Classical Gardens of Suzhou refers to the garden architectures in Suzhou City of China, most of which are private gardens. They were originated from the times when the State of Wu founded its capital in Gusu (in 514 B.C. during the reign of King He Lu) in the Spring and Autumn Period, took shape in the Five Dynasties, grew up in Song Dynasty and became prosperous in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Till the end of Qing Dynasty, there were over 170 gardens of various kinds, about 60 of which have been preserved completely till now and 19 of which are opened to the public. Covering a small area, the Classical Gardens of Suzhou are good at the artistic conception, embellishing and arranging the landscapes within limited space by their unique means of artistic expression, achieving the picturesque sceneries changing everywhere.
In 1997, the Classical Gardens of Suzhou were included in the World Heritage List as the representative of Chinese gardens, which is the outstanding achievement and pride of the Chinese garden culture. The major representatives of Classical Gardens of Suzhou include the Pavilion of Surging Waves, Lion Grove, Humble Administrator’s Garden, Lingering Garden, Master-of-Nets Garden and Yiyuan Garden.
