The Classical Gardens

The Classical Gardens

Grounded on the tradition of Wu Culture, the classical gardens of Suzhou have a special appeal to visitors. Up to now, 9 of the classical gardens have been registered by UNESCO as World Cultural Heritage. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period, there appeared a royal garden, “the resort palace of Wu”, its remnant site still being kept on Lingyan Hill. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, when the art of classical gardens reached its zenith, there were 280 gardens in the city. Suzhou has been acknowledged worldwide as “a city of garden”. 　　
Most of Suzhou gardens used to be privately owned, and unlike the stately and ornate imperial gardens, they are intended to achieve an artistic atmosphere of elegance and ease. In creating the gardens, priority is given to recapture the essence of nature by poetic implications techniques of painting, to fulfill the artistic concept that “man made as they are, the gardens appear like the work of nature.” 　　
Suzhou gardens occupy only limited areas, and they are generally combined with residential quarters for the purpose of living and entertainment. Their general feature is that they reflect a much bigger world through a small one by masterly alterations of the solid and the void, the technique of concealment, and perspectives of depth.