China | Suzhou Lingering Garden (Liu Yuan)

The 'Garden for Lingering'

Suzhou's many formal gardens reflect the ancient Chinese proverb that says: "in Heaven there is Paradise; on earth, Suzhou." That proverb is indicative of the ancient Chinese desire to create a version of Heaven here on earth, by controlling and perfecting nature. The "bonsai" or Chinese "Penjing" is the ultimate manifestation of this desire to control and mimic nature.

Many of the Suzhou's beautiful gardens were built during the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644) and Qing Dynasty also known as the Manchu Dynasty ( 1644 to 1911). The Liu Yuan 'Lingering Garden' (aka "Garden for Lingering in") was started in the 1590s, and expanded during the Qing Dynasty.

The Lingering Garden is located outside of the Cang-men Gate for ancient Suzhou. The Lingering Garden was listed as a 'cultural relic of national importance' by the Chinese government in 1961, and Suzhou's ancient gardens were added to the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites starting in 1997.

The 'style' of these gardens are not as minimalist as Japanese formal gardens, and rely heavily on the use of weathered-looking "Taihu rock from the bottom of Lake Taihu (above), as well as man-made hills, pagodas, kiosks, pavilions, and water-features, all gathered together in a relatively compact area.

The Lingering Garden covers an area of 23,310 square meters, separated into middle, eastern, northern and western sections. After entering the garden at the south end, you are led through a succession of small chambers to a long series of lattice windows that barley reveal the garden hidden within.

The 'middle' section of the Lingering Garden is the original location for the Xu East Garden and the Liu Hanbi Villa, containing some of the most beautiful scenery and the largest body of water in the site. The north, east, and west sections are extensions of the Sheng Garden. The ancestral temple is situated to the south of the garden.

The eastern-most part of the Xu East Garden features extensive use of twisted Taihu limestone rock formations, with some beautiful meandering paths decorated with mosaics of animals and birds. The western side of Liu Yuan garden mimics a woody glen.

The largest pavilion in the Liu Yuan garden is the Wufengxian or "Five Peak Immortals" pavilion on the eastern side. The northern part of Liu Yuan is designed to replicate a serene countryside, with the bonsai garden being located in the middle of this section.

The pavilions have enormous wood lattice windows that were lined with silk to allow cool breezes in during the summer months. These shady and cool resting places were used to enjoy opium during a hot summer day.

The Humble Administrator's Garden (Zhuozheng Yuan)

The Humble Administrator's Garden (aka Zhuozheng Yuan), built in the 1500s by imperial inspector Wang Xianchen, is the largest garden in Suzhou (approximatly 5 hectares), located in the northeastern part of the city.

The Humble Administrator's Garden derived its name from an ancient Jin Dynasty proverb: "cultivating gardens and growing vegetables for daily meals are a way for the humble person to manage administrative affairs."