China has a long tradition of garden construction, the design of which is inevitably linked to the needs and the wealth of those who built them. It is convenient to consider them in three categories:
though there are definite design influences between gardens in each category.
The development of the gardens needs to be viewed in an historical context, with periods of peace and prosperity - the main garden development periods - interspersed with periods of factions and wars - you might find this time line useful. China has varied considerably in area, and its centres of political and economic power have also moved over time. This animated map will give you an idea of how its boundaries have changed through the last four milennia.