Lingering Garden

The garden entry on Liuyuan Lu. This door leads into the Gatehouse, the simple style of the whitewashed walls and stone lintel is typical of the urban design in ancient Suzhou resulting from the sumptuary law. The garden name is painted in gold on the stone lintel and paving ornaments in the entry plaza.

The gate house is a double arcade three bay hall with full gable roofline and bowed ridge decorated with the three immortals. in front of a small courtyard on three sides by a roofed corridor. This passage connects to the Zigzag Path at the rear. A screen with an inlaid jade map of the garden divides the hall from the courtyard. The screen is called, "Full View of the Lingering Garden".[2]

A complex and unique structure composed of a courtyard, open 3 bay hall, and covered corridor which functions as a single space. The courtyard is planted with two trees symbolizing jade (Magnolia soulangia) and gold (Osmanthus fragrans), a sign of prosperity. The entry to this space is marked by a tablet inscribed by Deputy Prime Minister Zhu Boqi which read, "Paradise on Earth".[2]

A complex and unique structure composed of a covered passage that simulates a three bay hall Screen windows facing the pond and a two small sky-wells on the opposite side. The sky-well is planted with a composition of a Cypress from the Ming Dynasty and Camellia. An opening on one side of the sky-well leads into a smaller sky-well behind the Green Shade Terrace which is a composition of rock and Boston Ivy.

A winding roofed corridor which connects the entry hall, residence, and Old Intertwined Trees Court. It is marked by a tablet inscribed by Suzhou Magistrate Wu Yun reading, "Lingering garden".[2]

This five bay full gable structure was inspired by a verse from Li Bai, "There are five peaks to the south of Mount Lu which seem to be the golden lotus flowers cut out by nature". The selection of this verse was in turn was inspired by the preexisting Ming Dynasty grotto which faces the front of the hall.[2] On the backside of the Hall a courtyard houses one of the 12 famous scholar stones, Rhesus Monkey Peak, of Liu Su's collection. Inside are numerous pillar couplets.

Named for a verse by Gao Qi in Ode to Sunflowers, "brightness and beauty come from the vermillion light brushes and flowers lean on the shade side."[2] A reference to the shade provided by the 300-year-old maple tree, which overhangs it. A three bay terrace structure rear double arcade, with a full gable roofline open on one side with backrest facing the pond.yard inlaid with phoniex fish deer crane bat and lotus paving designs.

Named after a line by Zhu Shi (Song Dynasty), "The water is imbued with green, forests have become more red...".[2] The name alludes to the numerous pines added to the garden during the second phase of construction. The typical farmhouse design typology, three bay with flat eves and full gables, of the villa reinforces the idea of a rustic retreat.

A freestanding structure on the pond. The name is from two famous angling resorts called Hao and Pu; however, it also alludes to The Happiness of Fish (魚之樂), a dialectic conversation between Zhuang Zi and Hui Zi. Ultimately, the name expresses the desire of the owner for a simple life. It faces three of the 12 famous scholar stones of Liu Su's Collection; The Moon, The Magic Fungus, and The Cockscomb. It is a freestanding square pavilion with a hipped gable roofline, and ornamented flying eves.

The name comes from a verse by Liu Yuxi, "the bright moon passes the pavilion".[2] A freestanding hexagonal pavilion with ridged flying eves typical of a moon gazing pavilion. It is flanked on both sides by two 300-year-old Ginkgo trees

Built as an extension to the Hanbi Villa during the third phase of garden construction, this structure is built to resemble the form a pleasure boat launching into the pond. It was inspired by the Du Fu verse, "The boat is exquisite enough to take two or three of us for our sailing in the open".[2] Three bay hipped gable roofline with flying eves. Cloud stair rockery,access to top floor which is screened by mother of pearl inlaid windows.

A square three bay hipped gable roofline and flying eve pavilion connected to the roofed passage, and named after the grove of Cassia trees. There are two pillar couplets. The yard in front of the pavilion is decorated with two phoniex a Buddhist knot and a lotus.

