Classical Gardens of Suzhou (UNESCO/NHK)
11 Video Views·Apr 4, 2026
Classical Chinese garden design, which seeks to recreate natural landscapes in miniature, is nowhere better illustrated than in the nine gardens in the historic city of Suzhou. They are generally acknowledged to be masterpieces of the genre. Dating from the 11th-19th century, the gardens reflect the profound metaphysical importance of natural beauty in Chinese culture in their meticulous design.
Source: UNESCO TV / © NHK Nippon Hoso Kyokai
URL: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/813/
Earthly Paradise, the classical gardens of Suzhou.
Located along the lower basin of the Yangtze River, the city of Suzhou has a history spanning over 2,500 years.
It is criss-crossed by numerous waterways and the streets retain their traditional beauty.
Marco Polo called Suzhou the Venice of the Orient when he came here in the 13th century.
The many gardens were created by retired bureaucrats and politicians of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
One of China's four most famous gardens, the Humble Administrator's Garden, is within the walls of the old town.
The design is based on the legend of Xi Wai Tao Yuan, or Utopia.
One day, a fisherman lost his way and came across a large piece of rock.
The rock was an entrance to a small cave that a person could barely enter.
As he reached the other end, an entirely different world of beautiful lakes and greenery appeared before his eyes.
It was a world away from the world of officialdom. It was Utopia.
The garden incorporates various ideas.
This includes the architectural technique known as Zhe Jin, or the borrowed view from afar,
which is designed to make best use of limited space by focusing on distant landmarks.
This is the Lu Jing technique in which people can see the garden through a window cut out in the shape of a flower.
A picture hanging on the wall of the summer house?
No, in fact, this is designed to enjoy the beauty of the four seasons through the window as if they were paintings.
The mountain villa with embracing beauty was built in the 18th century during the Qing Dynasty.
It is built with rocks taken from the bed of a lake and resembles rocky mountain peaks.
The rocks were bound together with sticky rice paste and iron straps.
The monument was created by Zhu Juliang, a master at the art.
Combining rocks of different sizes and shapes and creating a balanced single piece, he said,
can endure any shock and could last for a thousand years.
The garden was a utopia where Chinese intellectuals sought peace of mind.
It is characterized by an aesthetic aspiration for a perfect harmony of man-made beauty and nature.