Humble Administrator's Garden
Encyclopedia
The Humble Administrator's Garden is a renowned Chinese garden in Suzhou
. At 51,950 m2, it is the largest garden in Suzhou and is generally considered to be the finest garden in all of southern China. In 1997, Zhuozheng Yuan, along with other classical gardens of Suzhou was proclaimed a UNESCO
World Heritage Site
.
, a Tang Dynasty
scholar. Later in the Yuan Dynasty
it became monastery garden for the Dahong Temple. In 1513 CE, Wang Xiancheng an Imperial Envoy and poet of the Ming Dynasty
appropriated the temple. In 1510, he retired to his native home of Suzhou after a long persecution by the East Imperial Secret Service, and began work on the garden.
This garden, meant to express his fine taste, was designed in collaboration with the renowned artist, Suzhou native, and friend, Wen Zhengming
. It was as large as today's garden, with numerous trees and pavilions. The garden was named after a verse by Pan Yue's Idler's Prose, "I enjoy a carefree life by planting trees and building my own house...I irrigate my garden and grow vegetables for me to eat...such a life suits a retired official like me well." This verse symbolized Wang's desire to retire from politics and adopt a hermits life in the manner of Tao Yuanming. It took 16 years until 1526 CE to complete. Wen Zhenming wrote an essay Notes of Wang's Humble Administrator's Garden, and painted Landscapes of the Humble Administrator's Garden in 1533 CE to commemorate the garden.
Wang's son lost the garden to pay gambling debts, and it has changed hands many times since. In 1631 CE The eastern garden was divided from the rest and purchased by Wang Xinyi, Vice Minister of the Justice Board. He added many modifications over the next four years, finishing work in 1635 CE. After completion it was renamed Dwelling Upon Return to the Countryside (歸田園居). The central garden was purchased by Jiang Qi Governor of Jiangsu in 1738 CE. After extensive renovations he renamed it Garden Rebuilt. Also in 1738 CE the Western Garden was purchased by Ye Shikuan Chief Histographer, and renamed The Garden of Books. The Garden of Books was purchased by a Suzhou merchant, Zhang Lüqian, in 1877 CE and renamed The Subsidiary Garden. In 1949 all three parts of the garden were rejoined and restored in 1952. In 1997 the garden was given UNESCO
world heritage status.
Cao Xueqin
lived at the garden during his teenage years. It is believed much of the garden in his novel Dream of the Red Chamber
was inspired by the scenery of the Humble Administrators Garden. In particular the grotto at the entrance.
/penzai. Eastern Garden Composed of a few buildings around a central great lawn and pond combination. The lawn is ringed by a grove of crape myrtle trees which is an allusion to the Tang Dynasty State Secretariat which was nicknamed the Crape Myrtle Department. Central Garden This section is composed of many scenes arranged around the Surging Wave Pond. Within the pond three islands recreate the scenery of the fariy islands of the east sea.
Suzhou
Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
. At 51,950 m2, it is the largest garden in Suzhou and is generally considered to be the finest garden in all of southern China. In 1997, Zhuozheng Yuan, along with other classical gardens of Suzhou was proclaimed a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.
History
The garden's site was initially the residence and garden of Lu GuimengLu Guimeng
Lu Guimeng , courtesy name Luwang , was recluse Chinese poet of the Tang Dynasty. He lived in seclusion at Puli near Suzhou. His pseudonyms included, Mr...
, a Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
scholar. Later in the Yuan Dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
it became monastery garden for the Dahong Temple. In 1513 CE, Wang Xiancheng an Imperial Envoy and poet of the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
appropriated the temple. In 1510, he retired to his native home of Suzhou after a long persecution by the East Imperial Secret Service, and began work on the garden.
This garden, meant to express his fine taste, was designed in collaboration with the renowned artist, Suzhou native, and friend, Wen Zhengming
Wen Zhengming
Wen Zhengming was a leading Ming Dynasty painter, calligrapher, and scholar.Born in present-day Suzhou, he claimed to be a descendant of the Song Dynasty prime minister and patriot Wen Tianxiang. Wen’s family was originally from Hengyang, Hunan, where his family had established itself shortly...
. It was as large as today's garden, with numerous trees and pavilions. The garden was named after a verse by Pan Yue's Idler's Prose, "I enjoy a carefree life by planting trees and building my own house...I irrigate my garden and grow vegetables for me to eat...such a life suits a retired official like me well." This verse symbolized Wang's desire to retire from politics and adopt a hermits life in the manner of Tao Yuanming. It took 16 years until 1526 CE to complete. Wen Zhenming wrote an essay Notes of Wang's Humble Administrator's Garden, and painted Landscapes of the Humble Administrator's Garden in 1533 CE to commemorate the garden.
