Humble Administrator's Garden

Built in the fourth year of the Ming Zhengde reign (1509) by Wang Xianchen, with Wen Zhengming participating in the design, the 'Mother of Chinese Gardens' (a representative Jiangnan garden): Hall of Distant Fragrance / Little Flying Rainbow (Suzhou's only covered bridge) / 'With Whom Shall I Sit' Pavilion; three gardens—east, central, and west—with the central garden's hills and waters keeping Wen Zhengming's illustrated-verse layout. Built in 1509 (4th year of the Ming Zhengde reign) by the censor Wang Xianchen after leaving office and returning home, its name comes from 'the governance of the clumsy' in Jin-dynasty writer Pan Yue's 'Fu on Living in Retirement'; Wen Zhengming, leader of the Wu School of painting, took part in the design and painted the 'Thirty-One Scenes of the Humble Administrator's Garden'—garden and literati painting made each other on the same timeline, hence the title 'Mother of Chinese Gardens'. The Hall of Distant Fragrance is a four-sided hall whose windows borrow views all around, with lotus-scented breezes in summer; the Little Flying Rainbow rests across the water, the only covered bridge among Suzhou's gardens; the 'With Whom Shall I Sit' Pavilion draws on Su Shi's line 'With whom shall I sit? The bright moon, the clear breeze, and I'—a fan-shaped pavilion brimming with literati wit. The central garden's hills and waters retain Wen Zhengming's illustrated-verse layout, and together with the east and west gardens it forms the pinnacle of Suzhou gardening, with something to see in every season: spring peony, summer lotus, autumn osmanthus, and winter wintersweet take the stage in turn.

Getting there: Metro Line 4, Beisita Station