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Compared with royal gardens, private gardens south of the Yangtze River have the following characteristics:

(1) Smaller scale, generally ranging from several mu (1 mu =0.0667 hectare) to a dozen mu or so. The main conception of landscape gardeners is, within a limited scope, to use implicit, rising and falling, twists and turns and hinting methods to stir up people's subjective re-creation; creating a natural setting that seems to be deep and endless; expanding people's feelings about the actual space.

(2) Most of them are centered on the water surface, with structures scattered about, constituting many scenic spots.

(3) Cultivating one's mind and improving one's character, and enjoying leisure and comfort freely are the main functions of the garden.

(4) Owners of the garden are mostly scholars and men of letters, who can write poems and draw pictures, and are good at making comments. Their gardening style is pure, lofty, elegant and free from conventions, and is taken as their highest pursuit, brimming with a strong scholarly style.

The Zhuozheng Garden inSuzhou, founded in the fourth year(1509) under the reign of Emperor Wuzong of theMing Dynasty, is a big garden south of the Yangtze River- The appearance of the extant garden was formed mainly in the lateQing Dynasty(at the end of the 19th century). The garden is divided into three parts - east, middle and west, the middle being the main part. The middle part is in a horizontal rectangular shape. There are lots of water surfaces which are also long and horizontal. The east and west mountain islands stand out of the water, and the water surface is separated into several blocks by small bridges and dikes.

Several small arms stretch out of the pond. The coastline is curved and natural, conveying the meaning of endlessness.Many plots of land are set aside on the southern bank where there is a concentration of structures. The entrance from the residence to the garden opens in the middle part of the southern wall.

Upon entry into the garden, a rockery obstructs the view, making it impossible to command the whole scene, which is called "barrier scenery". One sees the light only after bypassing the rockery to reach the key structure, the Yuanxiang Hall, in a sequence of withdrawal and release, fall first and then rise. This is the common treatment method for the entrance to gardens in Suzhou, making them more implicit and interesting. Going southward from the Yiyuxuan on the western side Hall through the vestibule, one can reach the gallery "xiaofeihong (small rainbow)" or the across-the-water small turret "XiaoCang Lang (small Azure Water)".

Looking northward across "Xiaofeihong", one finds that the waterscape is far-reaching and rich in layers. The structure named Xiangzhou, in the shape of a small boat, lies in the water to the north of "Xiaofeihong". It is beautifully shaped and it has both the meaning of "boat" and of violating construction rules.Looking eastward from the semi-pavilionnamed "Bieyou Dongtian" on the west of the water, one sees from a distance across the broad and deep water surface, the Fang Ting (square pavilion) on the east bank.Structures rise one after another on the southern bank, while trees and stones on the northern side set each other off, forming a contrast between scenery and color.

The Hefeng Simian Ting (Lotus Wind, Tetrahedral Pavilion) in the water and the Zhe Qiao (bending bridge) so close to the water Surface increases the level of landscape, called "GeJing (partition view)". Going northward from the Semi-Pavilion along the vestibule gallery, one can reach the jian Shan Lou (seeing the mountain building). The building is two-storied, deviating to the northwest corner, so that the structure will not be too Outstanding and no oppression will be formed on the water Surface. The Hefeng Simian Pavilion of the pond is located at the meeting point of two bridges and one dike. It is an ideal place to look around and enjoy the scenery. It is also the object for viewing near scenic spots on all sides and a foil for looking into the distance.

Like many structures in the garden, it makes both seeing and forming views possible. Its size, and that of the Beishan Ting (northern mountain pavilion) on the East Island are very small in order to set off the mountain. The mountain on the west island is big, while the Xuexiang Yunwei Pavilion on it is the main opposite view of the Yuanxiang Hall, so that its size is fairly big. The southern banks of the two islands are supported mainly by stones. Rocks are low, close to the water surface, and their combination is rich. The northern bank is based mainly on earth. It is planted with reeds and willow trees, providing the rustic interest. On the east of the water, there is a Wu Zhu Youju (Chinese parasol tree seclusion-living pavilion). Looking Westward from here across the pond, pavilion and tower, one can see from the treetop the distant BaoenTemplePagoda in Suzhou. When the view of the pagoda is introduced into the garden, it is called a "borrowed view".

Entering from the semi-Pavilion of the Bieyou Dongtian, one finds the pavilion is also encircled by a meandering river. The east bank is close to the western wall of the central garden. The cross-water vestibule facing north-south is supported by blocks of stones. When one sees the vestibule reflected in the water, one feels that is infinitely secluded and bending. The plane of the vestibule goes along the walls with slight twists and turns, while the vertical also naturally rises and falls. There is a small yard corner between the vestibule and the wall, dotted with severs rocks of grotesque shapes. Several slender bamboo trees and a banana tree are set off on the white plastered wall, making them seem like small bamboo-stone pieces on a painted scroll, and demonstrating unending artistic conception.

The extant outlook of the Wangshi Garden in Suzhou was mostly formed in the 60th year (1795) during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Qing Dynasty. Its layout is exquisite, making it a quality example of a small garden in Suzhou. In the main residences of its east neighboring garden, the main doors open to the southeast corner.