Wang's son lost the garden to pay gambling debts, and it has changed hands many times since. In 1631 CE The eastern garden was divided from the rest and purchased by Wang Xinyi, Vice Minister of the Justice Board. He added many modifications over the next four years, finishing work in 1635 CE. After completion it was renamed Dwelling Upon Return to the Countryside (歸田園居). The central garden was purchased by Jiang Qi Governor of Jiangsu in 1738 CE. After extensive renovations he renamed it Garden Rebuilt. Also in 1738 CE the Western Garden was purchased by Ye Shikuan Chief Histographer, and renamed The Garden of Books. The Garden of Books was purchased by a Suzhou merchant, Zhang Lüqian, in 1877 CE and renamed The Subsidiary Garden. In 1949 all three parts of the garden were rejoined and restored in 1952. In 1997 the garden was given UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
world heritage status.
Cao Xueqin
Cao Xueqin
Cao Xueqin was a Qing Dynasty Chinese writer, best known as the author of Dream of the Red Chamber, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature...
lived at the garden during his teenage years. It is believed much of the garden in his novel Dream of the Red Chamber
Dream of the Red Chamber
Dream of the Red Chamber , composed by Cao Xueqin, is one of China's Four Great Classical Novels. It was composed in the middle of the 18th century during the Qing Dynasty. It is considered to be a masterpiece of Chinese vernacular literature and is generally acknowledged to be a pinnacle of...
was inspired by the scenery of the Humble Administrators Garden. In particular the grotto at the entrance.
Design
Today's garden is only very loosely related to its earliest version, but maintains its late Qing appearance, with numerous pavilions and bridges set among a maze of connected pools and islands. It consists of three major parts set about a large lake: the central part (Zhuozheng Yuan), the eastern part (once called Guitianyuanju, Dwelling Upon Return to the Countryside), and a western part (the Supplementary Garden). The house lies in the south of the garden. In total, the garden contains 48 different buildings with 101 tablets, 40 stelae, 21 precious old trees, and over 700 Suzhou-style penjingPenjing
Penjing , also known as penzai , tray landscape, potted scenery, potted landscape, and miniature trees and rockery is the ancient Chinese art of growing trees and plants, kept small by skilled pruning and formed to create an aesthetic shape and the complex illusion of age...
/penzai. Eastern Garden Composed of a few buildings around a central great lawn and pond combination. The lawn is ringed by a grove of crape myrtle trees which is an allusion to the Tang Dynasty State Secretariat which was nicknamed the Crape Myrtle Department. Central Garden This section is composed of many scenes arranged around the Surging Wave Pond. Within the pond three islands recreate the scenery of the fariy islands of the east sea.
| Garden Design Elements with Description | |
|---|---|
| Eastern Garden | |
| All Blue Pavilion A terrace with two wings built over a pond. it is named for a verse by Chu Guangxi, "Waterweeds in the pond look dark green". Also called the Angling Terrace. |
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| Celestial Spring Tower An octagonal tower with flying eves, built around a preexisting well called the celestial spring. |
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| Fragrant Sorghum Hall A five bay hall open on four sides with hipped-gable roofline. The name comes from sorghum Sorghum Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, one of which is raised for grain and many of which are used as fodder plants either cultivated or as part of pasture. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide. Species are native to tropical and subtropical regions of all continents... fields that once existed near the garden. The windows are decorated with boxwood carvings of scenes from Romance of the Western Chamber. |
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| Looking Far Away Pavilion A square pavilion open on two sides, sited atop a hill in front of the Fragrant Sorghum Hall. |
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| Orchid and Snow Hall A three bay hall internally divided by a lacquer screen engraved with a map of the garden. Orchid and snow are symbolic of ritual purity. |
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| Pavilion of the Leaning against Rainbow An attached square pavilion with hipped gable roofline and flying eves built in front of the main entry to the central garden. This pavilion is the vantage point for a borrowed view of North Temple Pagoda. |
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| Pavilion of Lotus A terrace open on two sides with a hipped gable roofline and a portico on all four sides. It overlooks a lotus pond and was named for the verse by Yang Wangli, "To the horizon green lotus leaves seem to extend infinitely; under the sun reddish lotus flowers go bright scarlet." A scholar stone is mounted in the middle. |
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| Central Garden | |
| Bamboo Hall Also called the Southern Hall, it is a three bay hall with a portico on four sides. The roofline is hipped-gable with flying eves. The hall is named after a nearby bamboo grove. |
