Humble Administrator's Garden - Design

Facing opposite the garden gate, this dragon wall marked the garden entry on the canal entry.

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.

An octagonal tower with flying eves, built around a preexisting well called the celestial spring.

A five bay hall open on four sides with hipped-gable roofline. The name comes from sorghum fields that once existed near the garden. The windows are decorated with boxwood carvings of scenes from Romance of the Western Chamber.

A square pavilion open on two sides, sited atop a hill in front of the Fragrant Sorghum 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Named after a Chinese folk expression, "Where there are bamboo groves there are houses," and "With a Parasol tree (Firmiana simplex) 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.

Named after the crabapple (Malus spectabilis) planted in the attached courtyard.

A covered bridge arched in three segments connected to a covered corridor on either end. It was designed to give the appearance 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.

A landboat structure, named for the smell of the lotus blossoms in Surging Wave Pond

The interior part of a two gatehouse composed of two gates connected by a passage. This was the original gate to the garden.

The exterior part of a two gatehouse composed of two gates connected by a passage. This was the original gate to the garden.

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.

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.

Named for the sound of rain on banana trees. It anchors an enclosed courtyard with rockery and pond.

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.

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.

Named for the surrounding Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) grove. The overall composition of building and plants is one several mini-gardens.

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".

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.

Named for a verse by Tao Yuanming, "As I pick chysanthumums on the eastern fence, my eyes fall leisurely on the southern mountain".

Also called the Pavilion of Awaiting Frost. It is sited atop an island.

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.

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.

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."

Named after Buddhist sutra of the same name, it is a three bay square attached pavilion with hipped gable roofline and flying eves.

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.

Also called the Indocalamus 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.

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.

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.

Named after a verse by Li Shangyin, "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.

A two story tower with a ground floor dedicated to Wen Zhengming and Shen Zhou.

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.

Named after a verse by Su Shi, "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.

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.