Suzhou is China's well-known 'city of gardens', which tops all others in
both the number and the artistry of gardens. Dating from Pi Jiang Garden of the
Eastern Jing Dynasty,Suzhou's art of gardening has undergone a history of 1, 500
years. There were once over 200 gardens in the city,and 69 of them are still in
good preservation today. The concept of Suzhou classical gardens has gone beyond
the city limits,since it generally refers to all those private gardens built in
the regions south of the Yangtze.
The Suzhou garden originated from the desire to retire from the strife of
officialdom and to shun from worldly affairs. It seeks the return to Nature and
the cultivation of temperament. In Taoist philosophy and the refinement of
culture underlies the theme of the gardens. Hills and water,flowers and
trees,pavilions, terraces,towers and halls constitute the basic garden
elements,while the prominent tone is expressed in the dark colour of roof
tiles,the grey of bricks,and chestnut brown of wooden pillars.
Suzhou garden is the Nature in nutshell ,which enables one to 'feel the
charm of mountains,forests and springs without going out of the noisy
surroundings of the town'. Its human interest also lies in it. Architects,
philosophers, poets, painters, and common folk can all find in it the idea,the
flavour,the lines and the rhythm. The unfolding of the garden vistas is the
verisimilitude of a landscape scroll. When enjoying tea, poem,flower arrangement
or playing musical instrument in the garden,one gains the most natural
inspiration. To those tourists longing to understand China, Suzhou gardens are
the best museum.
Local chronicles reveal that during its heyday, Suzhou city held nearly 200
gardens, topping the whole nation. Suzhou gardens have their own characteristics
in layout, structure and style.The Four Classical Gardens of Suzhou, i.e.The
Surging Waves Pavilion, The Lion Grove Garden, The Humble Administrator's Garden
and The Lingering Garden represent the different styles of Song, Yuan, Ming and
Qing Dynasties.