Ming dynasty gardens reconstructed in words and images

Art flourished during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) and members of both the imperial court and the elite scholar-official class were active patrons. Blue-and-white porcelain, carved lacquerware, painting, and calligraphy were exceptional products of the period and, therefore, have gained an international reputation. These Ming arts are well represented in museum collections worldwide; however, an equally distinguished Ming art—garden design, is less well known. Obviously the Ming gardens were impermanent and immobile and, therefore, had to be observed during the period. Yet the gardens particularly in the area of Suzhou (near modern Shanghai) were such a stupendous addition to the cultural legacy of the period that they influenced all subsequent garden design.