(left) The delicate View-finding gate in south China scholar's garden (top) Water pavilion in the garden. (bottom) The View-watching pavilion connecting the outer corridor.

Wuxi

By the Qianlong Period of the Qing Dynasty, the famous "Slender West Lake" garden area was already formed, with its famous 24 scenes. Yangzhou was the proud owner of more gardens than Suzhou, and was renowned for "having the best of gardens under heaven." Unfortunately, most gardens were destroyed in the turmoil of war times. Hangzhou owns the famous West Lake garden area, where gardens are centered around the West Lake. Each garden has a different theme, and the one most representative of the beauty of Chinese gardens is the Guozhuang Garden built in 1907, which was called the "number one garden of the West Lake." People of that time enjoyed constructing gardens, and liked to link gardens with one's personal character: it was said that when making gardens the ideal is to be winding, but when making friends, one should be straight.

The picture shows the Slender West Lake in Yangzhou.

Conditions under which Southern Private Gardens were Built.

It is not a coincidence that private gardens since the Ming and Qing Dynasties are mainly concentrated south of the Yangtze River. It is here where all prerequisites for garden constructions or development in the humanities.

    The flourishing of private gardens in the south would not be Possible without its advantageous natural conditions. First of all, the south is rich in and the hydraulic network and abundant water supply make it easy to the garden. Situated in the temperate zone, there is no severe cold weather in winter, and the high 

The natural scenery in the East Lake Scenic garden in Shaoxing.

   The south is more populous in both rural and urban areas in comparison with the north. Due to the advantages in climate, soil, produce and natural resources as well as the unique geographical location, the south has enjoyed the reputation of being the "land of abundant fish and rice" since ancient times, and holds a pivotal position in China's economic structure. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, southern China was Undisputedly the most prosperous area in the nation with highly developed agriculture, handicrafts and commerce.

   The economic prosperity of urban and rural areas in southern China gave an impetus to the sustained development of architecture, and promoted progress in architectural material and technology. A long period in architectural practice created a large number of craftsmen, who had long been famous for their outstanding skills in carpentry, bricklaying and plastering, and these men were often sent for construction work at the Royal Palace. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, many outstanding crafesmen in northern China came from the south, although the architectural techniques and styles of the north and the south are distinctly different.

Garden construction is a form of cultural construction, which requires not only Material availability but also needs to be deeply rooted in a rich soil of humanities. South China has a long

The beautiful, quiet and simple rural scenery in South China.

  Natural, economic and artistic advantages paved the way for the development of the art of the garden. Since the Southern Song Dynasty, large numbers of government officials, rich merchants and scholars gathered in the Suzhou and Hangzhou area, bringing about the trend of garden construction. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, government officials were selected through the imperial examination system, and many were selected from the south and sent to Beijing. Upon retirement these scholars and officials would return to their hometown, purchasing land and building 

The water scenic area in the middle part of the Humble Administrator's Garden, and the pond occupies three fifth of the garden's land area.

Famous Gardens of the South

  Jichang Garden of Wuxi

  The Jichang Garden of Wuxi is a famous hillside residence garden in the south, well known for its meticulous work in construction and unique artistic style. The Jichang Garden has a history of over 400 years, initially serving as the residence of Qin Yao, Minister of the Board of War of the Xuande Period (1506-1521), Ming Dynasty. By the 19'h Year of the Wanli Period ( 1591 ), descendants of Qin Jin remodeled the residence into Jichang Garden, and the garden has been remodeled several times over since. The garden not only has the southern garden's typical charm and grace of re-created nature, but also stands out with unique appeal by cleverly blending the garden into nature and building it against the hills.

Walking into the west side of Jichang Garden, ancient trees, secluded valleys and the sound of the springs gives you the illusion of the nature in wild, and you see artificial hills everywhere, taking up as much as two thirds of the entire area. Planted on the hills are trees and bushes, and valleys and gullies run along the shape of the hills. Springs led in from Huishan Mountain drop from all levels of the slopes, singing and tinkling to form the scene of the "music box gully".

