Our 2008 China Eclipse Trip - Page 20

The Gardens of Suzhou

he Winding Corridor of the Humble Administrator's Garden in the City of Suzhou. Largest garden in Suzhou, a Ming Dynasty Mandarin not known for his modesty, built it. As befitting a City of Plentiful Water, ponds make up the better part of the terrain. And where you have ponds, you will find artificial islands, winding bridges, gazebos and weeping willows. A maze of connecting pools and islands, the maze actually consists of only a single, long meandering lake. By the creation of multiple vistas and the dividing of spaces into distinct segments, the artist has expanded the compressed spaces of the garden.