The Lingering Garden
The Lingering Garden
4.5
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
About
A Brief Description of the Lingering Garden Located at the outer side of the Chang Gate and built in the 21st year of the reign of Wanli under the Ming Dynasty (AD 1593), the Lingering Garden is reputed to be one of the four most famous gardens of China. In 1961 it was listed from the very first as cultural relics of national importance. Since 1997 it has been inscribed on the World Cultural Heritage List. The Lingering Garden, covering 23,310 sq.m., is divided into the middle, eastern, western and northern parts. The middle part features fascinating landscapes and waterscapes. The eastern part is noted for its architectural beauties and limestone rockeries. The northern part is famed for its beautiful bonsai garden. And the western part boasts the mountain forest scenery and the delights of wilderness. Celebrated for its superb handling of architectural space and spatial relations, the Lingering Garden serves as a fine specimen of ancient Chinese garden and landscape design and reputably tops all the well-known gardens in Suzhou. The Lingering Garden provides English tour guide for free every hour since 2017. You can also choose to pay for a professional English guide with different guiding route or a guiding machine. Hope that during your short stay here, you can not only satisfy your eyes, but also experience the real Chinese culture and have a better understanding of our philosophy.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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See what travelers are saying
- Maree RChristchurch, New Zealand1,291 contributionsLovely GardensVery nice gardens that are very busy. We were on a tour so did not have to navigate the ticket system as were another couple of buses that arrived at the same time. There are several areas inside with water features and some bonsai trees and there are people everywhere. Well worth seeing but overcrowded.Visited March 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten March 28, 2024
- Jane J32 contributionsBeautiful gardensThis was my favourite garden of those we visited. There are many idyllic spots to take photos and one could spend ages here. We visited in November late in the afternoon. This meant it was less crowded but still pretty busy. Lots of young Chinese girls dressed in traditional costume added to the experience.Visited November 2024Traveled with friendsWritten November 17, 2024
- Jamie H-DPoole, United Kingdom2,288 contributionsPicturesqueThis is really picturesque garden area with sculptured areas, rock formations, buildings and of course plenty of plants and trees, we were there outside of the spring / summer season so the fauna and flora weren’t at their best, but it was still a lovely place to spend time. Our guide explained about the garden and some of the structures inside which was interesting. Lots of girls dressed in traditional attire having pictures taken which was good to see and made it all the more nice.Visited October 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten December 23, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Isaac L
Indiana109 contributions
Jan 2020 • Solo
I visited almost ten classical Chinese gardens on my trip to China, including five in Suzhou, but if you go to see only one, make it the Lingering Garden. Amazing design that achieves what some of the others only aspire to, and enough variety and depth to keep you looking forward to what’s around the next corner.
The Lingering Garden is a walkable distance from Shilu metro stop which is Red line (line 2). However, until the very ambitious construction/repair on the road in front is finished, you’ll have a tough time approaching as a pedestrian, and even a driver/taxi may deposit you somewhere nearby and give you vague instructions to walk—they wouldn’t be lying, it’s genuinely hard to access at the moment.
The Lingering Garden is a walkable distance from Shilu metro stop which is Red line (line 2). However, until the very ambitious construction/repair on the road in front is finished, you’ll have a tough time approaching as a pedestrian, and even a driver/taxi may deposit you somewhere nearby and give you vague instructions to walk—they wouldn’t be lying, it’s genuinely hard to access at the moment.
Written January 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Martin A
Suzhou, China3,214 contributions
Apr 2023
This region of China has a huge number of big, beautiful gardens with lots of water. A Zen garden in Japan is simple but a Zen garden in China is the opposite: complex, sophisticated, filled with flowers, trees, ponds with golden fish, and decorated with little pagodas. The Lingering Garden is one of the best in Suzhou and that's saying something because that city has a lot of great gardens.
Written April 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jenny J
Perth, Australia853 contributions
Oct 2019
A personally wouldn't travel this far from Shanghai just to see the garden but combined with a visit to the Tongli water town we are glad we visited. Lots of nice photo opportunities, though it can get crowded.