   At the east of the garden lies a pond, narrow shaped with the long sides on the north and south and the narrow sides on the east and west. The pond takes up as much as 17% of the total garden area, and is called "Jin Hui Yi (Ripple of the Pooled Brocade)". The water is divided into two areas of north and south, breaking the impression of a pond too long. At the north of the pond there are flat bridges and covered bridges across the water, adding visual interest to a not-so-big water area. Finally, a "water tail" is built at the very northern end, and camouflaged by a covered bridge, the water giving the illusion of having a source without an end. Although limited in size, the Jin Hui Yi is nevertheless full of visual interests and does not seem at all cramped with its winding riverbanks and multiple levels of water partition.

In comparison with the hills and water, the architecture does not seem to be much. Except for a few temples, ancestral halls and chambers near the entrance, the other few pavilions, platforms, towers and bridges are all scattered around the pond. The Fish Watching Fence at the mid section on the eastern bank of the pond protrudes into the water and becomes the visual center of the entire pond, from where a full view of the hills on the western bank can be obtained.

The water is divided into two areas of north and south, breaking the impression of a pond too long. At the north of the pond there are flat bridges and covered bridges across the water, adding visual interest to a not-so-big water area. Finally, a "water tail" is built at the very northern end, and camouflaged by a covered bridge, the water giving the illusion of having a source without obtained. The Jiashu Hall at the north of the garden is built on a high and open space. serving as the main view of the entire garden-looking up from there the Huishan Mountain can be seen standing on the opposite side, and looking back there is the Xishan Mountain and the shadow of its pagodas. Watching the spring ripples before the eyes, it seems virtually like a walk in a painting. Although the Xishan and Huishan Mountains are not in the gardens, the view far exceed if they were in the garden. The mere two and half mu of the narrow land is a feast for the eye with layer after layer of scenery without end.

  The Jichang Garden, although limited in size, but because of its clearly defined plans, with meticulous attention paid to the styles of hills, rocks and ponds, as well as treatment of architectural details, scenes of unique beauty have been created. What is especially noteworthy is that the garden¡¯s mountain and woods environment, with heavy and dense hills and water highlighted with scattered buildings, Have fully inherited the intellectual since the deserves to be

The Jichang Garden in Wuxi-the greenness coming into your eyes through the door opening.

 The Humble Administrator's Garden

  The Humble Administrator's Garden is another outstanding private garden of southern China. The garden is situated at the north-eastern part of the city of Suzhou, and was first built in the Zhengde Period (1506-1521) of the Ming Dynasty. The garden is divided into eastern, central and western parts, which altogether add up to 4.1 hectares in area, which is quite large for private gardens.

Up to now the central and western sections have retained their original appearance, whereas the eastern part has been remodeled into a new garden. Although the current the Humble Administrator's Garden is not quite the same as the one in the Zhengde Period of the Ming Dynasty, it still serves as a good example of ancient Chinese private gardens.

   The central part of the Humble Administrator's Garden is the main part of the garden, and in terms of overall planning, this part can be divided into the northern water area and the southern land area, each of which takes up half of the total space. The southern area is where the majority of the architecture and where the major halls, principal rooms, towers and houses are located. In terms of scenery area arrangements, this part can be divided into three areas from east to west, with the central part being the most important. The Yuanxiang (Distant Fragrance) Hall at center of the garden is the largest hall type architecture of the entire garden. Built facing the water, the hall has a wide and open terrace at the north, from where the best view of the lotus feasts the eyes. The Distant Fragrance Hall is decorated with French doors, and through the windows the hills and waters all can be seen like a scroll of scenic paintings. The eastern area is made up of a group of architecture including Haitang Chun Wu (Spring Crabapple Flower Dock), the Linglong House (Exquisite Garden), etc. It is an area enclosed within walls and artificial hills, with loquat trees planted within, and the area is therefore called "Loquat Garden". The westem area holds the Yulan Tang (Magnolia Hall), Dezhen (Attainment of Truth) Pavilion and Xiangzhou (Fragrant Islet) Stone Bridge inside an open courtyard space formed with corridors and artificial hills.

