a library in the north of the garden, and a library in the southwest corner. There are rockeries, flowers, trees, lake rocks, etc., which are full of interest.

The most famous landscape in the couple's garden is called "Yellowstone Rockery", which was built in front of the Chengqu Thatched Cottage Hall. The eastern half of the rockery is larger, and the stone path in front of the hall can lead to the platform on the east side of the mountain and the stone chamber on the west side. The western half of the rockery is smaller, descending step by step from east to west, ending at the right wall of the small hall.

There is a valley between the east and west halves, with a pond to the east. There are no pavilions built on the mountain, but more than ten kinds of flowers and trees are planted on the top of the mountain and behind the mountain, adding to the interest of the mountain forest. The pool in the garden extends to the south along with the rockery. There is a curved bridge on the water. There is a pavilion built across the water at the south end of the pool, which is called the "Landscape Pavilion". It faces the Chengqu Thatched Cottage across the mountain, forming a beautiful scenic spot with the mountain as the main body.