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Majestically beautiful Lingering Garden is one of the four renowned gardens in the immediate vicinity of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, and in fact, one of the most famous gardens in all of China.
The Lingering Garden is divided into four parts: a central part, an eastern part, a western part, and a northern part. In fact, one might rather say that the garden is divided into two main parts, a central part and a northern part, with the central part subdivided into a central section (corresponding to the original, or core, garden) and an eastern and a western section.
A 700 m winding corridor connects the four parts – or whatever designation one wishes to use – of the Lingering Garden. On the walls of this corridor hang some 300 steles on which are engraved the works of famous calligraphers of former dynasties. This exhibit is called “Lingering Garden Model Calligraphy". The corridor has ample, ornamentally-framed windows offering excellent views of the surroundings.
History
Lingering Garden was originally constructed under the name of East Garden as a private garden (all gardens were "private" in feudal China, of course, either being the domain of an emperor, of a member of the noble family, of a high-ranking government official, or of a wealthy merchant) in the 21st year of the reign (CE 1572-1620) of Emperor Wanli of the Ming (CE 1368-1644) Dynasty, i.e., in 1593. East Garden fell into disrepair but was eventually rebuilt as the "Cold Green Village", after a verse referring to the "clean cold color of bamboo, limpid green light of water", during the Qing (CE 1644-1911) Dynasty. The renovated garden thereafter came to be known after its new owner, Liu Shu, and therefore it was referred to as Liu Yuan, or "Liu's garden". In Chinese, the sound byte for the name Liu and that for "lingering" are almost identical, i.e., the garden was in fact referred to as the "Lingering Garden", though the official name was written as "Liu Yuan".
The eastern part
The eastern part of the garden, the part distinguished by its "quintessentially Chinese architecture", consists of Return-to-Read Study, Jiyun Hill, Jigudegeng House, West House, Crane House, and finally, Wufengxian Hall (Celestial Hall of Five Peaks), the largest hall of the garden and renowned as "the foremost hall of the Jiangnan region". The essence of the present-day Lingering Garden, according to experts, is Wufengxian Hall, Linquanjishuo Hall and the Stone Forest Yard that connects them.
The western part
The western part of the garden is remarkable for its blend of natural and man-made scenery, including the aforementioned rock-like landscapes fashioned of mud and rock. Maple trees cover much of this terrain, and when their large leaves begin to change colors in autumn, they offer a rare vista that is hauntingly beautiful.
The northern part
The northern part of the Lingering Garden was formerly a vegetable garden but is now a potted landscape – including a pensai ("bonsai" in Japanese) landscape – of which the people of Suzhou are particularly proud.
The central part
Of the four parts, the central part is the essence of the whole complex. This part was the original
Lingering Garden while the other three were added during the Qing Dynasty. After going through winding corridors from the gate of the garden, 
one reaches the central part. The central part is divided into two parts: the western part and the eastern part. The former features in pools and hills while classical buildings dominate the latter. The Celestial Hall of Five Peaks in the eastern part of the garden is the largest hall in the garden. The western part is enchanting for its natural scenery. It is a large rockery built from stacked stones and soil during the Ming Dynasty. Maples cover the hill. When all the leaves turn red in autumn, it is extraordinarily beautiful. The northern part used to be a vegetable garden, but now is used to exhibit potted plants of which the Suzhou people are quite proud.
Admission Fee: CNY 40 (Mar.1 to May 31 and Sep. 1 to Nov. 30); CNY 30 (June 1 to Aug. 31 and Dec. 1 to Apr. 30)
Opening Hours: 07:30 to 17:00
Bus Route: 11, Tourism Bus No. 1 & 2