Written January 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maxim B
Ottawa, Canada847 contributions
Oct 2020 • Family
The situation here is even worse than at the Humble Administrator's Garden. There seems to be no limit for the daily number of tickets, and although there is no line ups to get in there is a steady flow of people. This garden is much smaller than the Humble Administrator's and is much more packed. There is no chance at any feeling of serenity in there.
Again, the garden itself is beautifully done and I hope that our ticket fee contributed to the preservation of thisbimportant historical site.
Again, the garden itself is beautifully done and I hope that our ticket fee contributed to the preservation of thisbimportant historical site.
Written October 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SZPlum
Ningbo, China80 contributions
Mar 2020 • Solo
Just like half of Suzhou, no matter if resident or tourist that has just arrived, no foreigners can enter, only Chinese nationals. No explanation offered other than you need an appointment. When you try to make an appointment they tell you foreigners cannot make appointment.
Virus causing people left and right to loose what little sense they may have had.
Virus causing people left and right to loose what little sense they may have had.
Written March 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Viator
Berkeley, CA6 contributions
Jan 2023 • Solo
Like an increasing number of attractions in China, Lingering Gardens has closed its ticket office and has moved to an exclusive ticketing system through WeChat. You scan the QR code for the app when you arrive but they are likely already sold out for the day as Chinese travelers know how to navigate the Chinese app environment in advance to get their reservations early and you as a foreigner probably do not. No concession for me being a foreigner, no apology, just laughed at and told “no.” Exact same experience at the Suzhou Museum where I was told no tickets were available for the next week. It took considerable expense and time to get Suzhou and pay for hotels and taxi around just to arrive at the entrance to its sights and be barred from entering. Increasingly, Suzhou’s tourists sights are not foreigner friendly. Maybe take it off your list.
Written January 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Skeney57
Sydney, Australia25,017 contributions
Sep 2024 • Couples
Maybe coming out of Summer the garden wasn't at its best? Not too sure but overall I found it to be fairly ordinary and really a waste of time. Small in area and fairly busy and populated by a lot of would be models? Getting photos at all angles & poses? Not for me and over rated in my humble.
Written October 11, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BigSeaWave
Suzhou, China5 contributions
Dec 2015 • Friends
Having lived in Suzhou for nearly 9 years and visited every Suzhou Gardens for at least 3 times, I have to say that Lingering Garden, or Liu Yuan, is my favorite. It is one of the two gardens that I had been to in all four seasons of the year and appreciate the different beauty during each season. The only garden I went to after the snow of 2008 was Lingering Garden and I was not disappointed with the view of a snow covered garden that had its unique beauty. When I was there, the white snow covering everything and some part of the garden was not accessible due to the heavy snow. But, there was a tranquil quietness with so few visitors and plenty of place to walk with the covered corridors.
The reason for my love of Lingering Garden was mainly due to the fact that each part of the garden had her unique theme and her unique beauty. Once one enters the main entrance, you will be led to the main garden where it has the typical "mountain", "lake", pavilions, covered corridors, rocks and the main buildings. Some days, there will be musicians playing traditional Suzhou "ping tan", a pair of singers with instruments singing out a story in Suzhou dialect; in one of the pavilions. Or, there will be a lady playing the pipa in one of the boat sailing in the "lake" with someone rowing the boat. It is the kind of things that a Chinese scholar will enjoy and one could really feel how the original owner enjoyed the garden. The singers are treats and should not be expected on a regular basis. However, I seemed to have the most frequent encounters of singers in Lingering Garden than all the other Suzhou gardens.
During the fall, just about this time of the year (late September to late October), there is a spot on the left side of the lake where the owner planted the Osmanthus trees. The pavilion is named for the enjoying of the fragrance of Osmanthus. When the Osmanthus is blooming at this time of the year, one gets to enjoy not just the sight but also the sweet fragrance of the Osmanthus flowers. (BTW Osmanthus is the city flower of Suzhou.) I could literally sitting or lingering there for hours to enjoy this multi-sensory delight.