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| Distant Fragrance Hall The main hall of the central garden, it is three bays wide and open on four sides. It has with a hipped-gable roofline with flying eves, and a portico on all four sides. It was rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty, on the site of Wang Xiancheng's Country Hall House. The hall is sited to capture the scent of Lotus blossoms on Surging Wave Pond, as well as frame views of the islands. The hall is named after a verse by the Neo-confucianist poet Zhou Dunyi, " Though growing out of the filthy mub, she remains unstained. Though bathed in clear water, she bears no sign of seduction." This verse describing the lotus flower, also alludes to noble character, thus lotus fragrance coming off the Surging Wave Pond is ideologically tied to Neo-confucianism Neo-Confucianism Neo-Confucianism is an ethical and metaphysical Chinese philosophy influenced by Confucianism, that was primarily developed during the Song Dynasty and Ming Dynasty, but which can be traced back to Han Yu and Li Ao in the Tang Dynasty.... . |
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| Firmiana simplex and Bamboo Pavilion Named after a Chinese folk expression, "Where there are bamboo groves there are houses," and "With a Parasol tree (Firmiana simplex Firmiana simplex Firmiana simplex, commonly known as the Chinese parasol tree or wutong is an ornamental plant or tree of the cacao, or chocolate, of the family Sterculiaceae of the order Malvales, native to Asia. It grows to a height of 12 m . It has alternate, deciduous leaves up to 30 cm across and small... ) in his yard, one is assured of a phoniex's coming and good fortune." It is a square pavilion with a hipped gable roofline and flying eves. Each of the four sides are walled with a large moongate in the wall creating a gaitian symbolism. |
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| Flowering Crabapples in Spring Hall Named after the crabapple (Malus spectabilis Malus spectabilis Malus spectabilis is a species of apple known by the common names Asiatic apple, Chinese crab, and Chinese flowering apple. Its Chinese name is hai tang hua due to its beautiful flowers. It is native to China, where it is also a popular ornamental tree. It has white or pink flowers depending on... ) planted in the attached courtyard. |
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| Flying Rainbow Bridge A covered bridge arched in three segments connected to a covered corridor on either end. It was designed to give the appearce of a rainbow shimmering when its reflection is stirred in the water. It is unique for being the only arched bridge in a Suzhou garden. |
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| Fragrant Isle A landboat structure, named for the smell of the lotus blossoms in Surging Wave Pond |
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| Gatehouse ( Inner ) The interior part of a two gatehouse composed of two gates connected by a passage. This was the original gate to the garden. |
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| Gatehouse ( Outer ) The exterior part of a two gatehouse composed of two gates connected by a passage. This was the original gate to the garden. |
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| Green Ripple Pavilion A square pavilion with hipped gable roofline and flying eves. It is open and all sides and sited over the water, to enjoy the refection of williows in the winter. |
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| Hall of Elegance Also called the Pavilion of Exqusitiness, it is inspired by a verse by Su Shunqin, "Autumn drops in and tinges the dark woods red; moonlight pours down and grants the bamboo groves an exquisite look". It has a hipped gable roofline with flying eves. |
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| Listening to the Sound of Rain Hall Named for the sound of rain on banana trees. It anchors an enclosed courtyard with rockery and pond. |
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| Little Surging Wave Hall A three bay terrace hall with portico built on piers over the water to create the illusion of an unseen source feeding Surging Wave Pond, after which it is named. The name of the pond alludes to a quote by Mencius, "when the water is clean I wash my Imperial Ribbon, when the water is dirty I wash my muddy feet", itself an allusion to the correct behavior of a civil servant in a corrupt government. |
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| Little Surging Wave Pavilion A pavilion connected by covered corridor to Little Surging Wave Hall. It is enclosed on four sides as a winter retreat for viewing Flying Rainbow Bridge. |
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| Loquat Pavilion Named for the surrounding Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) grove. The overall composition of building and plants is one several mini-gardens. |
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| Lotus Breeze Pavilion A hexagonal pavilion with flying eves, sited in the middle of the pond. It is named for a verse by Li Hongyi, "Green willow foliage connects twin bridges; gentle breeze sends in lotus scent from around". |
