[185] ren (‘humanness’): One of the most important values of Confucianism.
[186] Pan Yue (247–300): A poet known for his melancholic verses on the themes of beauty and talent. The name of Zhuozheng Yuan derives from his poem entitled ‘Xianji fu’ (‘Verse Describing a Careless Life’).
[187] Wu State: A Chinese kingdom that existed between the eleventh century bce and 473 bce in the area of today’s Zhejiang.
[188] Wang Xianchen: A censor during the Ming era. After he lost favour in the court, he built the Zhuozheng Yuan in Suzhou. Later, his son was to gamble away his entire inheritance — including this garden — in one single evening.
[189] the mountain and the waters (shanshui): The two indispensable elements of Chinese gardens, parks and landscapes which always must be present, at least in symbolic form (for example, as rocks and basins). Because of this, shanshui also means ‘landscape’.
[190] feng shui (‘wind — water’): The science of geomancy in China, based upon the belief that the forces that determine individual places influence the fate of those who come into contact with them. For that reason, all kinds of human dwelling, for the living and the dead, must be chosen in accordance with the principles of feng shui.
[191] Wen Zhengming (1470–1559): A renowned Ming-era poet and artist.
[192] ‘Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou’ (Yangzhou ba guai): Jin Nong (1687–1764), Huang Shen (1687–1768), Zheng Xie, also known as Zheng Banqiao (1693–1765), Li Shan (1686–1762), Li Fangying (1695–1755), Wang Shisen (1685–1759), Gao Xiang (1688–1753) and Luo Pin (1733–99) — artists active in Yangzhou, reformers of the Chinese art of painting.
[193] Wu Zixu, Tong Wengshu [. .] Fang Chouyan, Su Dongpo [. .] Xun Cunei, Han Shizhong, Weng Cengming, Wen Tianxiang, Liu Zifu: Renowned personalities whose lives were somehow connected to Suzhou.