The traditional gardens of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, draw on Eastern concepts of harmonious living. Their roots reach back to the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.), when the city was founded. They flourished during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), when Suzhou ranked among China's most prosperous cities. Wealthy officials and scholars devoted themselves to creating private landscapes that expressed their aesthetic tastes and cultivated a philosophy of harmony between humanity and nature. At their height, there were over 300 gardens in Suzhou; today, over 50 survive.
Nine, namely the Humble Administrator's Garden, the Lingering Garden, the Net Master's Garden, the Mountain Villa With Embracing Beauty, the Canglang Pavilion, the Lion Grove Garden, the Garden of Cultivation, the Couple's Garden Retreat and the Retreat and Reflection Garden, are on UNESCO's World Heritage List under the title Classical Gardens of Suzhou.
(Text and photos by Wei Yao, reporting from Suzhou,Jiangsu Province)
