The Humble Administrator’s Garden, located in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, was built in the early years of Ming Zhengde (early 16th century). It is a representative work of Jiangnan classical gardens. Over the past four hundred years, the Humble Administrator’s Garden has been divided and combined several times, either as a private home garden, or as a golden house for hiding the spoils, or as a royal mansion, leaving many tantalizing relics and allusions to explore. The Humble Administrator's Garden, along with Beijing Summer Palace, Chengde Mountain Resort, and Suzhou Lingering Garden, are known as the four famous gardens in China.
The Humble Administrator's Garden is located in the northeast corner of Suzhou City (No.178 Northeast Street). As of 2014, it is still the largest classical garden in Suzhou, covering an area of 78 acres (approximately 5.2 hectares). The whole park is centered on water, surrounded by mountains and rivers, exquisite halls and pavilions, lush flowers and trees, with strong characteristics of the south of the Yangtze River.
The Humble Administrator’s Garden is divided into three parts: east, middle, and west. The east garden is open and sparse, the middle garden is the essence of the whole garden, and the west garden is exquisitely built and has its own characteristics. The south of the garden is a residential area, which reflects the pattern of traditional dwellings in the south of the Yangtze River. There is also the Suzhou Garden Museum in the south of the garden, which is a special garden museum.
The Humble Administrator’s Garden was listed as one of the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units in March 1961. In 1991, it was listed as a national special tourist attraction by the State Planning Commission, Tourism Administration, and Ministry of Construction. In 1997, UNESCO approved for inclusion in the World Heritage List. In 2007, it was rated as the first batch of national AAAAA-level tourist attractions by the National Tourism Administration.