From the main garden, one could exit to the part of the garden famous for her tall Taihu rock that was named "Crowned with the Cloud Peak" (Guan Yun Feng). It is a unique slender and beautiful Taihu rock featuring all 4 characters of a good Taihu rock: slender 瘦, leaky 漏 (i.e. water is capable of flowing through), wrinkled 皱, and "through" 透 (i.e. visible holes that one could see through to the other side of the rock.) Besides the rock, the garden around the rock was usually adorned with beautiful flowers. So, one could linger there and enjoy the rock or the flower or both! There are also a few other "lesser" Taihu rocks in this garden.
From what I called the rock garden, one could go through the round gate on one side and find yourself in a flower garden that is the most beautiful during late spring and early summer when many of the flowers are blooming. If you love flowers, you could lingering there for quite some time.
Or, if you follow the long corridor around the "bamboo forest" to the other side of the rock garden, you will find yourself in a Bonzai garden. If you like rocks and Bonzai, you could lingering there for hours. There is also a corridor that is shaded with grape vines and other climbing plants which gives excellent shade during the hot summer days but don't count on it to cover if it rains.
At the other end of the Bonzai garden, there was a narrow passage way between a rock and a wall that seemed to lead to no where. However, if you walk through it, you will find yourself entering another garden with again, "mountain" and pavilion, and many different kinds of trees. The rock that you just passed was the "mountain" of this part of the garden. Instead of a lake, you will find yourself along a man-made "river". Obviously, this "river" may look nothing like the Hudson, Mississippi, or Yangtze river but if you allow your imagination flow and pace along this stream, you do feel the sense of tranquility of walking along a quiet little stream.
From this "tree and river" garden, you could find you way to exit or you could back track to all the other parts of the garden to exit. They both take you to the same exit to the street but you would miss the souvenir store if you exit here.
The different theme in each "sub"-garden is why Liu Yuan or Lingering Garden is my favorite Suzhou garden. Now that I no longer have Suzhou garden pass and have to pay full price for a visit of any garden, this is always my first choice when I am visiting Suzhou and in the mood to see a garden.
Lingering Garden is also within walking distance from Shan Tang Street, albeit a good 20-30 minutes walk crossing a small maze of streets. But with a GPS in the mobile phone, it was not as challenging as it sounds. I have done a one-day tour of walking the Shan Tang in the morning, having lunch in the Shan Tang area and spent the afternoon in Lingering Garden before returning. It was my favorite one-day tour of Suzhou and what I do with friends who only have one day to spend in Suzhou and wants to experience old Suzhou life and Suzhou garden.
The reason for my love of Lingering Garden was mainly due to the fact that each part of the garden had her unique theme and her unique beauty. Once one enters the main entrance, you will be led to the main garden where it has the typical "mountain", "lake", pavilions, covered corridors, rocks and the main buildings. Some days, there will be musicians playing traditional Suzhou "ping tan", a pair of singers with instruments singing out a story in Suzhou dialect; in one of the pavilions. Or, there will be a lady playing the pipa in one of the boat sailing in the "lake" with someone rowing the boat. It is the kind of things that a Chinese scholar will enjoy and one could really feel how the original owner enjoyed the garden. The singers are treats and should not be expected on a regular basis. However, I seemed to have the most frequent encounters of singers in Lingering Garden than all the other Suzhou gardens.
During the fall, just about this time of the year (late September to late October), there is a spot on the left side of the lake where the owner planted the Osmanthus trees. The pavilion is named for the enjoying of the fragrance of Osmanthus. When the Osmanthus is blooming at this time of the year, one gets to enjoy not just the sight but also the sweet fragrance of the Osmanthus flowers. (BTW Osmanthus is the city flower of Suzhou.) I could literally sitting or lingering there for hours to enjoy this multi-sensory delight.
From the main garden, one could exit to the part of the garden famous for her tall Taihu rock that was named "Crowned with the Cloud Peak" (Guan Yun Feng). It is a unique slender and beautiful Taihu rock featuring all 4 characters of a good Taihu rock: slender 瘦, leaky 漏 (i.e. water is capable of flowing through), wrinkled 皱, and "through" 透 (i.e. visible holes that one could see through to the other side of the rock.) Besides the rock, the garden around the rock was usually adorned with beautiful flowers. So, one could linger there and enjoy the rock or the flower or both! There are also a few other "lesser" Taihu rocks in this garden.
