Lingnan garden

The extensive river network, strong sunlight, and regular monsoon in the region contributes to a lush subtropical natural landscape.

They have been noted for their inclusion of stone heaps as mock mountains, slowly rising roofs and alleys, various sculptures and carvings, contrasting colors of blue and green, and plants that bloom in all four seasons.

Yuyum Sanfong, for instance, has the calligraphy "餘地三弓紅雨足，蔭天一角綠雲深" (Classical Chinese, literally "This land is just as large as three bows, but rich in red rain; Though it is just a corner under the sky, it is abundant with green clouds") written on its main door.

Lingnan garden is said to embody the philosophy behind Cantonese culture[7] – commerce, pragmatism, and openness to foreign ideas.

For much of the past millennium, Cantonese people have served as major merchants of the Chinese Empire, especially when it came to trade activities with Western Europeans and Southeast Asians.

Cantonese gardens are less bounded by royal standards and frequently adopt foreign (i.e., non-Chinese) elements like stained glass.

Also, Cantonese are far less heavily invested in Confucian philosophy, resulting in a style closer to the average people – such as a tendency to fuse gardens with buildings that have mundane purposes.

According to historical records, people in Lingnan were already building gardens during the reign of the Nanyue king Zhao Tuo (?

In much of the two millennia that followed, Lingnan had served as the fringe territory of various Chinese dynasties, resulting in a relative lack of royal garden styles.