●Chapter Ⅰ The Formation and Development of Chinese Gardens
Section Ⅰ The Origins of Classical Chinese Gardens
Section Ⅱ A Symbol of Imperial Power
Section Ⅲ A Place to Indulge in a Passion for Landscape
Section Ⅳ Gardens in the Golden Age of Imperial China
Section Ⅴ Moving with the Times
Section Ⅵ Moving Heaven and Earth
Chapter Ⅱ Categories of Chinese Gardens
Section Ⅰ Imperial Gardens
Section Ⅱ Private Gardens
Section Ⅲ Comparison between Imperial Gardens and Private Gardens
Chapter Ⅲ The Four Major Elements of Chinese Garden Design
Section Ⅰ Rockeries
Section Ⅱ Water Features
Section Ⅲ Architecture
Section Ⅳ Flowers and Trees
Chapter Ⅳ The Cultural Characteristics of Chinese Gardens
Section Ⅰ Building a Model of Heaven and Earth
Section Ⅱ The World in Microcosm
Section Ⅲ A Part of the Whole
Chapter Ⅴ The Aesthetic Characteristics of Chinese Gardens
Section Ⅰ The Implications of Chinese Garden Naming Conventions..
Section Ⅱ Symbolism and Analogy
Section Ⅲ The Artistic Conception behind Classical Chinese Gardens ..
Section Ⅳ The Beauty of Dynamism
Chapter Ⅵ Appreciating Northern China's Imperial Gardens
Section Ⅰ The Imperial Garden of the Forbidden City
Section Ⅱ Qianlong Garden, or the Garden of the Palace of Tranquil Longevity
Section Ⅲ The Old Summer Palace
Section Ⅳ The Summer Palace
Section Ⅴ Chengde Imperial Mountain Resort
Chapter Ⅶ Appreciating Southern China's Private Gardens
Section Ⅰ Jichang Garden
Section Ⅱ The Humble Administrator's Garden
Section Ⅲ The Master of Nets Garden
Section Ⅳ Ge Garden
Author's Note
A Brief Chronology of Chinese History

《中國園林》從中國文化的角度出發，闡述了園林的本身特色及所承載的文化意蘊；又從中國園林與其他國家及地區園林的比較中顯示出了中國園林所承載的文化含義及其像征。其中本書最有特色的是第五章《引人入勝——中國園林審美》，從意境的角度解析了園林的審美方法及審美感受。並選取日本、西方（主要是歐洲）以及伊斯蘭的園林與中國園林作了一番比較，在比較中再次彰顯了中國園林的獨特之處。