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| Magnolia Hall Also called Blooming Brush Hall, which is an allusion to a story by Li Bai about a red flower blooming from the tip of his brush that became a symbol of creativity. It is a three bay hall with a walled courtyard attached to the front. It is named for the magnolia trees in the courtyard and functioned as Wen Zhengming's studio. |
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| Mountain in View Tower Named for a verse by Tao Yuaning, "As I pick chysanthumums on the eastern fence, my eyes fall leisurely on the southern mountain". |
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| Orange Pavilion Also called the Pavilion of Awaiting Frost. It is sited atop an island. |
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| Pavilion of Fragrant Snow and Azure Cloud Also called Snow Like Fragrant Prunus mume Pavilion, it is a square pavilion open on three sides. The inscription of the this pavilion by Wang Ji, "The shrill of cicadas enhances the serenity of the woods, The twitter of birds lends tranquility to the hillsides." It is sited atop an island in the pond and along the main entry axis passing through Distant Fragrance Hall. |
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| Peony suffruiticosa Pavilion Also called the Embroidered Silk Pavilion, it is a square pavilion open on three sides. It is sited on top of a yellowstone rockery and forms an ideal vantage point for viewing the islands. |
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| Think Deep Aim High Hall a three bay hall with attached courtyard in front housing a collection of scholar stones. The name comes from the book of Yi Xun, "standing by deep valleys makes you think deep, and scaling great heights makes you aim high." |
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| Think Deep Aim High Pavilion | |
| True Nature Pavilion Named after Buddhist sutra of the same name, it is a three bay square attached pavilion with hipped gable roofline and flying eves. |
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| Western Half Pavilion An attached squared pavilion sited in front of the main entry into the western garden. This entry in the form of a moongate is named Scenery of Exceptional Beauty. |
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| West Garden | |
| Bamboo Hat Pavilion Also called the Indocalamus Indocalamus Indocalamus is a genus of bamboo.-Taxonomy:This genus sometimes comprises Gelidocalamus and Ferrocalamus. The genus excludes Monocladus .... Pavilion. A freestanding hexagonal pavilion with a round roofline. It is the sited at the vertex of the angle formed by the side walls of the "With Whom Shall I Sit?" Pavilion. |
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| Floating Green Tower | |
| Good for Both Families Pavilion Named after a verse by Bai Juyi, "The bright moon shines over the hermits farmstead; the green willow proclaims the approach of spring to both families". This verse was an allusion to the clever use of borrowed views from the central and western gardens. It is a two story octagonal tower sited atop a rockery in an enclosed courtyard. |
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| Hall of 36 Mandrian Ducks and 18 Camellias The main hall of the western garden. It is a typical mandrian duck hall but with four attached pavilions at the corners in Shanghai garden style. This hall was used for Kunqu Opera performances. |
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| Keep and Listen Hall Named after a verse by Li Shangyin Li Shangyin Li Shangyin , courtesy name Yishan , was a Chinese poet of the late Tang Dynasty, born in Henei . Along with Li He, he was much admired and "rediscovered" in the 20th century by the young Chinese writers for the imagist quality of his poems... , "Autumn gloom doesn't clear up yet and fall frost gets delayed; withered lotus leaves are left in the pond to hear the patter of rain". It was designed as a vantage point to view lotus in the pond. |
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| Pagoda Reflection Pavilion | |
| Tower of Reflection A two story tower with a ground floor dedicated to Wen Zhengming Wen Zhengming Wen Zhengming was a leading Ming Dynasty painter, calligrapher, and scholar.Born in present-day Suzhou, he claimed to be a descendant of the Song Dynasty prime minister and patriot Wen Tianxiang. Wen’s family was originally from Hengyang, Hunan, where his family had established itself shortly... and Shen Zhou Shen Zhou Shen Zhou , courtesy name Qinan , was a Chinese painter in the Ming dynasty.-Life:Shen Zhou was born into a wealthy family in Xiangcheng, near the thriving city of Suzhou, in the Jiangsu province, China... . |
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| Wavy Waterside Corridor A covered corridor with attached pavilion used as a boat dock. It is named for the grade changes which give it the feel of floating on the waves. |
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| "With Whom Shall I Sit?" Pavilion Named after a verse by Su Shi Su Shi Su Shi , was a writer, poet, artist, calligrapher, pharmacologist, gastronome, and statesman of the Song Dynasty, and one of the major poets of the Song era. His courtesy name was Zizhan and his pseudonym was Dongpo Jushi , and he is often referred to as Su Dongpo... , "With whom shall I sit? the bright moon, refreshing breeze and me". This verse is symbolic of the poet's desire to purify his soul. The pavilion is freestanding and fan shaped. |
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