Humble Administrator Garden
Considered to be the finest example of a traditional Chinese garden, the Humble Administrator’s Garden beautifully combines architecture, rockeries, water features, and paths in a way to artistically mimic nature. The garden was built by Wang Xiancheng, a native of Suzhou. Construction began in 1510 and took 16 years to finish. Wang Xiancheng was an Imperial Envoy in Beijing. He was persecuted and gave up his positive and moved back to Suzhou to live a life of peace. The garden was designed with his friend Wen Zhengming, a famous painter.
The garden has changed hands many times. It did not stay in the Wang family long. Wang Xiancheng’s son lost the garden due to gambling debts. In 1631, the garden was split into three separate gardens and it was not until 1949 that the garden was rejoined and major restorations were performed in 1952. The garden today maintains its late Qing Dynasty appearance. It is believed that the famous Chinese novel Dreams of Red Mansions was inspired by the Humble Administrator’s Garden.
The garden has three main sections, the Eastern, Central, and Western Sections. The Eastern Section focuses on natural vegetation with hills dotted with bamboo and pine forests, intersected with streams. The main buildings in the Eastern Section are the Lanxiang Tang Hall and the Celestial Spring Pavilion, which was built over a well. The pavilion was named after an ancient well that had very sweet water. The Central Section is home to a large collection of halls and courtyards. One third of the Central Section is covered with water which flows between the buildings. The Western Section’s central feature is the Camellias Hall and the Mandarin Duck’s Hall.
