With its captivating natural environment, mild climate, and location along the fertile Yangtze delta, Suzhou was the perfect choice. Its advanced economics, developed handicrafts and silk trade in the Ming Dynasty allowed it to support a booming culture. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Suzhou was so prosperous even commoners would place bamboo or stones in their yards. The literati flocked here, bringing an aura of erudition and artistry. Many of the scholars who succeeded in the official examinations were also ¡°the natives,¡± returning to their hometown after their retirement. Gradually, excellent craftsmen gathered in Suzhou, drawing even more people with the classical garden dream.
Those who lived in the gardens were well-off elite who craved a leisurely life. They were retired or had given up life in office or idealistic artists with plenty of spare time. And since a symbol of class was the appreciation of the traditional and fine arts, these people read poetry, listened to the graceful notes of Chinese instruments, and watched the opera, a fusion of the arts.