The garden is representative of Chinese classical gardens in the Ming Dynasty, which are focused on a central pond with pavilions. In 1997, Humble Administrator's Garden, along with other classical gardens of Suzhou, is claimed a World Heritage Site, listed by UNESCO.

The garden's site was a scholar garden during the Tang Dynasty, and later a monastery garden during the Yuan Dynasty. In 1513, an administrator called Wang Xianchen appropriated the temple and converted it into a private villa with gardens. The garden was designed with numerous trees and pavilions in collaboration with the famous Ming artist Wen Zhengming. The scale is the same with present garden.

The garden was split up in the later Ming dynasty. People hadn't pay attention to it until Qing Dynasty reigns of Emperors Shunzhi and Kangxi when the garden was reconstructed and differed greatly from the original design. 

Today's garden consists of three parts: the central part which is properly called Zhuozheng Yuan, the eastern part once called Guitianyuanju, and a western part formally called.