Going westward after entering the gate, one finds a short corridor connected to a hall in the west. On the north of the hall is a rockery which blocks the northward view; only when one goes westward from the vestibule west of the hall in a zigzag way through the small and exquisite Zhuoying Shuige (water tower for living in seclusion), can one find the place flooded with water brightness, giving sudden enlightenment. Like the principle of the entrance to Zhuozheng Garden, it is the customary technique used inChinese gardensto precede a rise with a fall.

The pond is at the center, basically in the square shape. Bank stones are low and near, with access to and from the pond in a zigzag way. The water surface below the stone extends inward, as if expressing the imagery of waves washing in and Out. Structures close to water also are low and near to the water Surface. A stream bend extends out from the southeast and northwest corners of the pond. These methods of treatment all help broaden the vision of the landscape. As one goes northward from the west wall by the side of the water tower, one finds the height of the corridor increasing gradually. When one climbs up the Yue Dao Fenglai Ting (Pavilion featuring the blowing of the wind in the wake of the appearance of the moon), one feels the full viewing effect at the top of the pavilion. The north of the pavilion leads to the area overgrown with pine and cypress trees and dotted with grotesquely shaped rocks.

The fairly large Kan Song Du Hua Xuan (seeing pine trees and appreciating the painting room with windows) is north, away from the river bank, and hidden behind pine and cypress trees. The Ji Xu Zhai(concentration of empty rooms) to the east of the small room is a building also far from the pond. To the south of the empty room is a section of empty corridor. The south turn of the corridor is connected to a semi-pavilion called She Ya Shui Ge (shooting at ducks water tower), attached to the west wall of a residence, which faces the Yue Dao Fenglai Pavilion and the Zhuo Ying Water Tower in the shape of the word "ping".

Together, they form a triangular sightseeing spot along the pond, jointly viewing and forming the landscape. The She Ya Shui Ge Semi-Pavilion breaks the dullness of the massive gable, with a collection of rocks piled up on the south side planted with small trees and sparse bamboo. On the tall west wall of the residence courtyard, as the backdrop, two square false ornamental perforated windows are opened. A line of draping eaves is arranged horizontally on the ornamental perforated windows, balancing the composition of the picture and further eliminating the sense of dullness of the west wall of the residence courtyard. From the above two examples, we can perceive the exquisite and minute molding technique of classic gardens south of the Yangtze River.

The garden is one of the important types of architectural art. It is essentially aimed at organizing an environment rich in temperament and interest and full of the beauty of artistic conception through the so-called four gardening elements including mountains, rivers, structures and plants, as well as the organic components such as roads, interior settings. In comparison to ordinary structures, the spiritual character of gardens is more outstanding, and it requires that artists have greater and higher ingenuity and imagination.

Compared with other gardening systems of the world, such as European or Islamic Chinese gardens have their distinct national characteristics:

(1 ) Paying attention to natural beauty. Chinese gardens carry out processing and transformation of the original terrain and land form by following the principle of "making it seem like nature", or seem naturally formed, so as to satisfy people's feeling of getting close to nature. The buildings in gardens do not pursue excessive artificial, well-arranged patterns, but rather they follow the example of roadside or riverside pavilions and bridges and village buildings that closely integrate the countryside with natural mountains and rivers, becoming a total merger of architectural and natural beauty.

(2) Pursuing many twists and turns. Nature itself is ever-changing and interesting. Chinese horticulturists who emulate nature necessarily pursue changing, free-style composition. Although nature does not have a fixed form, it has a fixed way Therefore, the "freedom" pursued by the Chinese garden is not absolute. There exists strict ways and methods, only they are not geometric methods but natural ones. The painstaking operation of the garden requires even more genius and imagination than the regular composition of a picture. It is of a completely different system compared with the Western landscape gardening theory which "compels nature to accept the symmetrical rules'- and stresses the symmetrical pattern, straight roads, regular flower beds and ponds, the carpet pattern-like lawns and trees cut into a geometric shape.

(3) Advocating artistic conception. The beautiful environment created by Chinese horticulturists does not stop at the stage of formal beauty, but tries to express inward feeling through outward scenery. Therefore, the creation of the appreciation of gardens is a process of full, deep-seated feeling. At the time of creation, one depicts the scenery with one's feeling, while at the time of appreciation, the natural setting stirs up one's feeling. This atmosphere of merging feeling with scenery is what is called artistic conception. The ultimate key to the high or low level and success or failure in the creation of Chinese gardens depends on the cultural level, and the high or low level and crudeness or refinement of esthetic temperament and the interest of the creator. Chinese horticulture began in theQin Dynasty, and two royal garden construction upsurges occurred during the Qin/Han and Sui/Tang dynasties. Private gardens saw great development by men of letters during the Tang and Song dynasties, and entered the Summary stage in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The achievements in gardening during the Qing Dynasty merits still greater `:attention, representing an important component of the third development upsurge inChinese architecture. Almost all of the existing gardens were: preserved during this age. The extant royal gardens are in the vicinity ofBeijing, while private gardens of a higher artistic level are mostly 1concentrated in areas south of the Yangtze River They constitute the two major schools of Chinese gardening.