Humble Administrator’s Garden



The Humble Administrator's Garden (or Zhuozheng Yuan), is one of four great Chinese gardens. At
51,950 m² it is the largest garden in Suzhou, and generally considered the finest garden in southern
China. In 1997, Zhuozheng Yuan, along with other classical gardens of Suzhou, is claimed a World
Heritage Site, listed by UNESCO.

The garden's site was a scholar garden during the Tang Dynasty, and later a monastery garden for the
Dahong Temple during the Yuan Dynasty. In 1513, during the Ming Dynasty reign of Emperor Zhengde,
an administrator named Wang Xianchen appropriated the temple and converted it into a private villa
with gardens, which were constructed by digging lakes and piling the resultant earth into artificial
islands. The garden was designed in collaboration with the renowned Ming artist Wen Zhengming,
and was as large as today's garden, with numerous trees and pavilions. The Wang family sold the
garden several years later, and it has changed hands many times since.

The layout of "water" characterized the Humble Administrator Garden, because a pond takes up 3/5 of the whole garden. You will come across the
pond almost everywhere you walk, while you are walking in the garden. At first, the layout of the garden was the pond lies in the center of the
garden, and all architectures surrounding the pond. The mutually shone buildings and their reflections in the water are the main feature of the
garden.

The garden has three sections, the eastern, the western and center sections. The center section is the main section of the garden. When stepping
into the garden, you will find a pool of peaceful water in a winding pond and many parasols and ancient cypresses near the bank. Opposite the
pond is the main building Hall of Distant Fragrance. It is the most beautiful scene in the garden.

Surrounded by corridor of Leaning Jade, and pavilions of Lotus Wind from Four Directions, Snow
Perfume and Falling Leaves, Waiting for Frost, Parasols and Bamboo, and Pavilion of Beautiful
Embroidery, it form a spacious but symmetrical sight. Their poetic names suggest how beautiful
they are.

The art of the Humble Administrator's Garden has a prominent position in the history of China's
garden creation. It represents the historical characteristics and achievements of south-east China's
private gardens.