  The central part of the Humble Administrator's Garden is mainly a scenic area of open waters, with complimentary architectural scenes. The water and the architecture together form a garden area of infinite beauty. The northern area of the central part of the garden is the water scene area, and built within the water are two islets on which hills are built with earth and stone. On the western islet at the top of the hill is built a Fragrant Snow and Clouds Pavilion. On the western end of the islet there is a pavilion named ¡°Lotus Breeze¡± from all Sides", named for the lotuses around it. Viewed from above, the Pavilion of ¡°Lotus Breeze from all Sides¡±, rises out of the water with upturned eaves, like a pearl surrounded with a pond full of lotuses. On the eastern islet there is the Pavilion of the Northern Hills. Flat bridges are built between the two islets and between each islet and the water bank, and the bridges serve both for the convenience of the tourists and to add to the variety and coherence of the water scenes. Northwest of the pond is built a "Tower of Seeing the Mountain", which is a major scenic spot of the northern part of the garden. The Little Flying Rainbow and the Little Canglang are two covered bridges across the water, giving the illusion of the water coming from a source and flowing without end. The southern area of the central part, although an area concentrated with architecture, has a variety of architectural forms of halls, mansions, pavilions and stone bridges interspersed with corridors, bridges and artificial hills, and decorated with crabapple flower trees and loquat trees. The garden scenes therefore give no sense of monotony, but rather a sense of richness and diversity.

Zhu Wai Yi Zhi Hall is a corridor house.Outside the gate and transparent window of the north wall is the green bamboo in front of the Jixu Study Room.

  The Humble Administrator's Garden has a water area of three fifth of its entire area, and the majority of its architecture is built by the water. The Fragrant Islet Stone Bridge is beautifully shaped. Standing at the ship head, ripples reflect the light and brightness all around, reminding one of the old days when painted stone bridges were the rage. Rich vegetation is planted inside the garden in great variety, forming many scenic spots where plants and flowers are the theme and visual focus. In early spring, plum flowers at the Fragrant Snow and Clouds Pavilion blossom against the cold, and crabapple flowers at the Spring Crabapple Flower Dock weave a brocade of colors; in summer time at Jiashi Pavilion the Ioquat trees are laden with golden fruit; in autumn the fragrance of the rice flowers wafts to inside the Fragrant Sorghum Wind House; and in winter time pines and bamboos at the Pine Wind and Water Pavilion keep their green in the cold. The Tower of Viewing the Mountain feasts the eye, the Distant Fragrance Hall invigorates one's sense of smell, and the Rain Listening Hall pleases the ears with the sound of raindrops falling on banana leaves.

   The current Humble Administrator's Garden, in comparison with the original one in the Zhengde Period of the Ming Dynasty, has more buildings and the islets added to it. Although the scenes somewhat lack the natural, open and lofty feel, the garden is still a masterpiece of meticulous work.

The Master-of-Nets Garden        

  In 1981, a permanent addition of artwork was put up in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New

Interior scene of the Liuting Storied Pavilion. Door, window and furniture are all fine Wood carving artworks.

  The Master-of-Nets Garden was first built in the Shaoxing Period ( 1131-1162) of the Southern Song Dynasty, after which ownership changed several times, until when an official named Li took over and remodeled the garden to what it looks like today.

  In the Master-of-Nets Garden, the residential area is located on the east whereas the garden area is located on the west. The architectural structures are numerous and dense in layout. The major scenic spot of the western garden area is a pond of merely 400 square meters in size, so one can imagine how hard it is to build a garden environment of superb design under such circumstances. In terms of the overall design of the entire garden, the east side of the garden is the residential area, divided into the inner residence and the outer residence. From the entrance to the garden through the residential gate, the halls are lined on the central axis in the order of the gate hall, the sedan hall, the main hall and the tower hall, all open and spacious in structure and tasteful in decoration.

Courtyard clusters are formed with buildings utilizing artificial hills, corridors and windowed walls, which not only do not seem cramped, but rather give off a sense of tranquility and simple elegance. Located at north of the pond is the Pine-Watching and Reading Hall, with one artificial hill and two ancient pines closing into a courtyard. North of the Dianchunyi Garden at the northeastern side of the pond, lake stones are dotted round and about, forming a bamboo and stone scene complimented with plum trees, bamboos and banana trees. Through the framed oblong windows, bamboos tall and straight fill the eye with green, and plum flowers blossom from artificial hills, as if in a classic Chinese painting. The architectural groups are each unique with their individual styles, independent yet interconnected with corridors and stone paths, avoiding the possible clutter of too many buildings.

