Classical Gardens of Suzhou

The Classical Gardens of Suzhou are a group of gardens in Suzhou, Jiangsu province which have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

They include many key features of classical Chinese garden design with constructed landscapes mimicking natural scenery of rocks, hills and rivers with strategically located pavilions and pagodas.

In Suzhou these landscape gardens flourished in the 16th-18th centuries, resulting in as much as 200 private gardens.

1997 listing

The four most noted gardens were in the original submission for the World Heritage List. They included:

Humble Administrator's Garden

Lingering Garden

Master of the Nets Garden

Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty

2000 extension

Five more gardens and the historic section of the city were added to the site in 2000. The gardens then added were:

Canglang Pavilion

Lion Forest Garden

Garden of Cultivation

Couple's Garden Retreat

Retreat & Reflection Garden

Comprehensive monitoring plan

The site is monitored following a comprehensive monitoring plan and there is provision for both the routine maintenance and programmed conservation projects for all of the gardens. The Suzhou Municipal Administrative Bureau of Gardens is responsible for this.