China Guide
Jiangsu and Zhejiang
Zhuozheng Yuan
Opening time: Daily 8.15am–4.15pm
Price: ¥70
Address: Near the intersection of Dongbei Lu and Qimen Lu
The largest of the Suzhou gardens, covering forty thousand square metres, the Zhuozheng Yuan (Humble Administrator's Garden) is based on water and set out in three linked sections. The eastern part (just inside the entrance) consists of a small lotus pond and pavilions; the centre is largely water, with two small islands connected by zigzag bridges, while the western part has unusually open green spaces. Built at the time of the Ming by an imperial censor, Wang Xianchen, who had just resigned his post, the garden was named by its creator as an ironic lament on the fact that he could now administer nothing but gardening.