Chapter Ⅰ The Formation and Development of Chinese Gardens
Section Ⅰ The Origins of Classical Chinese Gardens
Section Ⅱ A Symbol of Imperial Power
Section Ⅲ A Place to Indulge in a Passion for Landscape
Section Ⅳ Gardens in the Golden Age of Imperial China
Section Ⅴ Moving with the Times
Section Ⅵ Moving Heaven and Earth
Chapter Ⅱ Categories of Chinese Gardens
Section Ⅰ Imperial Gardens
Section Ⅱ Private Gardens
Section Ⅲ Comparison between Imperial Gardens and Private Gardens
Chapter Ⅲ The Four Major Elements of Chinese Garden Design
Section Ⅰ Rockeries
Section Ⅱ Water Features
Section Ⅲ Architecture
Section Ⅳ Flowers and Trees
Chapter Ⅳ The Cultural Characteristics of Chinese Gardens
Section Ⅰ Building a Model of Heaven and Earth
Section Ⅱ The World in Microcosm
Section Ⅲ A Part of the Whole
Chapter Ⅴ The Aesthetic Characteristics of Chinese Gardens
Section Ⅰ The Implications of Chinese Garden Naming Conventions.
Section Ⅱ Symbolism and Analogy
Section Ⅲ The Artistic Conception behind Classical Chinese Gardens
Section Ⅳ The Beauty of Dynamism
Chapter Ⅵ Appreciating Northern China's Imperial Gardens
Section Ⅰ The Imperial Garden of the Forbidden City
Section Ⅱ Qianlong Garden,or the Garden of the Palace of Tranquil Longevity
Section Ⅲ The Old Summer Palace
Section Ⅳ The Summer Palace
Section Ⅴ Chengde Imperial Mountain Resort
Chapter VII Appreciating Southern China's Private Gardens
Section Ⅰ Jichang Garden
Section Ⅱ The Humble Administrator's Garden
Section Ⅲ The Master of Nets Garden
Section Ⅳ Ge Garden
Author's Note
A Brief Chronology of Chinese History