The Garden of Cultivation is a small in scale but distinctive in artistic characteristics of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Built in the Ming Dynasty, it was called Yaopu at first. During early Qing period, its name was changed to the present one, but was also called Jingting Mountain Cottage. The garden occupies an area of 0.33 hectare, more than half of which being residential houses.

The garden's arrangement is open and simple; buildings, ponds and mountain trees are laid out from north to south successively. This is the most basic method of arrangement of a Suzhou garden. In the southwestern corner there are some small courtyards comprising secondary views, which offer the visitor very calm and joyful feelings. All structures in the garden are used to create one artistic garden view with hills shrouded in mist, waves reaching far into the distance, and trees growing luxuriantly. There are also springs and deep pools, lofty pavilions and terraces.

The pond in the middle of the garden occupies one fourth of the total area. It features "mountain scenery" to the south and buildings to the north. The pond is in roughly rectangular shape with coves in its southeast and southwest, which are spanned by low, flat and small bridges. On the east and west banks of the pond, there are roofed galleries, pavilions, rocks and trees, serving transitionally as a foil to the northern and southern scenes. Fry Pavilion standing by the pond is a Ming-dynasty structure. A moon gate in the wall that borders the pond and the hills leads to a small courtyard in the southwest. The Water Pavilion of Longevity standing to the north of the pond overlooks the broad expanse of water. It is the biggest waterside pavilion in Suzhou. To the north of the pavilion is the Hall of Erudition and Elegance, also in the Ming architectural style. The Garden of Cultivation has altogether 13 buildings, 17 tablets and couplets, eight steles and stone carvings, in addition to valuable old trees.

(China.org.cn June 24, 2004)