Best Chinese Gardens: Four Great Classic Gardens in China
Chinese garden (in Chinese: 园林) is architectural masterpiece unlike any other. They show nature and architecture in perfect harmony. The first garden in Chinese history can be traced back more than 3,000 years, when royal families created spaces for worship and leisure. Entering a Chinese garden, you're actually walking through millennia of Chinese thinking, art, and hidden meanings in everything you see.
Among various graceful gardens, four classic gardens in China stand out as treasures of ancient garden art. They are the majestic Summer Palace in Beijing, the expansive Chengde Mountain Resort in Hebei, and the poetic Humble Administrator's Garden and exquisite Lingering Garden in Suzhou. These UNESCO-listed Chinese gardens present the best of traditional Chinese beauty and wisdom, standing like four "living museums."
Chinese Garden Architecture
Chinese gardens fall into two main categories: imperial and private. Imperial gardens are exclusively for the emperors' leisure and pleasure. These royal Chinese architecture is characterized by vast scale, abundant natural landscapes, resplendent golden architectural colors, and imposing structures that demonstrate the monarch's supreme authority. Notable examples include the Summer Palace and Chengde Mountain Resort. Private Chinese gardens, however, were entirely different. They were designed as leisure retreats for imperial relatives, nobility, and wealthy merchants. Featuring compact layouts with artificial landscapes, these gardens show elegant architecture in subtle hues and delicate proportions. Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou and Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai both adopt this traditional Chinese garden design.Four Famous Classical Gardens in China
1. Summer Palace - Best Imperial Chinese Garden
Formerly known as the Qingyi Garden, the Summer Palace in Beijing is one of the best gardens in China. Based on the layout of Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill, and inspired by West Lake in Hangzhou, it incorporates design techniques from Jiangnan-style gardens while retaining the grandeur of northern imperial gardens, blending natural beauty with artificial craftsmanship.
This famous classic Chinese garden can be divided into three functional areas: the political activity zone, the residential zone, and the scenic zone. Centered on Renshou Hall, the political zone was where Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu held court and handled state affairs during their stays. The residential zone served as living quarters for the imperial family. The scenic zone is the essence of the garden, including the Front Hill of Longevity Hill, Kunming Lake, and the Rear Hill/Rear Lake areas.
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2. Chengde Mountain Resort - Largest Royal Garden in China
The Mountain Resort was a crucial site for Qing emperors to handle military and administrative affairs while escaping the summer heat. As a masterpiece of traditional Chinese garden art, it perfectly integrates palace ("gong") and garden ("yuan") architectures. In 1994, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
This Chinese garden has four main sections. The palace section is like a smaller Forbidden City, covering 102,000 square meters. The lake area has five connected lakes with islands and bridges, plus copies of famous southern Chinese buildings. The plain area has horse-riding fields in the west and meeting woods in the east, where Emperor Qianlong hosted important guests. The mountain area in the northwest is the largest part with beautiful natural views and over 40 temples, while also protecting the resort from cold winds.
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3. Humble Administrator’s Garden – The Finest Classical Chinese Garden
The Humble Administrator's Garden is known worldwide for its smart design and deep beauty. It is one of the best classic gardens in China, and it houses many pavilions, towers, corridors, bridges, waterside kiosks, and winding paths that lead to secluded spots.
Covering an area of 52,000 square meters, this Chinese garden mainly consists of the eastern, central, and western sections, plus an old house area that is now a museum. The eastern area is bright and open, characterized by gentle hills, pine forests, grassy meadows, and winding bamboo-lined streams. The central part is regarded as the essence of the garden, where waterside structures vary in form and height, arranged in a harmonious yet distinct hierarchy. The west section has an L-shaped pond, pretty pavilions, wavy corridors, and nice reflections, decorated very beautifully.
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4. Lingering Garden - UNESCO Masterpiece of Chinese Gardens
The Lingering Garden is one of the must-visit gardens in China. Once called "East Garden" and "Cold Green Villa," the garden is famous for its well-planned scenery and beautiful buildings.
The Lingering Garden combines residential quarters, ancestral halls, family chapels, and gardens in one, with buildings dividing it into four areas: center, east, north, and west. The center area has lakes and rocks for natural beauty; the east part boasts elegant halls and yards; the north shows hundreds of mini potted landscapes; and the west offers a forest-like ambiance. These sections of the Chinese garden are interconnected by a winding corridor stretching over 700 meters, resembling a meandering ribbon that links every scenic spot.
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Other Famous Classical Gardens in China
Besides the Four Great Gardens of China, other gardens are also worth visiting. During your China tours, you can pay a visit to Suzhou's classical gardens, Yu Garden in Shanghai, Ge Garden in Yangzhou, and Jichang Garden in Wuxi. They are all good places to experience Chinese garden art and architecture. You'll marvel at the exquisite pavilions with their signature curved roofs and elaborate wood carvings.
Explore Chinese Gardens with Easy Tour China
Gardens in China offer more than just architecture—they’re an artistic experience. Travel with Easy Tour China, a travel expert with 20+ years in tailor-made China tours. Our guides will share the gardens’ unique features, art, and hidden stories. You can contact us to customize your tour to explore these famous gardens in China, or pick from the following ready-made China tour packages featuring Chinese gardens.