Named from a line by Su Dongpo in his Ode to Chi Bi, "The soothing breeze slowly blow this way but the pond is rippless..."[2] This structure uses the Venturi effect to create a crossbreeze off the pond. A one bay terrace structure with a hipped gable roofline open on one side, the flying eves are decorated with dragon ornaments. A central wooden screen is flanked by pillar couplets.

A three bay structure closed on four sides.

Named after a verse by Wen Zhengming, "The winding stream leads to the open place." A three bay and two-story structure with a hipped gable roofline and flying eves.

A scholar stone considered to be a national treasure of China. It was a relic from the Song Dynasty, and forms part of an arrangement with two other scholar stones, a pond and a surrounding complex of buildings. It flanked by Auspicious Cloud Peak and Mountain Cloud Peak, and fronted by Could Washing Pond.

Named after the Auspicious Cloud Capped Peak, it is a three bay hall with portico on three sides and a hipped gable roofline with flying eves.

A freestanding hexagonal pavilion with flying eves and ornamental capstone on the rockery beside the Auspicious Cloud Capped Peak.

A three bay tower with a hipped gable roofline and flat eves. It has two wings attached on either side. It is sited behind the Auspicious Cloud Capped Peak, and currently used as a teahouse.

A square one bay pavilion closed on three sides with a hipped gable roofline and ornamented ridge.

A one bay square pavilion with hipped gable roofline and ornamented flying eves connected to the covered corridor and the backside of the Good for Farming Pavilion. It is named after the nearby Auspicious Cloud Capped Peak, which it faces.

An attached square pavilion over the gate to the Small Court of Stone Forest with a hipped gable roofline and flying eves.

Named after a line by Tao Qias, "After plowing and sowing I often return home to read...".[2] It is a tower facing a courtyard surrounded by a roofed corridor and decorated with 99 stelae from famous calligraphers of the Song Dynasty. It is a three bay full gable tower with connected courtyard

A 100 m² courtyard divided into eight yards, each one anchored by a scholar stone. Elaborate pavement ornaments depict crane, deer, and a five bat longevity motif.

A courtyard entered from the View to Quietude Gate and surrounded by a roofed corridor on three sides. In the center is Afterglow Peak which overlooks Hound Peak. The name of this space is derived from the garden of Song Dynasty poet Liu Mengde called The Garden of Delicate Stones. He like the garden owner Liu Su was also an avid collector of scholar stones. The main axis of this courtyard passes through an open window into a skywell anchored by another scholar stone. The composition in the skywell space gives the open window the illusion of being a mirror of the backside of Afterglow Peak.

A freestanding hexagonal pavilion with flat eves ridges and an ornamented capstone. It is sited in the Small Court of Stone Forest. Sometimes it is called the Azure Pavilion.

A three bay hall built in the Small Garden of the Stone Forest courtyard. It is closed on three sides with a hipped gable roofline and flying eves. It is named after the scholar stone it faces in the center of the courtyard called Afterglow Peak.

A double hexagonal pavilion with flying eves and ridge ornaments overlooking the Penzai garden. The name is meant to connote the visitor will experience ultimate delight.

A free standing hexagonal pavilion with a round roofline on top of the hill overlooking the peach blossom garden.

Named after a verse by Lu Yu, "Where the hills and streams end there seems no road beyond, amidst the shady willows and blooming flowers another village appears". This area was formerly a productive garden imitating an idyllic rustic village. Currently, it is used to house a penjing collection.

A square pavilion with pillar couplets connected to the covered corridor with a hipped gable roofline and flying eaves. It is named after the grove of flowering trees it faces, which are meant to be a recreation of the scenery in utopian tale Peach Blossom Spring by Tao Qian.

Named after ancient Chinese philosophical concept of nature later adopted by Buddhists and translated as liveliness. A two-story three bay terrace structure open on one side with a portico on four sides and hipped gable roofline with flat eves. The door panels are decorated with carvings.