Xiexiu Storied Building serves as inner chambers,the furnishings of the hall pay attention to the function of practicality.

All these elements work together so successfully monotony or disproportion is found with the high wall hovering over At the north and south ends of the pond are found respectively the Pine and Reading House and the Hills and Cassia House. As the houses are quite mensions, care is taken that artificial hills are built before the houses so that they are half hidden behind the stones and the water. On the northwest and southeast end of the pond, small creeks and bays are built with stone bridges across them, forming the entry point and exit of the water, which thus immediately comes to life. The pond is surrounded with stones and rocks but built with only a few pavilions scattered here and there. Vegetation completes the scene of wilderness with hills and water. Through all this meticulous treatment, the not-so-large pond now stands apart from all the constructions around it.

  In the late Qing Dynasty, the majority of garden owners were aristocrats and rich merchants, who had a high demand for comfort in their living quarters and a need for many types of architecture. However, if there were disproportionately large groups of architectural structures in the garden, the elegant simplicity held so dear by the men of for generations would have to be sacrificed. Under the unfavorable condition of having too many buildings, the Master-of-Nets Garden has maintained the elegance and taste of the natural scene, serving as a positive example of gardens from that period.

  The Geyuan Garden

  In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, garden construction was extremely popular in Yangzhou, and private gardens were found in abundance both inside and outside the city. Frequent ravages of the war have left few gardens in full conservation, and one of them is the Geyuan Garden. The Geyuan Garden used to be the private residence of the rich salt merchant Huang Yingtai, and was built in the 23rd year of the Jiaqing Period, Qing Dynasty. Huang Yingtai was also named "Geyuan", and the garden was abundant with bamboo (written in Chinese characters as two of the "ge" characters side by side), and thus the name of the garden "Geyuan".

  The Geyuan Garden is situated within Yangzhou city proper behind the Huang residence, and is 0.55 hectare in size. There is not much construction except for the "Seven-room Building" of two levels that overlook the entire garden, serving as the place for social activities of the owner. At the southeast end of the garden three halls named "Wind Chasing and Moonlight Filtering" are built, which were ideal for watching snow scenes in winter.

  The most outstanding feature of this garden is the way the rocks are piled in the garden. On the west side of the "Seven-Room Building", a large artificial hill is built with lake stones, with the highest point at the center of the hill at 6 meters. Interspersed on both sides, the rocks go all the way down into the water. A stone room is built within the hill, with winding paths leading deep inside; and it is the coolest hideaway in summer. The entire body of the hill is built with lake stones, each curiously shaped, delicately textured, and grayish white in color, and the hill is named "Summer Hill". At the east end of the building, however, the hill is built with yellow stone, forming the main peak 7 meters in height with all kinds of peaks, ridges, and mountain ranges. Paths twist and turn within the hill, joining gullies, valleys and cave houses. On the west side of the hills, the setting sun paints the ochre-colored stone surface with the color of the golden fall, and thus the name "Autumn Hill" is given to the hill.

The entrance of the Geyuan Garden is a round-shape gate with bamboo planted outside.

The Wind Chasing and Moonlight Filtering Hall is built for the enjoyment of winter snow scenes, therefore pale white stones are placed in the shady area below the walls of the front hall. Creating an illusion of unthawed snow. The hill is therefore named "'Winter Hill". These three artificial hills, together with the "'Spring Hill'" built with stone shaped like bamboo-shoots, form the highlight of the Geyuan Garden with mountain scenes symbolizing spring, summer, autumn and winter. Although not large in size, the pond in the garden is built with twisting and turning banks, and small bays run into the caves of the Summer and Autumn Hills, which make the little pond suddenly come to life. The entire bank of the pond is built with lake stones, some of which touch upon the water surface while others hover above the water lbrming caves, adding further to the sense of agility of the pond water.

   The Geyuan Garden was a private garden built during the Jiaqing Period ( 1796-1820) of the Qing Dynasty. Private gardens in the late Qing period, especially those owned by aristocrats and rich merchants, were keen on the pursuit of luxury and the show-off of riches, unlike the simple elegance and subtle style of Scholar gardens. The Geyuan Garden is a typical example of gardens of this period. Despite the beauty of the stones of four seasons, the garden's overly ornate artistry has taken away much of its natural appeal.