Transmutation of the Characteristics of Wang Shizhen’s Garden Practices—From Lici Garden to Yanshan Garden

Wang Shizhen’s social status, life stories and experiences in late Ming Dynasty are analyzed, along with his personality and subjective desires. Comparative study is conducted between his early garden practice Lici Garden and Yanshan Garden in the later years. By analyzing the similarities and differences between the two gardens in terms of their original intention, construction process, overall site plan, spatial sequence and detail features, this paper concludes the characteristics of Wang Shizhen’ s garden practices, and explores their internal relations with his life experience. The status as the master and contribution that Wang Shizhen has made in the construction process are stated, thus conclusion of the transmutation of his thoughts on landscape, architecture and gardening that embodied in these practices is summarized.