From what I called the rock garden, one could go through the round gate on one side and find yourself in a flower garden that is the most beautiful during late spring and early summer when many of the flowers are blooming. If you love flowers, you could lingering there for quite some time.
Or, if you follow the long corridor around the "bamboo forest" to the other side of the rock garden, you will find yourself in a Bonzai garden. If you like rocks and Bonzai, you could lingering there for hours. There is also a corridor that is shaded with grape vines and other climbing plants which gives excellent shade during the hot summer days but don't count on it to cover if it rains.
At the other end of the Bonzai garden, there was a narrow passage way between a rock and a wall that seemed to lead to no where. However, if you walk through it, you will find yourself entering another garden with again, "mountain" and pavilion, and many different kinds of trees. The rock that you just passed was the "mountain" of this part of the garden. Instead of a lake, you will find yourself along a man-made "river". Obviously, this "river" may look nothing like the Hudson, Mississippi, or Yangtze river but if you allow your imagination flow and pace along this stream, you do feel the sense of tranquility of walking along a quiet little stream.
From this "tree and river" garden, you could find you way to exit or you could back track to all the other parts of the garden to exit. They both take you to the same exit to the street but you would miss the souvenir store if you exit here.
The different theme in each "sub"-garden is why Liu Yuan or Lingering Garden is my favorite Suzhou garden. Now that I no longer have Suzhou garden pass and have to pay full price for a visit of any garden, this is always my first choice when I am visiting Suzhou and in the mood to see a garden.
Lingering Garden is also within walking distance from Shan Tang Street, albeit a good 20-30 minutes walk crossing a small maze of streets. But with a GPS in the mobile phone, it was not as challenging as it sounds. I have done a one-day tour of walking the Shan Tang in the morning, having lunch in the Shan Tang area and spent the afternoon in Lingering Garden before returning. It was my favorite one-day tour of Suzhou and what I do with friends who only have one day to spend in Suzhou and wants to experience old Suzhou life and Suzhou garden.
Written October 14, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Natesan P
Pudukkottai, India30 contributions
Jun 2012 • Solo
Beautiful scenes. Some big rocks are really amazing. Stiil if you have been to Yu Rock Garden in Shanghai, then this will not be any more interesting. The music instrument play by the beautiful girls is truly soul soothing. Spend some time listening to the music.
Taxis are a bit difficult to get in front of this garden. So, better have some alternate arrangement
Taxis are a bit difficult to get in front of this garden. So, better have some alternate arrangement
Written June 24, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robert K
Gold Coast, Australia269 contributions
Nov 2019 • Friends
Wow from a very humble entrance to the most beautiful amazing gardens was just totally beautiful
I do throughly recommend seeing the Lingering Gardens
I do throughly recommend seeing the Lingering Gardens
Written February 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Does any small restaurants, street food vendors, for quick lunches, shops nearby the lingering garden ?
Written October 5, 2019
Yes, there seemed to be food establishments very close by, although we were on a tour so didn’t use them.
Written October 25, 2019
Does the Metro go close to the Lingering Garden?
Written August 10, 2018
Take Rail Transit Line 2 and get off at Shilu Station. Go out via Exit 1 and walk northward on South Guangji Road for about 50 yards (46 meters). Turn west and walk along Liuyuan Road for about 300 yards (274 meters).
Not allowed to send 'links' but check out - travel china guide / attractions / jiangsu / suzhou / lingering (join it up !!) has all transit links
Sorry hope this help
Have a grt trip and enjoy !!
Written August 11, 2018
Hi i have time for only one garden visit. what do you recommend between Humble administrator and Lingering Garden?
Written December 30, 2017
My daughter lived in Suzhou for six months and got to see both. She visited the Humble Administrator's garden with a friend and Lingering garden with me. She preferred the Lingering garden, though she liked them both very much. Humble Administrator's garden was in her words "obscenely busy" and though Lingering was also busy it is not as open (you are funneled through it) so you can see each area and view better. Perhaps look at the surrounding area for restaurants and other activities and make your decision that way.
Written December 30, 2017
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
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