Humble Administrator's Garden

Overview
 

Location

The Humble Administrator’s Garden is situated in Dongbei Street, Inner Dongbei Loumen, in the old city area of Suzhou. The garden occupies 4.1 hectares (not including administration area and flower nursery, which occupy approximately 0.67 hectare).

Background

Wen Zhengming has documented the Humble Administrator’s Garden during the early times of Wang Xianchen’s ownership; he made sketches and notes, which exist today. These notes describe in some detail the garden’s appearance and style. At that time the garden’s area was approximately 13.4 hectares-quite large. There were 31 scenic spots altogether, with a lot of bamboo, mountains, waters and trees, etc.; resembling nature and giving an air of naturalness.120 years later, in the fourth year of the Ming dynasty’s Chongzhen Period (1631 A.D.), the already slightly decayed the aide Wang Xinyi owned eastern part of the garden. Wang was very good at mountain and water painting, and he therefore designed and arranged such landscapes. He named the garden "the Pastoral Garden Home". During the early Qianlong period, the western part of the Humble Administrator’s Garden is splited into a middle and a western garden. 

The present West Garden was established during the third year of the Guangxu period (1877 A.D.); it was rebuilt by Zhang Luqian; he named it "Rebuilt Garden". This garden contained the sceneries of the Stay and Listen Pavilion, the "With Whom Shall I Sit?" Pavilion, and the Floating Green Pavilion, etc. There were the 36 Pairs of Mandarin Ducks’ Hall and the Hall of 18 Camellias newly built; beautifully and exquisitively decorated.

He named the garden of the Humble Administrator to indicate that he was humble in officials. The name of the garden expressed his complicated feeling that he did not do well in the court. This is an alternative for him to better himself. Although the Garden has weathered through wind and storm for hundreds of years and has become the possession of numerous people, its style of the Ming Dynasty has remained.

Introduction

Three-fifths of its area is covered by magnificent ponds. All of the buildings are right next to the ponds, so that the garden seems to be floating on the water. The entire grounds can be divided into three parts: an eastern, a central and a western part. The central one is especially worth a visit. It centers around Yuanxiang Tang pavilion. Two artificial islands linked to each other in the lotus pond north of the pavilion are densely overgrown with bamboo plants and trees. In the western part, Sanshiliu Yuanyang Guan hall, the Hall of the Thirty-Six Mandarin Ducks, will attract the visitors’ special interest. On the adjoining lake, one used to be able to see mandarin ducks, symbol of marital faithfulness. Today, some swim in a fenced-off part of the lake. West of the garden there is a noteworthy bonsai exhibition a teahouse.

Features
Belonging to one of the Classical Gardens of Suzhou World Heritage Site Three-fifths covered by magnificent ponds