Top Ten Gardens in China
1. Humble Administrator's Garden, Suzhou
Suzhou's Humble Administrator's Garden was first built during the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty and is the largest existing private classical garden. The garden is themed on water, and uses rockery, pavilions and other landscaping techniques to create a sense of "mountains and forests within reach". The garden is divided into three parts: east, middle and west. The east garden is dominated by flowers and trees, the middle is centered on the pool, and the west is dominated by buildings. The Humble Administrator's Garden has an exquisite layout and beautiful scenery, and is known as the "mother of gardens."

2. Summer Palace, Beijing
The Summer Palace in Beijing is a representative work of the imperial gardens of the Qing Dynasty. It was first built during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty and was later rebuilt and expanded by Empress Dowager Cixi. The park is dominated by Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill, integrating the exquisiteness of Jiangnan gardens with the grandeur of northern gardens. Famous attractions in the park include the Long Corridor, the Tower of Buddhist Incense, and the Marble Boat, each of which reflects the luxury and artistry of the imperial gardens.

3. Suzhou Lingering Garden
Suzhou's Liuyuan Garden was first built in the Ming Dynasty. It is themed on mountains and rivers and uses rockery and stone stacking techniques to create a sense of "mountains and forests within reach". The garden is divided into three parts: east, middle and west, each with its own characteristics. Liuyuan Garden is famous for its unique gardening art and beautiful scenery, and is known as the "No. 1 Garden in Wuzhong".

4. Master of the Nets Garden, Suzhou
Suzhou Net Master Garden was built in the Southern Song Dynasty and is a typical private garden in the south of the Yangtze River. The theme of the garden is water. Through ingenious design, the limited space is used to create an infinite artistic conception. The main attractions in the garden include "Little Flying Rainbow" and "Moon and Wind Come", each of which reflects the literati sentiment of the owner.

5. Suzhou Lion Grove
Suzhou Lion Grove was first built in the Yuan Dynasty and is famous for its rockery. The rockery in the garden is well-arranged, creating an artistic conception of "mountains and rivers are so dense that you may think there is no way out, but when you look out, you will find another village." The rockery art of Lion Grove is known as one of the "Four Famous Stones in Wuzhong", showing the essence of garden art.

6. Wuxi Jichang Garden
Wuxi Jichang Garden was built in the Qing Dynasty and is a typical Jiangnan garden. The garden is themed on water and has created a pattern of "one water and four gardens" through ingenious design. The characteristic of Jichang Garden lies in its unique waterscape design. The water surface in the garden covers two-thirds of the total area, forming a wonderful scene of "garden in water and water in garden".

7. Yangzhou Slender West Lake
The Slender West Lake in Yangzhou is a famous landscape garden that was first built in the Qing Dynasty. The Slender West Lake is named for its slender and graceful lake shape, with its winding lakeshore like a jade belt. Famous attractions in the park include the Five Pavilion Bridge, the White Pagoda, the Twenty-Four Bridges, etc., each of which shows the unique charm of Yangzhou gardens.

8. Suzhou Canglang Pavilion
Suzhou Canglang Pavilion was first built in the Northern Song Dynasty and is the oldest existing garden in Suzhou. The theme of the garden is water, and through ingenious design, it creates an artistic conception of "the world is within reach". The characteristic of Canglang Pavilion lies in its simple and elegant style, which reflects the aesthetic taste of ancient literati.

9. Changzhou Hongmei Park
Changzhou Hongmei Park was built in the Ming Dynasty. It is a garden with plum blossom as its theme. A large number of plum blossoms are planted in the park. Every winter and spring, the plum blossoms are in full bloom, and the scenery is beautiful. Hongmei Park is not only a place to appreciate plum blossoms, but also an important place to display traditional culture.

10. Suzhou Huanxiu Villa
Suzhou Huanxiu Villa was built in the Qing Dynasty and is a typical private garden in the south of the Yangtze River. The theme of the garden is landscape, and through ingenious design, it creates the artistic conception of "mountains and forests within reach". The characteristic of Huanxiu Villa lies in its unique rockery design. The rockery in the garden has different shapes, showing the essence of garden art.
